PTSD in the Workplace: What HR Leaders and Managers Need to Know
Episode 36
Do you ever want to support employee mental health—but feel unsure how to respond when trauma shows up at work?
Many leaders want to support employee mental health—but feel unsure where to start, especially when trauma shows up at work. How do you recognize the signs without overstepping? What’s supportive leadership, and what can unintentionally cause harm?
In Episode 36 of The People Success Circle, I dive into PTSD in the workplace and what HR professionals and business leaders need to understand to lead with clarity, compassion, and emotional intelligence. We explore how trauma can impact performance, communication, and team dynamics—and what practical, trauma-aware support really looks like.
In this episode of The People Success Circle, I share practical guidance for understanding PTSD in the workplace and supporting employees with clarity and compassion.
How PTSD in the workplace can show up in everyday behaviors, performance, and communication—not just in obvious or extreme ways
Why workplace PTSD awareness matters for HR leaders and managers who want to support employees without overstepping
Common PTSD symptoms at work and trauma responses that are often misunderstood or mislabeled as disengagement or burnout
Practical guidance on managing PTSD at work, including what supportive leadership looks like in real-world situations
How leaders can begin supporting employees with PTSD by creating psychological and emotional safety on their teams
The role of emotional intelligence in responding to trauma at work with clarity, compassion, and accountability
🎧 Tune in or keep reading to walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately—for yourself or the people you lead.
🔗 Helpful Links
🌐 Mindy’s website for business consulting: https://www.limerockcareerco.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Episode 36: Watch or Listen
Key Takeaways From Episode 36
Notice the “Invisible” Signs Before Performance Becomes the Only Story
As HR leaders and business owners, we often hear, “Something’s off with this employee,” and the conversation goes straight to output. In this episode, I share why it’s important to pause and consider what might be happening beneath the surface—especially when there’s been a clear shift in focus, decision-making, or engagement.
Mandi shared examples of what can show up when someone is dealing with trauma at work, including difficulty concentrating, struggling to make decisions, feeling rushed, or seeming flustered after calls or texts. Those can be real PTSD symptoms at work—or signs of a serious stressor—and they deserve a thoughtful, human response.
Lead With a Wellbeing Check, Not Assumptions
One of the most practical takeaways is the power of a simple wellbeing check-in. Not a quick “You good?” drive-by—but an intentional one-on-one where you build rapport and create safety. That foundation matters, because many employees won’t disclose what’s happening right away (or they may still be trying to make sense of it themselves).
If you’re seeing changes, it’s okay to gently ask, “Are you feeling safe?” and “How can I support you?” That kind of workplace PTSD awareness is part of responsible leadership—and it can open the door to supporting employees with PTSD without prying or overstepping.
Create Safety Plans and Practical Support When Risk Is Present
When someone shares they don’t feel safe—especially in situations involving domestic violence—leaders need to know there are practical steps workplaces can take. We talked about actions like involving security (if applicable), circulating a photo when appropriate, walking employees to their car, and putting simple processes in place to protect both the employee and the workplace.
This is part of managing PTSD at work in a real-world way: you’re not trying to “fix” someone’s trauma—you’re helping reduce risk and increase safety, while connecting them to the right support.
Offer Resources Without Taking Away Control
A big point Mandi made is that even well-meaning leaders can accidentally add pressure by “prescribing” what someone must do next. When a person is already dealing with power and control dynamics, being forced into a solution can feel triggering.
Instead, offer options with permission: “If you ever want resources, I have some you can access—no pressure.” That approach respects autonomy while still supporting PTSD in the workplace with care and professionalism.
Encourage Self-Compassion, Baby Steps, and Sustainable Healing
For employees who are struggling, Mandi emphasized self-compassion and taking small, doable steps—because survival mode drains mental capacity fast. She shared the idea of a “menu” of supportive actions (like calling a friend, doing one grounding activity, or taking one small step toward finding a counselor) so the person doesn’t have to make decisions when they’re depleted.
As leaders, we can reinforce that pace by normalizing mental health days and reminding teams that healing isn’t something you “hustle through”—it’s something you move through sustainably.
Watch for Leadership Behaviors That Trigger Fear or “Fight or Flight”
We also discussed how certain leadership behaviors—even unintentional ones—can cause harm. Being forceful, overly demanding, judgmental, or treating urgency like the everyday expectation can push people deeper into stress responses.
A better leadership posture is curiosity over judgment: ask, don’t assume. Build rapport first. Believe the best. Those small shifts can make the workplace feel safer for everyone—especially someone navigating PTSD symptoms at work.
