Restoring Safety, Restoring Hope

At Studio 3, our model centres on reducing conflict in all its forms. Our practitioners and trainers are often on the frontline, supporting people in moments of crisis. They are called not just to advise, but to model what calm, compassionate practice looks like in the most challenging circumstances.

Fear is contagious. When people are distressed or behave in ways that feel unpredictable, staff can become anxious and lose confidence. Our role is to help steady the environment — to help supporters see beyond the behaviour, regulate themselves, and rediscover a sense of control and compassion.

We do this by showing, not just telling — working alongside teams, demonstrating calm, and rebuilding trust in what’s possible.

A recent example involved a team supporting a young adult with a history of significant trauma. Following a critical incident in which the individual self-harmed and threatened staff, half of the team resigned. Though staff had received Low Arousal training, fear and exhaustion had taken hold. Hope was fading.

Our trainers stepped in to work directly on the ground, while our psychologists supported the remaining staff to rebuild coping skills — especially around decompressing after difficult shifts.

Together, we rewrote the support plan, simplifying it into clear day-to-day scripts and reintroducing ordinary, joyful activities. We also acknowledged that some staff were still frightened, and we supported them to move at their own pace.

Over three months, the team gradually regained confidence. Two years on, the same person now has a stable staff team, and serious incidents are rare. The need for crisis intervention has all but disappeared.

Sometimes, real change begins not with a new strategy, but by reducing fear — helping people feel safe enough to care again.