Sense of safety dynamics – what processes build, protect and reveal Humpty’s sense of safety?

The sense of safety dynamics impact and interact across all seven of the whole person domains. Humpty and the practitioners who care for him can build, protect and learn to observe these dynamics in themselves and others. This chapter integrates theoretical literature across the disciplines with the dynamics identified in stakeholders’ responses and with everyday language that seems to capture the same dynamic. Broad awareness is a fundamental dynamic that underpins each of the other sense of safety dynamics. Calm sense-making builds, protects and reveals sense of safety. Calm sense-making is a key practitioner skill that involves noticing patterns, making sense, identifying loss of coherence or order and reflecting with Humpty. The elements of respectful connection that build sense of safety include relational coherence, integrity and connection. Instead, sense of safety includes active movement towards more capacity – it includes agency, self-efficacy and approach-oriented coping.