Make Mental Health a Normal, Ongoing Conversation
If I could underline one takeaway, it’s this: don’t wait for a crisis to acknowledge mental health. Regular check-ins—when things look “fine”—create trust and reduce stigma. This is how we build healthier workplaces over time, not just respond when something breaks.
🎧 Want the full story, examples, and action steps?
Listen to the full episode of The People Success Circle for more insights on building a thriving culture that drives results.
Read the full transcript
Mindy East: Hi, and welcome back to The People Success Circle podcast. I have a guest today that I’m really interested in interviewing because, as an HR leader, I know this topic—and this expert—will enlighten all of us about a workplace situation that’s so important. With that, I want to introduce you to Mandi Pratt. Hi, Mandi.
Mandi: Hi, hello everybody.
Mindy East: I’m so glad you’re here. Tell us a little bit about your background, and then we’ll dive into our topic.
Mandi: My background is actually in art. I was a graphic designer, worked in corporate, and became a photographer. Now I’m a resilience speaker, a trauma-informed advocate, and a podcaster.
Mindy East: That’s great. How did you make that career switch? What prompted it?
Mandi: I never thought I would be doing what I’m doing now. It’s only because I have a very intense life story. Because of that, I felt passionate about helping people prevent what I went through—and also helping people heal through the types of trauma I’ve experienced.
Mindy East: Do you mind sharing a little bit about your story that helped you make that switch?
Mandi: Yeah, no problem. I was married when I was about 20. As time went on, that person became abusive—like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Eventually I left. About a year after I left, we had a young son at the time. He was a toddler, and we were living somewhere else.
I came home one day and there was a business card tucked into the door jam. It said “coroner’s unit” and “robbery unit.” There was a handwritten note that said, “Please call me.” So I called the number, and the person said, “I’m with the FBI. We’ve been searching for your—hopefully—ex-husband for about six to nine months. He’s wanted for multiple bank robberies.”
I was shocked. I had no idea.
Mindy East: My goodness. Were you still in contact with him? Was he seeing your child?
Mandi: Yes. He was having supervised visits. The agent could tell I was completely dumbfounded, and he asked if he could come talk to me. I said yes—please, clue me in.
He showed up the next morning. I still remember him standing there when I opened the door with his briefcase. He came in, sat at our kitchen table, and fanned out all of these surveillance photos. I was like, “Oh my gosh—that’s him.” There he was in a hat we shared on trips to Mexico. There he was in a shirt I bought him for Father’s Day that matched our son’s.
Then he listed out dates, times, and locations. It was so much I couldn’t even write it all down. But I started to realize these were times and dates right after supervised visits.
That’s when it hit me: before, it was “just” divorce. And I was already going through a lot of post-separation abuse. But now there was a criminal element. And I thought, “We’re in danger—not just from him, but who knows who else.”
That was the moment I decided I wasn’t going to be a victim anymore. I did what we needed to do. I learned self-defense. He eventually went away to prison. Our story is long and involved—there were two different sprees of bank robbing, and the FBI had to catch him twice. I share the full story on my podcast, and the detective who caught him also came on to share his side.
But it was a wake-up call for me. This was my life, and my son’s life. How were we going to choose to live? I was done.
Mindy East: That is quite a story. It’s fantastic that you’re doing so well now. And I love that you teach about this and talk about resilience. It takes a conscious effort to make the choice to say, “I don’t want to be the victim anymore. This is my only life, and I want to handle it well.”
This has led you to speaking about resilience and what you call the “invisible disability.” Tell me what that means.
Mandi: The best way to explain it is to share a snippet of what I was going through at that time. I worked for The Wall Street Journal back then. I was a graphic designer for a smaller paper they had. That was during the worst of the abuse.
And people often think abuse means physical abuse, but emotional abuse can do more damage than physical abuse. At that time, it was emotional abuse.
I was working for this huge company, and I had to show up and do my job like nothing was happening. We were living in New Jersey, and I’m from Southern California, so it was a shock. He was getting his master’s, I was working and supporting us, and all the while I was going through abuse.
I started having panic attacks at work. I had to leave and go to the doctor and say, “I still have to work—can you help me? I need something for this.”
Thankfully, medication helped and I only had to be on it for a short while. But that’s what I mean: people don’t know what’s going on at home. Employees come to work trying to do their job, and this is an invisible disability because I suffered complex PTSD.
In real life, it looks like having a hard time focusing, making decisions, and functioning the way you normally would. I talk about a lot of those effects when I speak. People don’t think about it—and they can’t see it—so it becomes invisible.
Mindy East: As an HR leader, we have people come to our door all the time and say someone’s performance has changed—it’s declining, they don’t seem as focused, something seems off. And often we don’t want to ask, “How are you? Is everything okay?” We go straight to performance.
