The Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) has been at the forefront of the evolution of emergency management, combining the head-heart approach for a fully integrated response to survivors of traumatic loss. Practicing consciousness in the workplace involves caring for people first, without exception.
Written by: Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
January 2026
“Caring is part of our DNA, it is the foundation of our daily actions in a world where we sadly witness so much hatred and arrogance, we truly believe there is a deep need for people like the Foundation and our company—people who put humans at the centre and who spread a culture of respect and closeness to those who need it most.”
– Laura Cannone, Crisis Management and Business Continuity Director, Costa Crociere S.p.A.
This month’s article is dedicated to all Care and Special Assistance Teams throughout the world who dedicate time and energy to preparation and training for assignments they hope they never need to perform – yet experience shows that crises in the workplace are inevitable, as they are in all walks of life. At FAERF, also referred to as the Foundation, our goal is to increase awareness (consciousness) as to how business and industry are evolving in how survivors of traumatic loss in the workplace can be supported with loving kindness and humanity.
We open our 2026 series dedicated to bringing compassion consciousness into the workplace with a quote from the leader of one of our cruise line members, Laura Cannone, who has personally walked the path of loving kindness with survivors, crew members, and employees of her own company on more than one occasion when tragedy struck her workplace. At FAERF, we are interdependent on our members like Laura and her team for sharing these experiences and practicing lessons learned from actual workplace crises, as we together evolve the field of humanitarian assistance response. We are grateful for the validation and feedback our members provide us so that we might share with other organizations, best practices for future responses.
There is no coming to consciousness without pain.
Carl Jung
-Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist (1875-1961)
Sometimes the only way to carry a heavy burden is to share it with another.
Jim Butcher
-American Author (1971-)
The two quotes provided here underscore the primary tenet of the Foundation’s approach to supporting survivors of workplace trauma. Experience shows that regardless of how safe an organization functions, accidents and crises happen to people everywhere, every day. We are guided by the words of the iconic mental health leader, Dr. Carl Jung, that all painful experiences can lead to growth and higher functioning. Along with this teaching, we also believe, as more recent writers and practitioners teach, that sharing the burden of pain allows our suffering to become more bearable.
The Foundation’s model for supporting survivors is based on continuing interviews and research with those who have direct experience in crises that have occurred in the workplace. We provide education and training based on our research and that of others’ who are studying trauma-informed care.
Our I-HARP™ distance learning program is designed to increase our members’ responders with education and training for preparation for these responses. Since the program began in 2025, we have graduated 19 Practitioners (the first Certificate level), and 39 are enrolled, with more joining daily. The program consists of five one-hour modules, plus two electives, and contains multi-industry events where participants can see the universality of the themes of responding to a crisis in the workplace environment. The videos feature survivors of all types of tragedies, as well as responders from the various industries that we serve.
When people feel emotionally attached to others, their chances of living longer are enhanced.
Dr. Gary Small, Mind Health Report, Volume 18, February 2026
A second major theme underlying the Foundation’s approach to survivor support is based on our own and others’ research as to the power of relationships – and particularly when practical assistance is offered by the company experiencing the crisis. The original research behind Human Services Response™, published in 1992 (CV Coarsey, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque), showed differences between psychological symptoms of the five mental disorders measured and survivors’ perception of company employee response. When survivors felt positive toward the way employees responded to them, they had statistically less symptoms of posttraumatic stress (including PTSD), Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety, Substance Abuse and Somatization Disorder.
Our ongoing interviews continue to show that when employees are empowered to assist survivors and are encouraged to show compassion and empathy, gratitude toward the company, in spite of the losses, continues to grow over time. At the Foundation, we believe that empathy allows survivors and employees to appreciate others’ personal experiences. We believe that compassion turns this understanding into the care, patience, and kindness that are especially important during times of crisis.
We end this article by once again thanking Laura and her team at Costa for joining with us as we continue to evolve this field, where the public and company employees alike receive better support due to the awareness that is raised through our interactions during and following traumatic losses in the workplace. We encourage leaders of other organizations to provide feedback about how you experience compassion consciousness in your workplace, daily and during times of crisis.
For more information about I-HARP™ contact Kristine Budaha (kristine.budaha@faerf.org)