Shani Wende

Safe to Stretch: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Learning During Change

Shani Wende is a learning designer and facilitator who develops learning experiences that work with the human nervous system, not against it.

With a background in sociology and a career shaped by big personal and professional transitions, Shani brings a pragmatic approach to the messy world of change. She’s worked across sustainability, education, not-for-profit, finance, and research, as well as co-founding several businesses along the way.

The common thread was hearing, time and time again, that training felt like a burden rather than a career boost. That frustration sparked an obsession: to create learning that’s actually fit for purpose. The kind that builds confidence, not stress. That’s where trauma-informed design comes in, as a core principle for making learning truly work for people.

Today, Shani partners with subject matter experts at the CSIRO to design learning that sticks, especially when people are overwhelmed, uncertain, or under pressure to change fast.

Shani applies a systems thinking lens, zooming out to see the broader patterns and pressures, while zooming in on what individuals need to thrive. Her strategies are grounded in lived experience and experimentation, and challenge the idea that psychological safety means avoiding discomfort. 

Join her workshop –

You’ll explore how to move beyond content delivery and start designing for impact. Forget bandaid training – learn how to design for real behaviour change, even when people are resistant or burnt out.