In your situation, did your company help? Did they even know you were going through something that made it hard?
Mandi: I think only my direct boss knew. He didn’t know the full scope—just that I was going through a hard time. It was helpful because I felt like work became a small sense of family. I saw them every day, and I was in a foreign place. Having the routine helped.
He didn’t dig in or ask details, but he made me feel like I could say what I needed. Thinking back, we’re often afraid to ask for help. I wish I had said, “Here’s what’s happening, and I need more support.”
But when you’re going through something like that, you don’t always have the mental capacity to do that because you’re in survival mode. I talk a lot about survival mode because I was stuck in fight-or-flight for decades. And now my body bears the brunt of that. It’s real.
So it’s important when leaders notice something to not only focus on performance, but to ask, “How can I support you?” Mainly, helping people feel safe—because a lot of the time, they won’t be able to say, “Here’s exactly what I need.” We don’t even know how to support ourselves at that point.
Mindy East: Right—and it’s not like your situation is commonplace. Having the FBI at your door and talking about bank robberies near your son’s visits is not common.
But people come with all different types of trauma—physical or emotional abuse, financial stress, family challenges, safety concerns, medical issues—so many things can affect someone’s mental health. And then that affects work.
Mandi: Yes.
Mindy East: What are some subtle signs a manager or HR leader might notice when an employee is struggling—even if the employee isn’t disclosing why? And what are some ways they can talk about it?
Mandi: Like you mentioned, performance changes—having a harder time getting work done in the usual amount of time, difficulty making decisions. Maybe a lot of phone calls or texts. You might notice they feel rushed, or there’s tension around them.
Pay attention to what happens when they go out to their car and come back. What does that seem like? And you can approach it gently: “I’ve noticed things seem a little different lately. I just want to make sure you’re okay. And I want you to know I’m a safe person to talk to anytime.”
Just creating that foundation can really help.
Mindy East: I would call that a wellbeing check. Wellbeing matters because we care about people—first and foremost. But also, when someone doesn’t feel well—physically or mentally—they’re distracted and not as engaged.
And I love what you said about safety. If someone discloses they don’t feel safe, HR leaders are trained to put processes in place so an employee feels safe. For example, if an employee is going through domestic violence, we can circulate a photo so if that person comes into the building, we know to call the police. We can walk someone to their car. We can notify security.
It’s not just the employee’s job to tell us when something is wrong. If we notice something, we should say something.
Mandi: Totally. A lot of times they won’t tell you because they’re still trying to figure it out. I think back then I was still trying to understand: “Is this really abuse?” You deny, you rationalize.
Someone might be asked if they feel safe and they might say yes, even when they’re not. Or they might get upset or defensive because, in domestic violence, the person being abused will sometimes defend the abuser.
Also, employees have friends. They might disclose to another employee first. That’s something to be aware of, too.
And I love the idea of wellbeing check-ins. It’s a great practice to do consistently with everyone.
Mindy East: Yes. One of the things I teach is doing effective one-on-one meetings—not a quick drive-by where you say, “Everything good?” and they say, “Yep,” and you keep walking.
In an intentional one-on-one, the very first thing you should do—whether you suspect something is wrong or not—is ask, “How are you? How are things going? How are the kids?” Build rapport so the employee feels comfortable bringing up challenges.
The number one reason people stay at jobs is their relationship with their supervisor. If we dive straight into numbers and results without doing a wellbeing check, we’re missing the boat.
So give us some advice for someone going through a situation—complex PTSD, anxiety—how do they show up at work when things are hard?
Mandi: Something I learned the hard way was self-compassion. I thought I could just barrel through it and stay in fight-or-flight. But that serves nobody.
At a certain point, you have to survive. But being stuck in that long-term is not good. I had to learn compassion for myself. I had to take time to care for myself. And it’s not just bubble baths—it’s serious help.
It’s making sure you find a good counselor who works for you, and finding what helps you. And doing it in baby steps.
Finding a counselor can feel like a huge mountain when you’re trying to survive. But maybe a friend mentions a therapist they like. You ask for the information. Another day you call to get details. It doesn’t mean you have to commit right away. It’s just small steps.
I had a good counselor, and she had me create a menu of things that helped me feel better. At the end of each day, she told me to look at the list and, if I hadn’t done any of them, choose one.
Maybe it was calling a friend. The menu helped because after a hard day, you can’t make more decisions. Having it already written down made it easier.
Mindy East: That’s really wise. And I can imagine there are financial wellbeing considerations too when someone is going through something like this.
Mandi: Yes. And resources are so different now than they were back then—there are many more options.
