#66: Dr Lori Desautels, The Neuroscience of Trauma-Responsive Practice

#66: Dr Lori Desautels, The Neuroscience of Trauma-Responsive Practice

Dr Lori Desautels is an educator, author, and assistant professor whose work in applied educational neuroscience has influenced schools and educators around the world. Through decades of teaching, research, and professional learning, Lori has helped shift the conversation from managing behaviour to understanding the nervous system, relationships, and the conditions that allow both children and adults to flourish. In this conversation, Lori and Megan explore what it truly means to embody trauma-responsive practice. They discuss the difference between understanding the science and living it, why awareness alone isn't enough, and how educators can build the capacity to regulate themselves before supporting others. Together, they unpack the role of multi-tiered systems of support, the importance of co-regulation, and why sustainable change happens when we care for the wellbeing of the adults alongside the young people they support. This is a thoughtful and hopeful conversation about the future of education. Lori reminds us that trauma-responsive practice isn't another initiative to implement, but a way of being that begins with our own nervous systems, relationships, and daily interactions. Whether you're an educator, leader, parent, or practitioner, this episode offers practical wisdom for creating environments where both adults and young people can thrive. Resources: • Revelations in Education [https://revelationsineducation.com/] * Beyond Survival Mode [https://wagtailinstitute.com/store/p/beyond-survival-mode-thriving-as-a-trauma-informed-professional] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

#65: Dr Michael Gerlich, AI, Critical Thinking, and the Convenience Trap

Dr Michael Gerlich is a researcher, sociologist, educator, and author of The Convenience Trap, a book exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we think, learn, connect, and make decisions. With a background spanning technology, business, and human behaviour, Michael is interested not just in what AI can do, but what its growing presence means for us as humans. In this conversation, Michael and Megan explore the opportunities and challenges that come with living in an increasingly AI-driven world. They discuss the concept of cognitive offloading, the tendency to outsource thinking to technology, and what this might mean for critical thinking, creativity, learning, and problem-solving. Together, they unpack the importance of friction, effort, and curiosity in a world where convenience is becoming the default. This is a thoughtful and balanced conversation about how we can embrace new technologies without losing the very skills that help us thrive. From education and parenting to relationships and wellbeing, Michael invites us to think more deeply about how we use AI—and how we can ensure it remains a tool that supports human flourishing rather than replacing it. Resources: * The Convenience Trap: What happens when AI Becomes the Mind Behind Our Lives [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXYZ1234] * Dr. Michael Gerlich's Profile [https://linkedin.com/in/michaelgerlich] * Swiss Business School [https://www.swissbusinessschool.ch/] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com [Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagtail.institute Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/] Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/ [Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagtail.institute Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/]

#64: Skye Staude, leading in trauma-informed schools

Skye Staude is an experienced educator and leader who has spent over 15 years working in alternative and re-engagement education settings with young people who have experienced significant adversity. Now a Deputy Executive Principal across multiple campuses at MacKillop Education, Skye brings a deep commitment to trauma-informed practice, system-level change, and supporting both young people and the adults who care for them. In this conversation, Skye and Megan reflect on their shared journey in the early days of trauma-informed education and the experiences that shaped their work and leadership. Together, they explore what it really means to build trauma-informed systems — not just within classrooms, but across families, staff, and the broader community. Skye shares a powerful initiative from her current work: embedding a family therapist within the school to support connection, reduce isolation, and strengthen the role of families in a young person's life. They also reflect on literacy, early intervention, and the importance of responding to the real needs sitting in front of us, rather than what systems assume. This episode also brings into focus the often unspoken realities of this work — particularly the physiological load on educators and leaders. Megan and Skye unpack the importance of self-awareness, regulation, and psychological safety within teams, and why trauma-informed leadership must include the wellbeing of staff if it is to be sustainable. It's an honest and thoughtful conversation about leadership, relationships, and the systems we need to build if we want to truly support young people to thrive. --- Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. Website: https://wagtailinstitute.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagtail.institute Music by Kabbilistic Village: https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

#63: Ruby Sait, from Out-of-Home Care to thriving in your own way

Ruby Sait is a passionate advocate for young people with lived experience of out-of-home care, whose work is shaped by her own journey through homelessness, education, and life beyond the system. Through her advocacy, mentorship, and community work, Ruby is committed to ensuring that young people who have grown up in care are not defined by their circumstances but supported to see what is possible for their future. Her story is one of determination, courage, and a deep belief in the potential of others. In this episode, Ruby and Megan explore Ruby’s journey through out-of-home care and homelessness, and the realities of navigating life without consistent support. Ruby speaks openly about the messages she received about her worth and her future, and the determination it took to stay connected to education and create a different path for herself. She reflects on the role of alternative education in providing connection and belonging, and the significance of graduating despite the barriers she faced. The conversation also highlights Ruby’s work supporting other young people with experience in out-of-home care to access education opportunities, including helping them secure scholarships and pathways into further study. Ruby shares why mentorship matters, what it means to be a consistent and encouraging presence in a young person’s life, and how belief can shift someone’s trajectory. Together, they discuss the gaps that still exist for young people transitioning out of care, and the need for more responsive, compassionate systems of support. Ruby also speaks to the emotional weight of sharing lived experience, the balance between empowerment and vulnerability, and the importance of creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and supported. This is a powerful and hopeful conversation that reminds us that young people are not statistics — they are individuals with stories, strengths, and futures worth investing in. Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/ [https://kabbalisticvillage.com/]

#62: Zach Mercurio, Mattering in schools and workplaces

Zach Mercurio, PhD, is a researcher, speaker, and author whose work centres on one of our most fundamental human needs: to feel that we matter. Through his research in organisational psychology and his work with schools, workplaces, and leaders around the world, Zach explores how simple, everyday interactions shape our sense of value, connection, and wellbeing. His work offers a powerful reframe — that feeling seen, heard, and valued is not a “nice to have,” but essential for human development and thriving. In this episode, Zach and Megan explore what “mattering” really means, and how it differs from concepts like belonging and inclusion. They unpack how a sense of mattering is built through small, consistent interactions — noticing someone, affirming their value, and showing that they are needed. Zach shares how these micro-moments can have a profound impact on young people’s mental health, engagement, and sense of identity, and why the absence of mattering can contribute to disconnection, disengagement, and burnout. The conversation also explores what this means in practice for educators, leaders, and anyone working with people. Zach offers simple, tangible ways we can build a culture of mattering in our classrooms, workplaces, and relationships — not through programs or initiatives, but through how we show up in everyday moments. Together, they reflect on the role of technology, the importance of rebuilding relational ecosystems, and why meaningful connection must sit at the centre of any system that aims to support wellbeing. This episode is a powerful reminder that we don’t need to do something extraordinary to make a difference — we need to be intentional in the ordinary. Because when people feel that they matter, everything else begins to shift. You can find out more about Zach Mercurio and grab a copy of his book here. [https://www.zachmercurio.com/] Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute [https://wagtailinstitute.com/] Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@wagtailinstitute.com Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/