Training – Defusing Workshop – Terrorism Related

A necessary version of Clarity’s most popular Workshop.

‘Defusing’ is the term used to describe what you do to begin looking after people who have been affected by a traumatic or possibly tragic event such as an act of Terrorism. Defusing isn’t a version of counselling so Defusers aren’t expected to be trained health or social care professionals.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a commonly used term, particularly in North America.  Defusing is very similar to PFA in terms of the skills and knowledge required. The main difference is that PFA has been developed to be helpful in the aftermath of civil emergencies. Defusing is more relevant than PFA in a commercial setting where the people affected are either customers of or staff from the organisation that is responding to an incident.

Why have a version of this Workshop specifically related to Terrorism?

Whilst the reactions suffered by victims of terrorism are likely to be very similar to the victims of other incidents there are some characteristic differences. The task of a Defuser in these circumstances is not exactly the same as in the aftermath of other types of incident such as a natural disaster, a workplace incident or a transportation accident.

To show care and concern and be an effective Defuser on behalf of your organisation it will be helpful if you are aware the terrorism-related reactions you are likely to encounter.

This Defusing Workshop is most suitable for people likely to have face to face contact with colleagues, customers or family members affected by a traumatic or tragic act of terrorism. They might be members of a specially designated team, or have a role making them ‘the face of the company’ after an incident.

The content of the Workshop is always adjusted to make it as relevant as possible to the organisation commissioning the training. We recognise that the concerns of  an Institution in a City’s Financial District or an Airport are not exactly the same as a Tour Operator with a group or travellers in a popular destination or a Hotel that is hosting a large function.

How will participants benefit from taking part in the Workshop?

Participants will feel more confident in their ability to cope with the reactions that distressed colleagues, customers or others might display after an act of terrorism, particularly when they have had the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe training environment.

They will also be more helpful to those distressed people. They will learn:

• What reactions they or colleagues might encounter when providing support to people who may be traumatised or bereaved after Terrorism
• The importance of ‘Secondary Trauma’ and how it influences the outcomes (distress, reputation, cost) of an incident
• What to say and do and, very importantly, what not to say and do when providing direct support on behalf of their organisation after an act of Terrorism
• What to be aware of and how they can look after themselves during the period of increased pressure that incident management often brings

Length of course

The Terrorism-Related Defusing Workshop is usually a one-day event. Start and finish times, as well as lunch and breaks are all flexible.

How many people should attend?

At Clarity we don’t impose a limit on numbers attending. However, when there are 15 or more participants we find there is less opportunity for everyone to interact during the day, which reduces the benefit of an interactive workshop such as this one.

Training activities used in the Workshop include: Trainer presentation; group discussion; small group work; video; role play

And finally…

No pre-Workshop preparation is required by the participants

Hand-outs, certificates of attendance and a short report containing a summary of participants’ feedback will be provided