Why De-escalation Matters: Creating Safer, Healthier Workplaces for All

In today’s workplaces—whether in healthcare, government services, call centers, or behavioral health—stress and agitation can emerge in many forms. A frustrated client, an overwhelmed colleague, or a heated misunderstanding can quickly escalate if not handled skillfully. That’s why the ability to de-escalate tense interactions is no longer optional—it’s essential to maintaining both safety and well-being on the job.

The Human Side of Agitation

Agitation is rarely about aggression for its own sake. More often, it’s a reactive response to fear, confusion, grief, or unmet needs. Consider a parent anxious about losing childcare or a patient unsure about navigating complex paperwork—these emotionally charged situations can trigger agitation, especially when individuals feel ignored, powerless, or misunderstood.

Understanding agitation as a form of distress—not as a personal attack—enables us to respond with greater skill and compassion. Unskillful reactions such as arguing, dismissing concerns, rushing the interaction, or mirroring someone’s intensity often escalate matters further. In contrast, skillful responses promote emotional safety and open a path to connection and resolution.

What’s Happening in the Brain?

Knowing the neuroscience behind agitation helps staff respond with insight and empathy. When someone is agitated, their “thinking brain” (the prefrontal cortex) temporarily goes offline, while the “emotional brain” (the limbic system) or even the “survival brain” (the brainstem) takes over.

As Dr. Dan Siegel describes it, they’ve “flipped their lid.” In this dysregulated state:

In other words, the agitated person isn’t operating from logic—they’re operating from instinct. Reasoning or correcting them too soon can escalate the situation. Instead, our role is to offer safety, calm, and connection to help regulate their nervous system and bring the thinking brain back online.

Why De-escalation Is a Wellness Tool

Verbal de-escalation isn’t just a crisis intervention method—it’s a foundational practice for cultivating a healthy, compassionate workplace. It reinforces psychological safety, supports emotional regulation, and strengthens empathy—all essential to building strong, resilient teams.

When staff feel equipped to handle high-stress interactions, they are more likely to remain calm, compassionate, and effective. It also communicates to both employees and clients that emotions are welcome—and can be met with respect and care. Over time, this approach:

Where Did These Strategies Come From? Understanding Project BETA

Many best practices for verbal de-escalation stem from Project BETA (Best Practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation), a national initiative launched by the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry in 2010. The project’s goal was to replace coercive approaches—like restraints and forced medications—with more humane, collaborative methods.

Project BETA included five interdisciplinary workgroups, each of which published evidence-based guidelines. Together, they created a framework for managing agitation across clinical and community settings:

1. Medical Evaluation and Triage of the Agitated Patient
2. Psychiatric Evaluation of the Agitated Patient
3. Psychopharmacological Approaches to Agitation
4. Use and Avoidance of Seclusion and Restraint
5. Verbal De-escalation of the Agitated Patient

These guidelines continue to inform de-escalation training, policy development, and frontline response in behavioral health, emergency services, and beyond.

The Four Core Objectives of Verbal De-escalation

According to Project BETA, there are four key goals when engaging with an agitated individual:

Ensure safety for the person in distress, staff, and others nearby

Help the individual regulate their emotions and regain or maintain behavioral control

Avoid restraints whenever possible

Prevent coercive interventions that may escalate agitation

These principles emphasize a trauma-informed, person-centered approach—one that prioritizes dignity, emotional safety, and de-escalation over control.

The 3-Step Process to De-escalate

Verbal de-escalation is a structured, compassionate way to help someone shift from a heightened emotional state back to calm. While each situation is unique, the process generally unfolds in three key steps:

10 Strategies to Apply Today

Drawn from Project BETA, these 10 domains of verbal de-escalation can be applied across workplace settings:

1. Respect Personal Space – Give people room to breathe and exit if needed.
2. Do Not Provoke – Use non-threatening body language and tone.
3. Establish Verbal Contact – Introduce yourself calmly and clearly.
4. Be Concise – Speak slowly, use simple language, and keep it brief.
5. Listen—Really Listen – Reflect what they’re saying and validate their feelings.
6. Identify Wants and Feelings – Ask open-ended questions and respond with empathy.
7. Agree or Agree to Disagree – Use “fogging” to find common ground without arguing.
8. Set Clear Limits – Define acceptable behavior with calm authority.
9. Offer Choices and Optimism – Provide simple, realistic options to empower the individual.
10. Debrief – Afterward, reflect with your team and identify lessons learned.

Wellness and Safety Go Hand-in-Hand

Effective de-escalation is not just about individual skill—it depends on supportive systems and environments. Every workplace should be prepared to respond to agitation with a trauma-informed lens:

• Flexible and safe physical spaces (e.g., movable furniture, visible exits)
• Trained staff who can self-regulate and respond calmly
• Clear protocols and communication plans
• A culture that prioritizes empathy over control

When staff know they are supported, they’re more capable of showing up for others—especially in moments of distress.

Support Beyond the Moment

Supporting staff after a difficult interaction is just as important as how they respond in the moment. Emotional residue from tense situations can linger and contribute to chronic stress, burnout, or even secondary trauma. Leaders and peers must normalize proactive recovery practices—like taking a break to regulate, debriefing with trusted colleagues, or accessing peer support.

Trauma-informed tools like the Stress First Aid model or peer wellness programs help staff process these experiences in healthy ways. Reflective supervision and access to professional support can further reinforce a culture of care, healing, and resilience.

A Culture of Safety and Connection

De-escalation is about more than managing crises—it’s about shaping environments where people feel respected, protected, and empowered. When de-escalation becomes a shared practice across teams, it does more than reduce harm—it builds trust, nurtures relationships, and creates a culture of belonging.

Workplaces that value emotional safety and relational integrity aren’t just safer—they’re stronger. And in a world where stress is unavoidable, that kind of strength is what truly makes a team resilient.