All Work
Rescue Services Volunteer Wellbeing Workshop

RNLI

Building Resilience in Those Who Support Others

Overview

This workshop was delivered to the RNLI's TRiM team — volunteers who provide post-incident psychological support to crew members following traumatic operations.

The session focused on strengthening the resilience of those who support others, ensuring they can continue their vital work without compromising their own wellbeing.

"I've never seen resilience explained in this way — it's really helpful."

Organisation

RNLI Lifeboats RNLI

Sector

Rescue Services Wellbeing

Intervention

Experiential resilience workshop using a four-domain identity framework with practical tools

Watch the Talk

TRiM Resilience Workshop

Watch a clip from the RNLI TRiM Resilience Workshop — exploring how to balance identity across four domains and build sustainable resilience in those who support others.

Delivered by Dr Fin Haley, Clinical Psychologist at Expedition Psychology, in partnership with RNLI Lifeboats.

Resilience Identity Wellbeing
RNLI workshop thumbnail

Watch on YouTube

RNLI × Expedition Psychology

2. The Challenge

Resilience is essential to sustainable performance

TRiM volunteers operate in emotionally demanding conditions. They conduct structured conversations with crew members who recount traumatic call-outs — assessing wellbeing and identifying whether further support is required.

Resilience in this context is not a "nice to have." It is essential to sustainable performance.

"Very valuable and really worth sharing."

3. The Intervention

A highly practical, experiential workshop

01

Core Framework: The Four Domains of Identity

Resilience was explored through a psychological model of identity distributed across four domains. Participants examined how overloading one domain — particularly work — reduces psychological stability. The concept of psychological redundancy reframed resilience from "coping harder" to "structuring life smarter."

Work

Professional identity, purpose, contribution

Relationships

Family, friends, community, belonging

Leisure

Rest, recreation, enjoyment, recovery

Growth

Learning, development, meaning, purpose

02

Practical Tools Delivered

The session combined teaching, applied exercises, and facilitated discussion to ensure implementation, not just understanding.

  • CBT-based formulation for identifying resilience fluctuations
  • Behavioural Activation to restore depleted domains
  • Structured reflection exercises
  • A practical workbook completed during the session

"It's great to have practical steps to follow for this sort of thing."

4. Measurable & Observable Impact

Unanimous recommendation from all participants

A New Conceptualisation of Resilience

Participants reported a genuinely new way of understanding resilience — as something structural and buildable, rather than a fixed personality trait.

Clear Strategies to Apply

Participants left with concrete, actionable strategies for managing emotional load and restoring balance across identity domains when resilience fluctuates.

Greater Confidence in Managing Emotional Load

Volunteers reported increased confidence in sustaining their own wellbeing — protecting their capacity to continue supporting crew members over the long term.

"All extremely informative."

Work With Expedition Psychology

Resilience can be built intentionally

If your organisation operates in high-pressure environments where people carry significant responsibility, psychological resilience is not optional — it is foundational. Whether in emergency services, healthcare, leadership, or safeguarding, get in touch to explore how a tailored resilience workshop could support your team.

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