Susan Jones — Founder, Creative Behavior Systems
A Different Way of Seeing
I did not come to this work through theory alone. I came through lived experience — through listening, witnessing, learning, unlearning and paying close attention to how stress, safety and connection shape human behavior.
After working in education for over 25 years, it became clear students and staff needed support which understood, integrated and created change for both. Was not long before working with parents and leadership created understanding that this work was for everyone.
Over time, one truth became impossible to ignore:
Behavior is communication. Everyone has been told this. As well as, build relationships, community, culture! But, how?
Every reaction, withdrawal, escalation, shutdown or act of resistance carries information — about nervous systems, lived experience, environment, unmet needs and survival patterns. When we slow down enough to understand what lives beneath the surface, we begin to see behavior not as something to control, but as something to listen to.
This lens reshaped how I worked in classrooms, leadership spaces, family/school systems and organizations — and ultimately led to the creation of Creative Behavior Systems.
The Work Beneath the Work
Much of today’s trauma-aware education has become narrowly focused on identifying trauma in children, often rooted primarily in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study. While this research played a vital role in increasing public awareness, trauma-aware spaces were never meant to become systems of labeling, blaming or separating and often have.
True trauma-aware work invites something deeper.
It asks adults to look inward. It calls for awareness of how our own nervous systems, histories, stress responses and survival strategies shape the way we lead, teach, parent and relate, or don’t.
Intersections of Practice This work lives at the intersection of:
- Nervous system awareness
- Lived experience
- Relational accountability
- Systems thinking
- Human-centered leadership
It is not about fixing people. It is about understanding people.
How Creative Behavior Systems Was Born
Creative Behavior Systems grew from years of working as and alongside educators, administrators, families, leaders and organizations — noticing patterns that repeated across settings:
- Escalation rooted in overwhelm
- Disconnection fueled by chronic stress
- Burnout masked as behavior management
- Compliance mistaken for regulation
Again and again, the same truth emerged: When nervous systems are supported, behavior shifts naturally.
This understanding reshaped my approach — moving away from reactive systems and toward practices rooted in regulation, co-regulation, awareness and relational accountability. Gently shifting current practices.
Over time, this work expanded beyond education into organizational leadership, consulting, somatic regulation experiences, speaking and writing — always centered on the same foundation: human nervous systems and lived experience.
Honoring Lineage & Influence
Much of my understanding of trauma-aware work was shaped through conversations, learning and friendship with an incredibly missed journalist and public health advocate Jane Stevens, whose work was instrumental in bringing trauma-informed awareness into public consciousness.
Jane consistently emphasized that trauma-aware spaces must move beyond identifying adversity and toward building relational, regulatory and systemic capacity.
In one of our many conversations, Jane once said:
“Susan, your work is years ahead of its time.”
I carry her words not as a measure of achievement, but as a responsibility — to continue shaping work rooted in humility, depth, nervous system awareness and human dignity.
How I Work
Creative Behavior Systems is intentionally relational, personalized and human-centered.
All partnerships, trainings, consulting, breathwork experiences and speaking engagements are facilitated directly by me — allowing for continuity, responsiveness, and deep relationship-building and then it is kept, by you.
Service Offerings
- Long-term school and district partnerships (3, 12 or 24 months)
- Organizational consulting and leadership development
- Trauma-aware somatic breathwork experiences
- Conference speaking and keynote presentations
- Long-form writing and reflective learning communities
- Pre, post and ongoing assessment
- All materials and trainings available with client log-in
Each engagement is shaped by context, culture, and lived experience — never by rigid formulas or pre-packaged programs.
A Closing Invitation
Whether you arrive as an educator, leader, parent, caregiver or human navigating stress and complexity — you are welcome here.
This work is not about perfection. It is about awareness. It is about relationships. It is about learning to listen more deeply — to ourselves, and to one another.