It’s important to offer resources without prescribing them. If someone is trying to get out of a power-and-control situation, and then at work someone says, “You have to call the hotline today,” that can add pressure.
It’s better to say, “If you want resources, I have some. If you want to contact them, great. If not, no worries.” People can also find resources more easily now, even on Instagram. It’s a lot better than when I was going through it.
Mindy East: Another resource is Employee Assistance Programs. Not all companies have them, but many do. They’re free and cover counseling, financial wellbeing classes, and support for families.
When I was in corporate HR, I kept EAP cards in my wallet and told managers to do the same. You don’t want to go searching for it—you want it available right away. EAP is often available 24/7, and it can be a great resource.
Mandi: Yes. I worked at another company later that had EAP, and I remember using it. I’m glad you brought that up.
Mindy East: How can leaders shift from a performance-only mindset to a wellbeing mindset with their team members?
Mandi: Remembering that every employee is a whole person. Work is only part of their day. What kind of foundation are they coming from?
Some people are going through trauma right now. Some people have trauma in their past. Everyone is different, and trauma feels different for different people. But it’s important to acknowledge that reality.
Mindy East: Yes. Trauma comes in many different forms. For me, I’m a special-needs parent, and there are challenges at home that can affect how you show up at work. And a big part of where people choose to work is how supportive the company can be—flexibility, yes, but also understanding.
Not all roles can offer the same flexibility, but understanding matters. And I think leaders can also encourage people to use paid time off and sick time for mental health—not just physical health.
Mandi: Absolutely. I take mental health days, even as a business owner. I have a botanical garden I love, and sometimes a friend and I will go there on a work day because I need a break.
I know I could be doing other things, but I also know I’ll come back feeling better. It really is important to take mental health days and care for ourselves.
Mindy East: In your view, what are some well-meaning leadership behaviors that can unintentionally cause harm to employees with complex PTSD?
Mandi: Anything that makes someone feel unsafe or triggered. Power and control is very triggering for me.
If someone comes in demanding things, without any rapport or asking how you’re doing, that can be really hard.
I remember when I worked at The Wall Street Journal, we had a leader who pushed us hard for a special issue. We got it done, and then she said, “Great—why can’t you do that all the time?” And we were like, “Are you kidding? We can’t survive that way.”
So being mindful, not pushy or judgmental or forceful—making sure people are cared for—that matters.
Mindy East: That’s not sustainable. And I’d add: believing the best in people and asking versus assuming. Leading with curiosity instead of judgment.
Mandi: I love that. That’s so good.
Mindy East: If you could change just one thing about how employers approach mental health and invisible disabilities, what would it be?
Mandi: Acknowledgement. Just acknowledging it’s there. And doing regular mental wellbeing check-ins, even when everything seems fine—because things might look fine but not really be fine.
Mindy East: That’s great. Do you want to share a little more about what you speak on and your resilience work?
Mandi: People want to hear my story because it’s intense and it was in the news twice. But what I really love talking about is the healing part—because it’s applicable to anyone. Everyone has been through something.
I like giving actionable strategies and tools so people can walk away with at least one thing they can start using right away. My goal is to help people live safer, with more peace.
I talk a lot about trusting your intuition and acting on it, not rationalizing it away. I also have a quiz on my website about trusting your intuition, and I’d love for you to share it in the show notes.
Mindy East: Yes—tell us how we can find you and connect with you.
Mandi: The quiz helps people see how they’re doing with trusting their intuition—not just for safety, but for leading their life and trusting themselves. It also leads into a small challenge for anyone who wants help strengthening that skill.
And I talk about resources that exist now, and different modalities that can support healing. For me, talk therapy was great, but I needed additional tools too. Everyone’s different, so it’s important to find what works best for you.
I share a menu of options and resources so people can build what supports them. Because everyone deserves to live in peace and safety. Life is meant to be good—it doesn’t have to be bad.
And it’s baby steps. If you told me 20 years ago that I’d be okay, running my own business, remarried, and talking about this, I wouldn’t have believed it. I was just trying to wake up the next day and raise my son.
But it’s those baby steps. Sometimes two steps forward and three back—but then maybe four forward and one back. You move at your own pace. You can’t hustle through it—your body will break. Trust me.
Mindy East: Thank you. Your story is powerful, and I know it will help leaders create safer workplaces—and help employees feel less alone.
Thank you so much for your time. I’ll include your podcast link and the intuition quiz in the show notes.
Mandi: Thank you so much, Mindy—and thank you for what you do.
Mindy East: You’re welcome. I love helping people create great workplaces. Thank you so much. Have a great day.
Mandi: Thank you.
