As a workforce development professional, you are likely to encounter many clients who have difficulty at work associated with poor self-esteem and lack of confidence. Addressing these issues becomes an important aspect of the work that you will engage in together. In addition, many of us also experience these difficulties ourselves, especially as we contemplate helping others whose lives are incredibly challenging.

In this article, we will review the context for understanding different types of traumatic life experiences, assessing symptoms and consequences, and planning treatment. We recognize that you face incredible challenges in your work every day and want you to feel supported through this process.

The prevalence and ongoing threat of violent crime in communities affect the health and emotional well-being of those who live in them. In neighborhoods with high levels of violence, it is not uncommon for residents to have been injured, witnessed shootings, or lost a loved one to violent death. These experiences can lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at rates comparable to those seen in combat veterans. Whether or not violent episodes lead to the development of PTSD, living with the ongoing threat of violence has a pervasive effect on people’s day-to-day lives and functioning.

Stigma presents a major barrier for people with mental health concerns to seek help to address those very concerns. Multiple research studies demonstrate that stigma prevents people from seeking treatment from mental health professionals or contributes to people ending treatment prematurely.

Expressing anger in the workplace can come at a cost for both the individual and the organization or company. Problems for clients who struggle to manage their anger include lack of advancement, colleagues being less likely to work with them, vendors or customers avoiding them or even being fired.

Brief 2: Strengthening Clients’ Emotional Capacity to Meet Workplace Expectations: Strategies for Managing Emotional Distress in Customer Service Work
Explicitly teaching your clients how to manage the emotional aspects of customer service interactions in ways that will enable them to remain calm and professional in the face of emotional triggers is key to helping them succeed in the service industry.

It is important that as a workforce development professional, you learn how to supportively talk with your clients about traumatic life experiences. … To effectively identify clients who are coping with the trauma you will need to ask sensitive questions and utilize a screening questionnaire.