Green flags & Emotional Safety

Your monthly inbox drop of wellness goodness! I've included 1 new article + 1 major opportunity for leveling up your trauma informed LEADERSHIP skills, you cool cat! (Sign up on my website to snag the freebies included every month. Use this link)

Ding! Dong! The holidays are OVER! 😮💨

I am glad they are because the holidays bring up so much emotional shit for me, and due to things happening around me, this year's holiday season was A LOT to move through. I am ready for 2025, you with me?!

Great! Now LET'S GO!

Starting with #TraumaInformedLeadership opportunities!

So, Sarah, where are you speaking & training on Trauma Informed Leadership? As a Dynamic Trauma Informed Professional & Consultant, I'm often asked to speak at events and to train others in what it means to provide Trauma Informed Care. (See bottom for WHAT trauma informed care actually means)

I am speaking as part of my affinity group's Leadership Summit in March 2025!

Integrate Trauma Informed Network Affinity Group

I am a Vetted & Verified Trauma Informed Subject Matter Expert for Integrate Network:

Award-winning affinity group empowering professionals w/ human-centered communication and trauma-informed decision-making skills for a compassionate, resilient workforce.

Recipient of the 2023 Influential Leadership Award in Education and Healthcare by Heal Conferences

Level Up YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS with this Opportunity:

Grab your seat for our month-long, virtual Trauma Informed Leadership Summit!

30 days of content with 10 of Integrate Network's finest Subject Matter Experts

March 1- March 31, 2025

Yes, guys! I am speaking at this event. Communication, Compassion, Connection & Conflict Resolution

What to Expect

Explore critical themes each week to enrich your leadership approach:

• Week 1: Tackling Social Problems
• Week 2: Trauma-Informed Decision-Making
• Week 3: Human-Centered Communication
• Week 4: Self-Compassion and Common Humanity

Gain wisdom from inspiring speakers whose expertise spans trauma coaching, health care and leadership development. Learn more about our affinity group here.

How to Join

• Register here. (Stay tuned, our APP is coming soon!)
• Receive access on February 28th through Integrate’s Teachable platform.
• Weekly emails in March will guide you through each theme.
• Enjoy lifetime access to all materials.

This is your opportunity to grow as a leader, connect with like-minded individuals, and create meaningful change. Reserve your spot now and join us in shaping a more compassionate future, supported by our amazing sponsors.

What's going to be happening in this summit exactly?

• This Online Symposium is a cutting-edge virtual event that brings together industry leaders, experts, and professionals to explore the intersection of trauma awareness and effective leadership strategies.
• Attendees will delve into topics such as fostering empathy in leadership practices, building resilience in teams, and promoting emotional intelligence in decision-making.
• Through engaging presentations, insightful panel discussions, and interactive workshops, participants will gain valuable insights and practical tools to integrate trauma-informed approaches into their leadership roles.
• This symposium offers a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate in a supportive online environment dedicated to advancing compassionate and empathetic leadership practices.

Register today to reserve your spot!

Thank you to our sponsors!!

+Johan Tocre of Creative Neuroconcepts

+ Chason Forehand of HR-4U

+ Mike Ashabraner of Hounds of Business Community

+ Laura Miller of NextGen Ethics

Okay, on to some content (then a few more announcements)!

🟩Green Flags: What are they? Do you know how to spot them?

What do you know about Nervous System Calm? Nervous system calmness = feelings of safety with someone.

Why do we need Nervous System Calm? Ultimately, we need this (nervous system calm, safety) to have healthy relationship dynamics between people. Any people. Any relationships. Not just romantic partnerships.

What happens if we don't have Nervous System Calm? Without this safety, we are MORE LIKELY to engage in DEFENSIVENESS basically when anything happens or is communicated in a relationship. Any relationship.

What do you do when the people around you aren't displaying green flags? If people around you, in your circle, do not display the following green flags, then you need to consider boundaries to protect your nervous system.

How do boundaries help? Boundaries = Taking care of my own nervous system, my own nervous system needs.

Do healthy relationships need to worry about this? Relationships take work. All relationships (romantic, colleagues, friends, etc).Healthy relationships take work. Do the work! Which means figure out how to get to Nervous System Calm for yourself, and by yourself. That's the work.

🟩12 Green Flags

 Look for people that do these things

• Person makes time for you
• Person gently challenges you
• Person honors your boundaries
• Person takes time to get to know you on a deeper level
• Person holds space for your emotions
• Person wants to see you succeed
• Person inspires you in some way
• Person loves seeing you grow
• Person accepts you as you are
• Person shows up for you in ways you need
• Person chooses you, includes you
• Person, or their presence, calms your nervous system

If you need HELP learning to spot the green flags, or the red flags, or becoming more green flag yourself, then I am the provider for you! Contact me here to work together for change!

