Solutions

Psychological First Aid in the Workplace

Psychological First Aid is the early support initiated when employees are exposed to unexpected, severe, or emotionally demanding events — or when strain over time becomes so extensive that it affects wellbeing, functioning, and work capacity. Psychological First Aid in the workplace may be relevant following serious accidents, threats and violence, deaths, critical incidents, or prolonged work under high emotional demands.

When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ordinary to react. Psychological First Aid is grounded in the understanding that crisis reactions are normal responses to unusual strain. It focuses on creating calm, clarity, and coherence so that reactions are allowed to subside — without being turned into symptoms or illness.

In the workplace, Psychological First Aid is an integrated part of preventive work environment efforts. It unfolds within relationships, where colleagues, leadership, and organisational structures influence whether strain is addressed collectively and in a timely manner — or allowed to develop over time.

At the Institute for Strain Psychology, we work with Psychological First Aid in the workplace as a shared professional practice, grounded in an understanding of how people respond under pressure — and how the organisational framework can provide support when situations are difficult.

Concrete tools

DIGITAL FOUNDATION COURSE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

Our digital Foundation Course in Psychological First Aid provides leaders, employees, and occupational health and safety organisations with a shared professional understanding of what Psychological First Aid is — and what it is not. The course offers a common language and shared frame of reference for how to meet colleagues experiencing strain in a way that creates calm, clarity, and psychological safety.

It prepares you to respond with calm and direction in crisis situations — and to support one another so that strain does not become entrenched. You gain a shared language, concrete action plans, and clear role distribution — so that no one stands alone when it matters.

The Handbook of Psychological First Aid

This book provides knowledge and tools that make a real difference when difficult situations arise. It draws on the latest insights from strain and crisis psychology and translates theory into practice through concrete models and easy-to-apply tools.

It can be read independently or combined with the Digital Foundation Course in Psychological First Aid.

Learn more about Psychological First Aid

What is Psychological First Aid?

Psychological First Aid is an early, supportive intervention aimed at alleviating psychological strain and creating stability in situations marked by pressure, uncertainty, or emotional overload.

The intervention is not about analysing problems, finding explanations, or forcing solutions. It is about creating the conditions that allow the person experiencing strain to regain calm, orientation, and a sense of agency.

In strain psychology, the intervention is closely connected to regulation of the nervous system. When people are under strain, the body is often in a state of heightened alertness, and therefore pace, tone, predictability, and relational safety become crucial. It is the way we are present that makes the difference.

Psychological First Aid cannot be delivered as a standardised method. It unfolds in specific situations and relationships and requires attention to the individual, the collective, and the organisational framework.

When is Psychological First Aid relevant?

Early support is relevant when employees are exposed to strain that exceeds their current capacity — either suddenly or over time. This may, for example, occur in connection with:

Emotionally demanding work.
High workload or time pressure.
Responsibility with potential consequences for other people.
Change, uncertainty, or unpredictability.
Early signs of stress, exhaustion, or overload.

In these situations, an appropriate response can help prevent escalation and create the necessary pause in which body and mind can regain their footing.

What does Psychological First Aid involve in practice?

Appropriate Psychological First Aid typically involves:

1. Creates calm and predictability in the situation.

2. Normalises strain reactions rather than problematising them.

3. Listens without analysing, evaluating, or pushing for solutions.

4. Supports orientation and clarity, so the situation becomes more manageable.

5. Avoids actions that increase pressure, pace, or responsibility for the person experiencing strain.

The intervention therefore concerns structure, relational awareness, and pace just as much as conversation. When organisations work systematically with these principles, their ability to respond early is strengthened — before strain becomes embedded in the body, collaboration, or organisational culture.

The work is closely connected to psychological safety, clear expectations, and realistic demands. The safer and more predictable the working conditions are, the less burdensome the inevitable challenges of working life become.

Who is the work with Psychological First Aid relevant for?

Work with Psychological First Aid is relevant for all workplaces where people work with other people — and where strain is part of the conditions.

Leaders and leadership teams responsible for organisational structures and priorities.
Occupational health and safety organisations (OHS), working with the prevention of psychological strain.
Teams in emotionally demanding professions.
HR and internal consultants.
Organisations with high pace, complexity, or ongoing change.

It is relevant across both public and private organisations and constitutes an important complement to overall work environment efforts.

Psychological First Aid and Other Strain-Related Phenomena

Compassion fatigue, when emotional engagement exceeds recovery.
Secondary traumatic stress, when the trauma of others has an impact and becomes internal wear.
Brutalization, when unregulated strain leads to distancing and cynicism.
Burnout, when strain becomes prolonged and meaning-bearing structures begin to break down.

These phenomena do not arise in isolation, but in the interplay between demands, organisational structures, and culture. Learn more about what it means to have a job with a high degree of emotional strain in this short video.

We collaborate with

out of 98 municipalities

Danish regions

professionals and leaders at all levels have gained knowledge of strain psychology

100000

… as well as a wide range of public and private organisations.

Selected partners include:

Psykisk arbejdsmiljø i Region Hovedstaden

Psykisk arbejdsmiljø og psykologisk tryghed hos Røde Kors

Psykisk arbejdsmiljø og psykologisk tryghed hos DSR

Psykisk arbejdsmiljø og psykologisk tryghed hos Nordjyllands Beredskab

Psykisk arbejdsmiljø og psykologisk tryghed hos Socialt Lederforum

A team of experts

...close to your everyday reality

When you book a consultant from the Institute for Strain Psychology, you meet an engaged and experienced specialist with deep professional knowledge and a strong commitment to practice.

Our consultants communicate complex knowledge about strain psychology with clarity, presence, and professional depth — always grounded in a holistic perspective.