In the first episode of our special series on mental health in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we discuss maintaining emotional health while continuing your activism. Many activists burn out quickly due to compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and a lack of emotional self-care. In this episode, Jonathan Walton opens up about his own journey from unhealthy activism driven by unresolved personal wounds to a more sustainable practice of emotionally healthy activism. Jonathan's...

Carol will guide us through a 20-minute body scan meditation.  The body scan is a practice of systematically bringing gentle attention to each part of the body. It helps us become more present and aware of the physical sensations we often ignore or tune out. With this awareness, we can release areas of tightness or tension.   Before you press play, find a comfortable position. You can sit upright in a chair or lie down on your back on a mat or blanket. Take a moment to settle into your...

AI has seemed to blow in like a tornado this past year. The rapid development of AI has brought both excitement and concerns around potential biases and inequities.  In this episode, data equity expert Meena discusses why we need to be intentional about centering humans and promoting inclusivity as AI becomes more ubiquitous. Meena emphasizes that data is ultimately about people - we are the data points that these systems analyze and make predictions from. If AI models are trained on datasets...

Giving voice to our stories, especially the painful chapters, can be a daunting yet profoundly healing journey. Many of us hold back, grappling with self-doubt and the fear of revisiting trauma. However, as Marti Statler, CEO of Rebel Queen Books, passionately shares, bravely articulating your narrative through writing can be a transformative act of self-reclamation. To be clear, this path of healing is a choice. And if you do choose to reclaim your story, this episode is for you. Statler...

Reverend Sanghoon Yoo has walked an incredible journey - from a social worker dealing with trauma and crisis to becoming a pastor and experiencing his own period of trauma and burnout. This led him to the trauma-informed care movement over a decade ago.  In this episode Rev. Yoo shares how principles of unconditional love and creating a "community of belonging" are key to being trauma-informed, even for those without clinical training. He powerfully reframes trauma-informed practices not just...

The way we communicate about traumatic experiences matters deeply. This episode dives into the importance of using trauma-informed language with nonprofit marketing expert Cody Hays.  The discussion explores how word choices can inadvertently re-traumatize individuals or marginalized groups.  Cody shares strategies for communicating about sensitive topics in a way that prioritizes empathy and hope.  He breaks down why trauma-informed language is vital for building trust, telling authentic...

The most compelling yet exploitative stories often caricature complex experiences.  When we know better, we can do better.  Ethical storytellers build connections and go deeper into issues. They leave room for nuance, get permission, and make sure stories enlighten people rather than just expose them. The result? Story owners are dignified and respected, and audiences feel centered by shared understanding. Christy Kern joins us on this episode to discuss all things ethical storytelling, with...

When it comes to nonprofit marketing, personal stories are powerful. But we need to be careful—not every story is ours to tell.  Diana Farias Heinrich, founder of Habrá Marketing, joins us on the podcast to tell us how she learned this the hard way when a story she shared had unexpected consequences for the young woman involved. Motivated by this eye-opening experience, Diana decided there must be an ethical way to leverage stories in our marketing efforts.   The solution? Informed consent...

In this interview with trauma expert Katie Kurtz, listeners can expect to come away with an expanded understanding of trauma and what it means to operate through a trauma-informed lens.  Katie provides clarity around key trauma definitions and outlines competencies ranging from basic awareness to active trauma responsiveness, empowering listeners to evaluate their own experience and knowledge. With nuance and care, Katie addresses concepts like safety, trust-building, and unintended harm,...

In the inaugural episode of her "When Bearing Witness" podcast, host Maria Bryan is interviewed by veteran podcaster Rain about becoming a trauma-informed storyteller. Listeners can expect to learn Maria's origin story of arriving at this work after a student asked a pivotal question about incorporating trauma-informed practices into nonprofit storytelling. Maria and Rainn define trauma-informed storytelling as the safe gathering and telling of painful stories in a way that transforms yet...

Welcome to The When Bearing Witness Podcast! This is an invitation to explore trauma-informed storytelling, a safe and healthy process of gathering and telling difficult stories. Join me as I engage in thought-provoking conversations with trauma-informed experts and social-good storytellers coming together to shape the intersection of trauma-informed care and the storytelling process.  Stories are sacred, and with this podcast, we’re working towards creating safe spaces to tell and share...