Noticeable Changes: What happens when you are in a healthy relationship?

So many good things start to emerge when you find yourself in a HEALTHY relationship

• You communicate more effectively
• You become comfortable with boundaries
• You can be more vulnerable
• You can address your insecurities and fears
• You can put your ego aside
• You can manage your activations ('triggers') & behave maturely
• You can think more about how your past influences relationships today
• You can look within for self-awareness, growth, & learning
• You can break old patterns of behavior (unhelpful patterns)
• You can break old patterns of thought (unhelpful patterns)

Sarah, what ELSE have you been up to?

I started a new Trauma Informed Consultant role!

I am officially the Director of Student Wellness for Transformation Kitchen!

I am so honored and blessed to be working alongside my friend Chason Forehand and his nonprofit organization HR-4U INC. I have been enjoying the sessions with our first student!

 What is TK? A culinary training program to assist folks getting a living wage job. 

Sarah, what are the other organizations in which you participate or provide leadership? (Click all the blue texts for direct links)

Circle of Friends Club

Yes, I am still the Chief Mental Health Officer.

Yes, I am still hosting my weekly podcast show: The Healing Hour (every Thursday @ 11am EST). Starting back up Jan 2!! Find it here

Yes, I still recommend membership if you want to find a supportive mental health community.

Hounds of Business

Yes, I am still an active member. I even brought a few of my friends over, right Julie Johnson, M.S., ATS, CPS , Fihmiya H. & Mike Ashabraner ?!? 😁❤️

Yes, I support reciprocity and building connections to elevate business. Connection over Solicitation, all day, everyday. Collaborate with integrity. It's the Trauma Informed Way!

Yes, I still recommend membership if you want a supportive business/entrepreneurial community. This is one of the best business/growth-oriented communities I've encountered. Check them out!

Sarah, what else have you accomplished in the past month?

📜A new published article!

Canvas Rebel: Important Lessons Learned at a Prior Job. Meet Sarah Fargo O'Brien

📙A new published International Bestselling book!

A Message to my Family: I am here and you are my legacy. Purchase here

My legacy? Healing. Wanna know how I did it? Music. Want to know more? Read my chapter in full! 😁🙏🏽❤️

Big thanks to Nic the GBW and all 20 of the co-authors who contributed to this book. Collaborations of this kind really fill me up! Want to contribute to a book? Reach out to Nic, the kindest and most badass publisher I know!

This book is just $0.99 on Kindle! Get your copy today!

What does TRAUMA INFORMED mean?

Trauma Informed is a HOW, not a WHAT.

It's taking knowledge about trauma and the impact trauma has on people, and using that to inform HOW you interact with others.

Trauma Informed is application of knowledge and skills to work better with humans. To offer more pathways for safety, and to reduce pathways to harm.

Trauma Informed is using human-centered communication in our interactions, and trauma responsive awareness in our decision-making, for self and for others.

Trauma Informed is not a clinical skill, or a psychotherapy skill, or a clinical modality, or intervention. It is a human skill. A people-to-people skill. It can, and should, be used in all places with all people.

Sarah, what else do you have to offer folks wanting to self-improve or relationally-improve?

Ahh! So many good things-digital products-I have created to help people on their journey to greater self-awareness, other-awareness, emotional literacy, & Trauma Informed Leadership.

 Compassionate Self Tool Kits (self-guided digital download; #ebook; #digitalproduct) $19

• Self-Care Kit
• Burnout Awareness Kit
• Setting Boundaries Kit
• Burnout Recovery Full Kit ($49)
• Self-Care, Love, & Growth Workbook ($9)

 Trauma Informed Leader Learning Guide (self-guided workbook w/ exercises & prompts) $49

 Trauma Informed Crisis Response Guide (digital download product; must contact directly)

• A Researched-Based Trauma-Informed Guide to follow (and fill in) to both differentiate between and for responding to a person who may be experiencing a MH crisis, substance use/abuse crisis, medical emergency, other crisis or emergency situation.

• This is a 20-page Tool/Guide walking you through how to assess the risk acuity of a potential crisis situation from severe to moderate to low + post incident checklist & self-care guide.

➡️Learn more here. *Nonprofits + MH practices contact for $150 off + 1-hour intro to the tool

 Self-Care Wear (online store with original designs for affirmations & healing). Grab your swag!

 Set up your FREE discovery call for Coaching or Consulting services. I would love to help you!

 Use my Contact Form to let me know how I can help you in your quest for transformational change.

 Check out my coaching & consulting services & packages. 1:1 Guidance is just one step away! Together, we can create movement in life, self, love, & business. :)

Now, signing off!

Sending you boundless good vibes, hoping for a healed heart, & wishing you a peaceful nervous system. Take care of yourself, first and always. ❣️

-Sarah Fargo O'Brien Dynamic Trauma Informed Professional, at your service