Hello and welcome

I am Adina Dinu and I founded Trauma At Work to support people with a history of childhood adversity and their allies, in the workplace and beyond.

Trauma At Work is a safe and compassionate space where we can be our true selves (no, really), access a mix of lived experience and scientific insights, and co-create trauma-responsive solutions to life and work challenges.

20+ years of leadership, career development and recruitment experience for big players like Renault, Vodafone, Pandora and KPMG

Advisory Panel member for Survivors Voices, an organisation that turns the pain of abuse into power through peer support, activism, training, research and publishing

Currently enrolled in the Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program by the reputable Trauma Research Foundation

Certified NeuroMindfulness® Coach Senior Practitioner by The NeuroMindfulness Institute

M.Sc. in HR Management, B.A. in Psychology

Why Trauma At Work

The experiences we have growing up play a big role in who we become as adults.

Too many children and young people face life's biggest challenges early on: physical, sexual or emotional abuse, a parent's alcoholism or mental illness, neglect, domestic violence, bereavement, bullying, poverty, racism, war and more. In the UK the Office for National Statistics found that at least 1 in 5 working-age adults have experienced at least one form of abuse before the age of 16.

Adversity during developmentally sensitive times in our lives can lead to specific, deeply ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour that may limit the quality of our lives long after our circumstances have changed. As a survivor myself, I've witnessed first hand how an unaddressed history of complex trauma can interfere with our wellbeing, relationships, work and families, no matter how much we've tried to distance ourselves from our past.

But I have also discovered that, with the right support in place, we can heal and live full, and fulfilling, lives.

The science of developmental trauma and attachment injuries is still young, and growing fast. Few people and workplaces today have the knowledge and capabilities to support trauma survivors effectively.

What I wish I had known 10 or 20 years ago is that:

Education unlocks recovery. We can't fix what we can't name or understand. Having the knowledge and tools to manage the physiological and psychological consequences of early life adversity is half the battle.
Traumatic adaptations are reversible. We can't change what happened then, but we can take action to influence the here and how.
Secrecy and isolation are our biggest enemies. Releasing shame, connecting with other survivors and finding allies can be immensely therapeutic.

Thank you for being here, and I hope this inspires you to help make the world a little bit more trauma sensitive.

If you'd like to support Trauma At Work please subscribe to my newsletter, share my work or get in touch.

Contact me