Building Trust & Psychological Safety: The Workplace Wellness Toolkit
Join Julie Riga as she sits down with Malka Shaw, psychotherapist and trauma specialist, to explore how cultural humility, psychological safety, and trust-building can transform your workplace culture and create teams where people feel truly seen, heard, and valued.
In This Episode:
✨ Why trust is the defining leadership challenge of 2026
✨ The ARC Method: A practical framework for building psychological safety at work
✨ How "identity destabilization" silently destroys productivity, creativity, and team cohesion
✨ Why cultural humility (not just competence) is the cornerstone skill for modern leaders
✨ The neuroscience behind why people can't perform when they can't be themselves
✨ How to shift from defending to understanding in workplace conflicts
Key Takeaways:
📌 Psychological safety is the foundation: without it, people can't disagree, innovate, or collaborate
📌 Identity matters: hiding core aspects of yourself reduces cognitive bandwidth and problem-solving ability
📌 The 10-second rule: we judge others in 10 seconds, making cultural humility practices essential
📌 Lean in with curiosity, not cancellation: approach others with a beginner's mind
📌 Acknowledge impact over intent: repair the moment, don't just explain it away
📌 One-time workshops don't work: trust-building requires ongoing, sustained commitment
📌 Advocate WITH people, not FOR people: partnership creates lasting change
📌 Without psychological safety: expect increased turnover, decreased productivity, and talent loss
Memorable Quotes:
"If you don't feel safe, you're not going to be able to disagree on anything." – Malka Shaw
"It's going to lower their cognitive bandwidth, reduce their ability to think with clarity, reduce their ability to be creative, and reduce their problem-solving ability." – Malka Shaw
"Lean in with curiosity and not cancellation." – Malka Shaw
"It's a shift from defending to understanding." – Malka Shaw
"We want to repair the moment, we don't want to just explain away the moment." – Malka Shaw
"Advocate with the people, not for the people." – Malka Shaw
"If people don't feel seen, heard and valued, they're not going to stay in your company." – Malka Shaw
"Cultural humility is not an easy place even for trained mental health professionals." – Malka Shaw
Perfect for HR professionals, executives, team leaders, and anyone committed to building resilient, trusting workplace cultures where psychological safety drives performance and innovation.
Connect with Malka:
🌐 malkashaw.com
💼 Psychotherapist & Trauma Specialist
📚 Director of Learning at Kesher Shalom
📱 @MalkaShawLCSW on LinkedIn & Instagram
🌐 keshershalom.com
Connect with Julie:
🌐 julieriga.com
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💡 Share this episode with leaders prioritizing psychological safety in their organizations.
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