Creating Psychological Safety in Polarizing Times

Creating Psychological Safety in Polarizing Times

An article by Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UC Davis Health, Dr. Hendry Ton

Many people have concerns about increased polarization and difficulty engaging in dialogue with others as we approach the presidential elections. The conflicts in the Middle East, increase in Islamophobia and antisemitism, and legislation around reproductive rights and gender affirming care may create further anxiety and feelings of isolation for people. These challenges can make it increasingly difficult for members of our community to connect and engage in meaningful conversations.

Questions about how to communicate with friends, colleagues, and family members across deep divides are becoming more common across our society as well as within our university community and reflect a growing unease about how we can all move forward together. This is not just a concern for relationships—this has real impacts on our collective sense of safety and well-being.

I know many of my colleagues throughout the university are investing a lot of time, thought, care and attention into fostering an environment where people can feel safe and heard when having these crucial conversations. The creation of the Dynamic Discussions web portal and the content contained within the site is a good example of this, as well as the “Growing as a Community” webinar that I recently participated in.

At UC Davis, we aspire to live by the Principles of Community, which call us to confront and reject all manifestations of discrimination, while affirming the dignity of every individual. We also support the right to freedom of speech within the scope of the law. If we all agree about these principles, why does it sometimes feel so difficult to live out these values in our conversations and interactions with those whom we disagree?

I hear questions like this often in my work with patients. There are many reasons why we find it so difficult. As a psychiatrist, I find that adopting a ‘trauma informed perspective’ gives me tools to understand and bridge the divide. I am hoping these tools will help others as well.

What is a Trauma-Informed Approach?

A trauma-informed approach recognizes the widespread effects of trauma on individuals and communities. Trauma can influence our emotions, causing anxiety, fear, anger, or depression long after a traumatic event. It can also affect how we think about and interact with others well after something has happened. When we feel threatened, our body and mind enter “survival mode.” Our heartbeat and blood pressure rise, and our mental focus narrows, often into a fight-or-flight response. This is referred to as the “trauma mindset.”

With support and reflection, trauma can be processed in productive and healthy ways that lead to personal growth and even powerful social transformation. However, trauma can also make us susceptible to the less healthy trauma mindset. This mindset often drives us to make quick judgments about those around us, hastily deciding whether someone is friendly or hostile with very little room for anything in between. While in this mindset, we tend to demonize those with whom we disagree, and we have difficulty hearing where they are coming from. Conversations like this can feel both physically and emotionally exhausting, leaving us drained at the end of the day.

This mindset can be triggered by several factors, including:

• Previous trauma: Events from the past that have left emotional scars
• Current experiences of insecurity: Both physical threats and a lack of psychological safety.
• Witnessing or hearing about the trauma of others: Knowing that others are suffering can intensify feelings of fear and vulnerability.
• Worrying about the safety of loved ones or community members: Constant concern for the well-being of others can amplify emotional responses and deepen polarization.
• Feelings of helplessness: These feelings can stem from repeatedly witnessing injustices, feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of issues, or believing that no matter what we say or do, nothing will change. This sense of powerlessness can be paralyzing, leading to emotional withdrawal or shutting down.

Understanding that we all sometimes operate from a trauma mindset is the key to fostering compassion and living the UC Davis Principles of Community. Polarized thinking is often a reflection of deep pain and fear, rather than our true capacity for community building. Repairing rifts within our community requires that we create environments that prioritize both physical and psychological safety, to help people move outside of a trauma mindset and into understanding, openness and inclusion.

How We Can Foster Psychological Safety

Creating a psychologically safe environment begins with small, intentional actions. Here are some concrete strategies for recognizing when you or others around you are in a trauma mindset, and what you can do to foster a safer and more compassionate space:

1. Recognize the signs of a trauma mindset: Pay attention to physical reactions like rapid heartbeat, feeling on edge, or an overwhelming sense of needing to defend yourself or withdraw from a conversation. Notice if your thoughts feel more rigid and absolute (e.g., thinking in “always” or “never” terms) or if you’re finding it difficult to consider other perspectives.
2. Create space for yourself to come out of a trauma mindset: Take a pause to ground yourself. When you recognize you’re in a heightened state, take a few deep breaths or use grounding techniques, such as feeling your feet on the floor or naming things you can see, hear, or touch around you.
3. Encourage nuanced Thinking: Actively remind yourself that complex issues are rarely black-and-white. Remind yourself that “this is a complex issue” or “multiple things may be true at the same time” or “there may be more than one way to look at this.” If you notice yourself categorizing others as "all good" or "all bad," consciously ask yourself, “What might I be missing about this person’s perspective or experience?”
4. Seek support: If you find that it difficult to get out of a trauma mindset, please consider seeking support from others, including mental health professionals. (Dynamic Discussions hosts a list of resources for support collated by the Division of DEI).
5. Most Importantly, give yourself grace: Exiting or deferring a heated discussion may be the best solution if you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed and/or not ready, willing, or able to engage. Forcing yourself can negatively affect your wellness. And potentially impact relationships as well.

In upcoming articles, I will share strategies for helping others move out of the trauma mindset and provide guidance on establishing agreements that foster psychologically safe spaces and ultimately help us to build a stronger sense of community.

In the meantime, it’s important to remember that this work begins with taking care of ourselves. Just as flight attendants instruct passengers to secure their own oxygen masks before assisting others, the same principle applies to bridging divides. We must first recognize that both we, and those around us, are deserving of compassion, and that the first step is self-care.

By prioritizing psychological safety, we can create the conditions for more authentic conversations that foster understanding and connection, even in polarized times. Let’s reaffirm our commitment to the Principles of Community and work together to build a UC Davis where every individual feels seen, heard, and respected.

Hendry Ton is associate vice chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and clinical professor of psychiatry at UC Davis Health