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Training

ABOUT OUR TRAINING

To finish a level, or complete a mission, can take time, a few attempts and a little research on how to overcome that final boss. Understanding mental health is no different; no one can be an expert straight away, and it’s right to find out more information before diving in.

The teams within the games industry are made up of incredible people, creating incredible worlds used by millions. But our industry can see a higher rate of those working and living through mental health issues. It’s vital that companies understand the impact this can have, and how to better support their teams. There is clear evidence that shows the most successful employers introduce a positive culture around mental health at work (visit our Level Up page to learn more). This type of culture includes an openness to discussion of mental ill health, free of stigma; policies and processes in place to support individuals who are struggling; and clear signposting to relevant external support. It’s not that difficult to introduce such steps with the right training.

Safe In Our World has developed workshops covering some of the most common issues seen across the global games industry, as well as partnering with trusted training providers like Mind Fitness to provide a comprehensive list of opportunities to further knowledge, understanding, and resilience, and ultimately make your organisation a safer environment in which your teams can thrive.

UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS

Safe In Our World Workshops

 - Online or in-person | Worldwide

Safe In Our World has developed a series of workshops designed to address some of the most common mental health conditions and related issues experienced across the global games industry. Following each session, attendees will receive a copy of the slide deck with additional resources and further reading relevant to each topic.

These workshops can be delivered to varying group sizes as 1-hour sessions or combined into longer workshops. We can also discuss creation of bespoke sessions or adaptations of existing materials to better fit your teams. Drop us an enquiry to discuss your team’s needs!

Mental Health in the Games Industry
This session is a vital introduction to the resources and support offered by video games mental health charity Safe In Our World. The training provides an overview of the most common mental health issues experienced in the video games industry: anxiety, depression, burnout, and impostor syndrome, with some tips for how we can reduce stigma and manage these symptoms when they arise.

Unpacking Impostor Syndrome
“Impostor Syndrome” describes a feeling experienced commonly in the games industry: the idea that you have gained your position by accident or by fooling people, and that you will soon be ‘found out’ as a fraud. Safe In Our World facilitates a deep dive into this experience, looking at the symptoms and how to spot these within yourself and others in your team. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to manage feelings of Impostor Syndrome when they arise.

Understanding Burnout
Burnout is a particularly prevalent issue in the video games industry, and it must be taken seriously in order to avoid potentially catastrophic physical and emotional consequences. Safe In Our World highlights the causes and symptoms of burnout, as well as realistic measures that can be taken by individuals and teams to avoid reaching the point of burnout.

Understanding and Managing Stress
This session provides a look at the science behind stress, why we feel it, how much we can handle before it becomes detrimental to our health, and how to notice when stress is becoming too much. Safe In Our World supports attendees in recognising their personal stress signatures and identifying ways to prevent stress from becoming a bigger issue or leading to burnout.

Navigating Uncertainty
No matter how you’ve been affected, uncertainty is rife in the video games industry right now. Safe In Our World addresses the myriad causes of this uncertainty, as well as practical things you can do as an individual to manage your response to change and unknowns.

Fostering Safe Spaces in Games
This session focuses on why video games are a lifeline for many players, understanding reasons why people engage in gaming communities, and the expectations they may have from those interactions. Safe In Our World presents an inside-out approach to how community teams can set appropriate expectations within the communities they manage, and steps that must be taken to maintain healthy, inclusive communities.

Navigating Toxicity and Dealing with Difficult Players
Designed to support the individuals who interact with community members day-to-day, this session highlights the different forms that toxic or inappropriate behaviour might take, and what individuals can do to maintain resilience and effective boundaries when faced with toxicity. Key principles of online safety are discussed, as well as strategies for practicing self-care.

Building Trust and Psychological Safety
This session looks at how trust must be applied as a core value within organisations, the impact of a lack of trust, and the fundamental building blocks of leadership behaviour that can create a trusting environment. Safe In Our World then explores the four pillars of psychological safety and what this looks like in a workplace context. Attendees will gain an understanding of how their behaviour, language, and roles can foster greater psychological safety at work.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER INTEREST

How To Human: A Leader's Guide to Self-Advocacy

 - Online via YouTube

We’re not being taught communication, but we’re still expected to learn it! Communication skills are so often a necessity in finding and keeping a job, yet they’re not prioritised in personal development and team training.

We’re changing that with this FREE online course, delivered by Lisa Marie Hall. How To Human is carefully designed to help you build a long-lasting foundation for healthy and effective communication.

People who may benefit from this course include:
– People who are new to leadership
– People who are looking to improve their leadership skills
– Anyone looking to improve psychological safety in their workplace

Throughout these sessions, you will learn and explore:
– The connection between good values and meaningful actions
– The four steps of self-advocacy speaking (observations, feelings, needs and requests)
– How to create your own Human Handbook and implement it amongst your teams
– How to foster accessible, inclusive communication and vocabulary

The skills gained in these sessions will support processes across your workplace, from onboarding to line management, appraisals and more. You’ll learn how to communicate your own needs more effectively, and gain the tools to help build more psychological safety in your workplace.

Watch now on YouTube

"Don't Take It Personally": A Guide to Self-Advocacy Speaking

 - Online via YouTube | Worldwide

The topic of this course is ‘Self-Advocacy Speaking’, a new concept rooted in psychology, diversity & inclusion, and workplace resilience.

This course was developed based on feedback from people working in the games industry, so it addresses real-life issues such as miscommunications, empathy, and other issues that we face often because of how we share and receive information. The full hours is 3 hours long, spread out into 1-hour sessions.

These are designed to be attended with some time in between to digest the learning – so, for example, by completing one part per week over three weeks. You can find all three parts on this YouTube playlist.

This 3-part programme is designed not to teach you a new language, but to reconnect you with what you already know, and bring it back out into the open for your benefit and for those in your lives at home and at work.

A language is built from a vocabulary and a grammar, a structure or framework. We need to look at both parts before we start speaking it again and expressing our thoughts and needs to others, which is what this programme is designed to do.

Get your Certificate & Human Handbook

Once individuals have completed the course, they can email hello@safeinourworld.com to confirm completion and receive a certificate, their Human Handbook, and access to additional digital resources.

Click here to learn more about Self-Advocacy Speaking

Take This Consulting & Training Services

 - Online or in-person | Worldwide

Take This, a US charity, leverages its research, training, and community support capabilities to address mental health across the entire life cycle of games, from studio formation to game design, support for players and moderation teams, and broader conversations about why kids and adults play games. The organization conducts research, provides training and workshops, and acts as an advocate for games and mental health worldwide. We can connect you to the wonderful team, or click below to contact them directly.

Contact Take This directly

Register your interest

Please let us know which course(s) you are interested in, and any other information about how we can support!

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