"Last year, I was asked to improve and then facilitate a training session with our frontline workers on the signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and available treatments. Frontline workers face trauma every day, and it can take a toll on their well-being. From our pilot run, I got the existing material was heavy, and I wanted to find ways to lighten up the delivery while still keeping the right tone regarding the serious topic of PTSD. I decided to add a few team-building exercises and improv exercises where the attendees would get a hypothetical situation, and they needed to act out how they would approach the issue. It was amazing to see how quickly the attendees jumped into the role play and how they supported each other when one person felt 'stuck' with what to do or how to respond. In the end, my leadership team was impressed with how I added my style to the existing material. When the subject matter is serious, it's okay to add a lighter component to put the attendees at ease and help them feel more comfortable with opening up during the sessions."
