When Bearing Witness®: Becoming a Trauma-Informed Storyteller

The Question That Changed My Work

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Maria shares the question that changed the trajectory of her work and ultimately led to the creation of the When Bearing Witness® Traum

Trauma-Informed Storytelling on the Fundraising Stage with Jenna Watanabe

Send us Fan Mail Fundraising events are often where nonprofit storytelling faces its highest stakes. The room is full, the energy is high, and there is real pressure to

Centering Safety in Human Trafficking Storytelling with Preston Goff

Send us Fan Mail Storytelling in the anti-trafficking space carries a particular weight, where the urgency to communicate impact can pull against the responsibility to p

Building a Nonprofit Story Bank With Consent and Care with Natalie Monroe

Send us Fan Mail In This Episode Nonprofit storytelling is changing. Organizations are being asked to think more carefully about how stories are gathered, who holds pow

The Mid-Year Reset Your Storytelling Practice Might Need

Send us Fan Mail By this point in the year, storytelling can start to feel different. You’re still showing up to the interviews, the deadlines, the back and forth. But

How Ethical Storytelling Becomes a Movement With Diana Farias Heinrich

Send us Fan Mail Diana, CEO of Habrá Marketing and creator of the Equastory framework, joins us for a conversation about what it takes for trauma-informed storytelling t

Bringing Nonprofit Storytelling Back to the Campfire with Michael Kass

Send us Fan Mail What if storytelling returned back toward its oldest purpose: connection? In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Kass, founder of Story & Spirit, to im

Joy As A Liberatory Practice with Frank Velásquez Jr.

Send us Fan Mail Content warning: This episode includes discussion of trauma, systemic harm, and experiences of marginalization, shared with care and intention. This co

Five Ways to Build a Trauma-Informed Storytelling Practice In 2026

Send us Fan Mail As we step into a new year of storytelling, this episode invites you to slow down, take a breath, and ground your practice in deeper care. Trauma-inform

Repairing Storytelling Harm with Rachel D'Souza

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode of When Bearing Witness, we step into a conversation that sits at the heart of trauma-informed storytelling: what happens when a stor

Leading Ethical Storytelling from the Outside with Kristi Scott

Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit storytellers are tasked with sharing stories that move people to act, yet we also carry the responsibility of protecting the dignity and agenc

Tending to Storyteller Vicarious Trauma with Michelle Vande Hay

Send us Fan Mail Content Warning: Michelle briefly talks about the death of a loved one. Be mindful of your emotional capacity as you listen in.  Storytelling in the no

The Art and Practice of Resilient Storytelling with Angela Soliz

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of When Bearing Witness, Maria sits down with Angela Soliz, a resilience coach, artist, and founder of Gela Road, a creative resilience

Flipping the Script on Nonprofit Media Relations with Amanda Clelland

Send us Fan Mail For many nonprofits, earned media is a powerful way to raise awareness, build credibility, and connect with new supporters. But when stories involve liv

Survivor Storytelling as a Catalyst for Change with Anne K. Ream

Send us Fan Mail What happens when storytelling isn’t just about raising awareness or driving donations, but about creating a space where survivors can be truly seen, he

Directing with Care: The Ethics of Documentary Filmmaking with Heidi Burkey

Send us Fan Mail What does it look like to practice trauma-informed storytelling behind the camera?  In this episode of When Bearing Witness, filmmaker Heidi Burkey sha

Slow Down, Listen, Disrupt Bias, Repeat with Dr. Desmond Upton Patton

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of When Bearing Witness, Dr. Desmond Upton Patton invites us into a conversation about humility, listening, and the ethics of digital st

Centering Accessibility in Nonprofit Marketing with Dominique Dunlop

Send us Fan Mail Ensuring your digital marketing is accessible for all audiences may seem like a daunting task, but today’s guest, Dominique Dunlop, makes it feel not on

Meeting Organizational Resistance with Curiosity with Dallase Scott

Send us Fan Mail In nonprofit storytelling, there’s often a disconnect between the trauma-informed and ethical practices we aspire to and the systems we’re working withi

Building Work Cultures We Don’t Need to Heal From with Lindsey Fuller

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to create a work culture we don’t need to heal from?  In this episode of When Bearing Witness, I’m joined by Lindsey Fuller, a