We'd like to think trauma is something that stays in the therapy room. It doesn't.
It impacts families, workplaces and communities. It affects the way people show up, shut down and behave. More than half of Australians have experienced childhood trauma. And for those working on the frontlines — in healthcare, mental health, first response, education and social services — trauma exposure is part of the job itself.
While we can't eliminate trauma, we can work to prevent it and change the way we manage and respond to it.
Ruth Clare has spent her life living through and examining trauma — and building practical responses to it. Author of Enemy, TEDx speaker with over 600,000 views, trauma educator and program developer, she names what others won't, challenges what isn't working, and creates solutions that address the gaps. Her work spans mental health, veteran and first responder welfare, family violence, and organisational culture.
"Ruth's keynote speech was an unforgettable experience that left a lasting impact on our organisation and its members. Her ability to connect with each person in the audience on a personal level was a testament to her exceptional skills as a speaker and storyteller, and her ease of collaboration make her an exceptional professional to work with.
I wholeheartedly recommend Ruth Clare as a keynote speaker."
Luke LindsayCEO, Lifeline Queensland"Ruth brings a truly unique ability to speak with raw honesty and genuine inclusivity. If you are seeking a speaker who embodies integrity and leaves your community feeling seen and supported, I cannot recommend Ruth Clare highly enough.
She is a true asset and will bring tremendous value to any organisation lucky enough to work with her."
Rachel GreenCEO, Sane Australia"The response from Ruth’s speech has been astounding. So many calls, emails and conversations from people telling us about the impact she had on them. The way Ruth tapped into people’s hearts has advanced what we have been trying to do with our program by years.”
Dani GoldSenior Social Worker, Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital
Fear is the hidden driver behind change resistance, procrastination and stalled innovation. Fear undermines creativity, connection and collaboration. Fear stops people bringing their best and being their best.
Drawing from her book Turn Fear Into Courage, Ruth shares science-informed practices to redirect fear’s energy toward courageous action.
Key Takeaways
• The disguises fear wears and how to recognise and break out of fear-driven responses
• Strategies for redirecting fear’s energy into purposeful, courageous action
• The sure-fire method for building confidence, capacity and courage in times of challenge, uncertainty and change
More than just a legal requirement, psychological safety is a biological imperative, and the strongest driver of workplace productivity, innovation and job satisfaction.
This talk turns the science of psychological safety into practical tools that help all people feel safe to meaningfully contribute and communicate, creating the high-trust teams that make organisations thrive.
Key Takeaways
• The Safe to SHINE™ Framework to increase engagement, productivity and team capacity
• Safety science techniques to build the internal psychological safety of each team member from the nervous system up
• Practical, neuro-inclusive, trauma-informed best practice strategies you need to know
Based on Ruth’s Book ‘Beyond Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn’, this talk teaches people how to stay calm under pressure and recover after stress using the power of the nervous system.
Grounded in trauma-informed, psychological safety science, this session equips professionals in high stress environments with practical methods to help them regulate in real-time, respond effectively and reset to reduce risk of burnout.
Key Takeaways
• Learn the RRR method to support body, mind and nervous system during and after high-stress encounters
• Evidence-informed practices to strengthen adaptability, capacity, and communication under pressure
• Practical ways leaders and teams can embed trauma-informed and psychologically safe habits into high-demand workplaces
When someone carries trauma, they are rarely the only one affected. Partners, children, and whole family systems can absorb, adapt, and reorganise to manage the aftershocks of experiences that happened to someone else.
This keynote makes the invisible visible, naming the significant impact of trauma on the family system, giving a voice to people who are too often left and left behind. Developed for veteran and first responder organisations, family violence services, child protection, and mental health sectors.
Key Takeaways
"What made working with Ruth an absolute pleasure was her down-to-earth nature and approachability. She remained humble and relatable throughout the entire process and her willingness to listen, collaborate, and tailor her speech to meet the specific needs of our event was truly commendable."
Luke Lindsay, CEO Lifeline
Ruth Clare is an author, TEDx speaker, and intergenerational trauma educator whose work breaks silences and drives system change, especially for military families.
Developer of the Parenting After Trauma (PAT) program, Ruth's award-winning memoir, Enemy, was published by Penguin in 2016. Her TEDx talk, The Pain of Hiding Your True Self, has been viewed more than 600,000 times.