Trauma-Informed Design Workshop for Designers, Researchers & Changemakers
An online workshop series that helps you integrate trauma-informed practice into your design work to improve research quality, trust-building, and ethical integrity.
New dates added: November, 2026
Led by Hitomi Yokota, a Registered Psychotherapist and Service Designer.
This will be the last one for a while; seats are limited.
Module 1. Foundations: Understanding Trauma in Design Contexts
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 2-3:30 pm EST (7–8:30 pm GMT)
Module 2. Trauma-Informed Design Research Application
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 2-3:30 pm EST (7–8:30 pm GMT)Module 3. Researcher Wellbeing: Secondary Trauma, Individual and Team Practices
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 2–3:30 pm EST (7–8:30 pm GMT)
Format: Live online, interactive, 90 minutes, in a small cohort
Who it’s for: Designers, design researchers, user researchers, and community engagement professionals, including those working in healthcare, public services, and accessibility.
—Participant
“There was a lot to learn from how Hitomi conducted the session. Clear instructions at each stage without overwhelming us, taking pauses in between, giving us a heads-up on what this is and what this is not, and sharing vulnerabilities as learning moments.”
Designing with care in emotionally complex contexts
Designers and researchers are increasingly working in spaces shaped by vulnerability, loss, systemic harm, and emotional load. Yet most design training focuses on methods and outcomes, not on how trauma, stress, and nervous system responses shape research, participation, and decision-making.
This workshop series introduces trauma-informed design as a practical, ethical, and sustainable approach to design and research practice.
Who this workshop is for
This workshop is designed for professionals who:
Conduct research, co-design, or user experience work
Lead programs with high participant exposure or emotional complexity, including healthcare, public services, and accessibility.
Want to integrate ethical, reflective practices into their work
Seek to sustain presence, resilience, and grounded professional judgement
What to expect
A combination of didactic and interactive, practical activities
The workshops are run over Zoom.
To enable discussions, the cohort size is kept small. You will have an opportunity to connect and network with like-minded professionals.
The presentation slides, take-home resources, and worksheets are provided.
The sessions are recorded, and the video link will be available for one month after the session.
Live captions are available over Zoom.
This workshop is for professional education, not group therapy.
Module descriptions
Module 1 builds the foundation for Modules 2 and 3 and is recommended before them, though not required. The three-module bundle covers the full arc, from understanding to application to sustaining your own wellbeing.
Module 1 — Foundations: Understanding Trauma in Design Contexts
This is a foundational module to understand trauma and trauma-informed design.
Goal:
Build foundational literacy on trauma, stress responses, and how they appear in research or co-design settings.
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
Identify different types of trauma and how they may indirectly influence participants
Recognize cues of stress and nervous system activation without pathologizing
Map your own “silent load” in research or project work
Apply a trauma-informed lens in observation and decision-making
Participate in peer activities and discussions
Module 2 — Trauma-Informed Design Research Application
This module adds on to the foundations of Module 1. Taking Module 1 before this module is recommended, but not mandatory.
Goal:
Learn practical methods for designing research that supports psychological safety, autonomy, and ethical engagement.
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
Design research protocols that incorporate trauma-informed principles.
Learn how to plan for psychological safety across the research lifecycle.
Apply trauma-informed language and micro-skills to support respectful and regulated participant engagement
Have completed exercises to review and update research materials.
Module 3 — Researcher Wellbeing: Secondary Trauma, Individual and Team Practices
This module adds on to the foundations of Module 1. Taking Module 1 before this module is recommended, but not mandatory.
Goal:
Build awareness of the emotional and ethical load in research and learn strategies to maintain your own wellbeing.
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
Identify how repeated exposure to distress impacts cognition, mood, and relationships
Recognize somatic signs of emotional overload
Apply individual and team-level strategies
Use structured reflection tools to process emotional impact
Sustain ethical judgment and research quality over time
What past participants say
“The real-life scenarios were the most helpful. They made it easier to understand how trauma may show up in practice and what cues can help guide a supportive response.”
Participant
“Module 2 provided practical advice for creating intentional research designs and opportunities for self-reflection and discussion about our role as researchers and designers.”
Participant
“Thanks for this offering. It’s especially valuable as an independent consultant, as it can be challenging to tap into professional development as an individual.”
Participant
Registration
Small cohort: Registration will close when seats are filled.
One module:
Self-funded: 120 CAD
Organization-funded: 160 CAD
Reduced rates (limited availability - for those who have financial difficulty): 70-90 CAD
3-module bundle:
Self-funded: 300 CAD
Organization-funded: 420 CAD
Reduced rate: 190-250 CAD
About the Facilitator
Hitomi Yokota, Founder of Cocoro Colab, is a licensed psychotherapist and service designer with over a decade of experience bridging trauma-informed care with human-centred design. She founded Cocoro Colab to provide the education designers and researchers need to engage with sensitivity, care, and ethical awareness.
Credentials:
Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO)
Master’s in Interdisciplinary Design Strategy
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counselling
Specialized trauma-informed training (including EMDR, IFS, Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Embodiment, DBT).
Interested but not ready?
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