When Brian Knowler talks about workplace trauma, he isn’t drawing from a textbook. He’s speaking from experience — experience that, for years, he kept to himself.
In 2004, the Ontario police officer was first on the scene of a fatal crash. The driver who died was a close friend from his university days. He led the investigation, finished the work, and went home without seeking help.
“I did everything wrong,” he said on HR News Canada’s CHROnicles podcast. “I didn’t seek out any help. I didn’t do any kind of debriefing. I felt like this was my burden to handle.”
The weight of that night followed him for years. Panic attacks. Emotional lows. A growing distance from friends, family and colleagues. In 2012, after what he calls a breaking point at home, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and began the long process of recovery.
That recovery reshaped his life. Today, alongside his policing duties, he is a lawyer, author, trainer and sought-after speaker on leadership and mental health. His core message: trauma can affect anyone, in any workplace — and leaders have a critical role in how employees navigate it.
A career that straddles law and policing
Law appealed to him early for its structure and problem-solving. After three years at the University of Windsor, Knowler was accepted into its law school — one of the youngest in his class — and was later called to the bar in 2010.
By then, his career had already turned toward policing. A hiring freeze shut him out of the Crown attorney’s office, his preferred role. Encouraged by his future father-in-law, a police officer, he applied to become a cop and began patrol in 1998.
Over time, he combined his legal knowledge with police work, completing his articles while serving. Today, he balances his law licence, policing career and mental-health consulting work.
Workplace trauma can happen anywhere
Knowler defines workplace trauma simply: “any psychological injury from your workplace environment.”
That could mean harassment, toxic leadership, repeated exposure to grief or negativity, proximity to violence, or the emotional strain of helping others through difficult situations. It’s not confined to first responders — it can touch anyone from a teenager in their first job to a senior executive.
He notes that executives often carry a burden similar to first responders. “My job is to take care of my people… I don’t have time to take care of myself,” he said. That belief, he added, leads many to suffer in silence.
Signs leaders often overlook
Because work takes up so much of people’s time, changes in behaviour often show up there first. Knowler points to several cues leaders can watch for:
- Withdrawal: Avoiding social interaction, skipping breaks, or asking to work remotely.
- Personality shifts: Even-tempered employees becoming irritable or cynical; once-outgoing colleagues going quiet.
- Performance drops: Missed deadlines, declining quality, or disengagement from clients.
- Absenteeism or fatigue: Rising sick time or visible exhaustion without clear cause.
Too often, these shifts are treated as discipline issues rather than signs of distress. “It’s taking everything in them to maybe get up in the morning and… get to the office, let alone try and function,” he said.
Where managers go wrong
The most common mistake is avoidance. “If you see that, you have an obligation to at least try and engage on it,” he said.
Other missteps include expecting quick fixes, talking about the employee instead of with them, and using mental-health disclosures in performance reviews. Confidentiality breaches are especially damaging. “They will never, ever come to you again for anything,” he warned.
Knowler encourages leaders to normalize support programs and model openness. Dismissing mental-health initiatives publicly undermines credibility and shuts down dialogue.
From personal experience to public education
Since his own recovery, Knowler has written books, facilitated Mental Health First Aid training, and developed leadership programs. His approach is practical: repeatable actions leaders can take, rooted in empathy and trust.
“Small investments in mental health can have huge dividends,” he said. “They ripple out through your workplace.”
On stage in November
On Nov. 18, Knowler will deliver the opening keynote at Mental Health Talks, hosted by HR News Canada and HR Law Canada. The Toronto event will be offered in-person and virtually.
His talk will focus on HR, benefits and investigation roles — jobs that often expose workers to “second-hand” trauma. Without safeguards, that exposure can lead to burnout and long absences.
“You can’t prevent every source of trauma,” he said. “But you can control how your organization responds to it — and that can make all the difference.”
For more information about Knowler, visit Knowler Consulting at https://www.brianknowler.com/
Spotting and supporting — quick cues for managers
Warning signs:
- Withdrawal from team interactions.
- Noticeable personality changes.
- Missed targets or appointments.
- Unexplained fatigue or rising sick time.
Do:
- Have a private, supportive conversation.
- Maintain confidentiality.
- Offer resources (e.g., EAP) and explore adjustments.
Avoid:
- Ignoring the change.
- Expecting fast recovery.
- Mixing disclosures into discipline or gossiping about the situation.
