When Bearing Witness®: Becoming a Trauma-Informed Storyteller
The When Bearing Witness® podcast is an invitation to explore trauma-informed storytelling, a safe and healthy process of gathering and telling painful stories. Join my conversations with trauma-informed experts and fellow social-good storytellers as we help shape the intersection of trauma-informed care and the storytelling process.
Stories are sacred, and we can create a safe space to tell and share them.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 45
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Survivor Storytelling as a Catalyst for Change with Anne K. Ream
What happens when storytelling isn’t just about raising awareness or driving donations, but about creating a space where survivors can be truly seen, heard, and supported?
On today’s epi…
Directing with Care: The Ethics of Documentary Filmmaking with Heidi Burkey
What does it look like to practice trauma-informed storytelling behind the camera?
In this episode of When Bearing Witness, filmmaker Heidi Burkey shares how she approaches documentary …
Slow Down, Listen, Disrupt Bias, Repeat with Dr. Desmond Upton Patton
In this episode of When Bearing Witness, Dr. Desmond Upton Patton invites us into a conversation about humility, listening, and the ethics of digital storytelling. He shares what he has…
Centering Accessibility in Nonprofit Marketing with Dominique Dunlop
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 only doable but meaningful.
Dominiq…
Meeting Organizational Resistance with Curiosity with Dallase Scott
In nonprofit storytelling, there’s often a disconnect between the trauma-informed and ethical practices we aspire to and the systems we’re working within. Many of us feel the urgency to…
Building Work Cultures We Don’t Need to Heal From with Lindsey Fuller
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, an educator, coach, and Executive Di…
Marketing Without Fear Tactics with Stephanie Bilinsky
How do we communicate with care when marketing and fundraising often rely on urgency and pressure?
Today’s guest brings a thoughtful lens to one of the most overlooked areas in nonprofi…
Leading with Story in Times of Crisis with Catherine Alonzo
What does it mean to lead with care when everything feels like it’s on fire?
Today’s guest brings clarity to one of the most important tools we have in times of crisis: storytelling. Ca…
Finding Courage in Community with Diana Farias Heinrich
In This Episode
What if ethical transformation in the nonprofit sector doesn't start with policy, but with people?
In this episode, Maria Bryan is joined by Diana Farias Heinrich, founde…
Content Warnings That Actually Resist Harm with Rachel Edwards
Content warnings have long been treated as mere disclaimers—brief nods to potential triggers without much thought to their real impact.
But what if they could do more? Rachel Edwards be…
Purpose Over Pressure: Sustainable Marketing with Quinn Tempest
In this episode, we explore how purpose, clarity, and sustainability can shape the way we show up as nonprofit storytellers and marketers. Our guest, Quinn Tempest, is a business and br…
The Courage To Stand Up and Speak Out with Vu Le
In this episode, we navigate how nonprofit leaders can speak up with courage during politically divided times. Our guest today, Vu Le, a bold voice in the nonprofit sector, combines hum…
Dismantling the White Coat: Reshaping Mental Health Care with Dr. Neeru Bakshi
In this eye-opening episode, Maria talks with Dr. Neeru Bakshi, a psychiatrist who's shaking things up in mental healthcare. Neeru, a South Asian woman, works in a field dominated by We…
The Evolution of Ethical Storytelling with Carly Euler
Join Maria Bryan and Carly Euler, Marketing Director at MemoryFox, to explore the insights from the hot-off-the-press 2024 Ethical Storytelling Report.
As nonprofits navigate the delica…
Breaking the Invisibility Tax: The Science Behind Who Gets Heard with Chloé Nwangwu
When brand scientist Chloé Nwangwu discovered that crucial Yemen voices were excluded from peace talks during its civil war, she realized something profound: brands teach others how to …
Ethical Calls to Action: Moving Beyond Manipulation in Nonprofit Storytelling
Gone are the days of guilt-driven appeals and false urgency in nonprofit marketing. In 2025, we are embracing trauma-informed storytelling that empowers, not exploits. In this episode, …
Can You Tell This Story? Legal Considerations with Attorney Allie Levene
As nonprofit storytellers, navigating the legal landscape of consent, privacy, and story ownership is daunting.
In this episode of When Bearing Witness, we sit down with attorney Allie …
Lessons Learned in Trauma-Informed Storytelling: Reflections for 2025
In this reflective solo episode kicking off season two of When Bearing Witness, Maria Bryan shares valuable insights gained from a transformative year of conversations about trauma-info…
Finding Balance and Joy in Nonprofit Storytelling with Kishshana Palmer
In this episode of When Bearing Witness, we talk with Kishshana Palmer, a dynamic international speaker, coach, and author, to discuss her new book, Busy Is a Four-Letter Word: A Guide …
Humanizing Environmental and Conservation Justice with Melissa Romero
In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Romero, Associate Director of Marketing at The Nature Conservancy, to explore the critical intersection of environmental advocacy and trauma-in…