Content Warning (CW): This episode centers the discussion of gun violence and explicit mentions mass shootings. Please be mindful as you listen and provide this content warning when sharing.

I didn’t want to record this episode. And that’s exactly why we did. So let's cut straight to the truth: we need to get real about gun violence. This is an important and timely episode with Josh Novick (he/him) is about gun violence, trauma exposure, and what it actually costs to care inside broken systems. No platitudes. No easy answers. Just the truth—and the choice in front of us. Working in education throughout his career, he has been both the responder and the experiencer of the impact of gun violence. It wasn’t until a mass shooting hit his own backyard at the Highland Park Parade Shooting in 2022 that he began to his advocacy journey.This is not a theoretical conversation—it’s a grounded, urgent look at how trauma shows up in classrooms, communities, and bodies, why gun violence is a public health crisis (not a mental illness), and what trauma-informed care actually demands from us. Honest, sharp, and unapologetically human, this episode names the harm, challenges the myths, and calls listeners into action.

Learn more about Josh:

Josh Novick, LCPC, PEL-SC is a nationally recognized therapist, school counselor, speaker, and advocate who combines clinical expertise, lived experience, and unapologetic passion in the fight for safer, more connected schools and communities. He is the founder of Trust and Grow Consulting, where he partners with schools, districts, and community organizations across the country to expand trauma-informed, equity-centered practices that support resilience and recovery.

Josh’s perspective is shaped by his years as a school counselor in North Lawndale on the West Side of Chicago, where he worked alongside students and families navigating systemic inequities, community violence, and extraordinary resilience. His commitment to trauma-informed recovery deepened after the Highland Park Fourth of July parade mass shooting, which impacted his own community and led to his leadership role in creating a temporary Community Counseling Center. In just one week, the center provided immediate relief to more than 3,000 community members with the support of over 650 volunteer therapists, becoming a model for rapid, compassionate crisis response.

An Ambassador with Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, he is a leading voice on educator wellness and community response after critical incidents, helping schools navigate the aftermath of violence with compassion and clarity.

His work has been featured at national and regional gatherings including the Building Resilient Communities for Children Conference, the Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools Conference, and the Illinois School Counselor Association Conference. His expertise has been quoted in regional and national articles, extending his impact beyond direct practice and into broader public discourse.

Connect with Josh:

• Website: https://trustandgrow.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.

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Have you ever sat through a nonprofit fundraising gala and felt your stomach drop as the lights dimmed for yet another emotionally devastating video?

You're not alone. And according to trauma-informed storyteller Maria Bryan, there's a better way.

In this powerful episode of A Trauma-Informed Feature, host Katie Kurtz sits down with Maria Bryan to unpack the often-overlooked harm happening in nonprofit storytelling. From the marketing director gathering stories to the donor watching from the audience, everyone in what Maria calls the "storytelling ecosystem" deserves consideration.

As nonprofits face funding challenges, story extraction isn't just harmful—it's unsustainable. This conversation offers a path forward that honors both story and humanity.

Learn more about Maria:

Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She is the host of the When Bearing Witness® podcast and facilitates the When Bearing Witness® Trauma-Informed Storytelling Certification Program.

Maria’s work helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Over the past 15+ years in the nonprofit and public sector, Maria has trained thousands globally in person and virtually—focusing on trauma-informed storytelling and purpose-driven marketing.

Her learning lineage spans a Master's Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, and professional certifications in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, Trauma-Informed Coaching, and Somatic Embodiment and Regulation.

Maria is a firm believer that storytellers make the world a healthier, safer, cleaner, and happier place.

Connect with Maria:

• Website: https://www.mariabryan.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariabryancrtv/

Say ‘hello’ on Instagram or LinkedIn

Catch up on podcast episodes

Get certified + create a sustainable practice with TRUST™ Works

Interested in a keynote or consulting? Connect with Katie!

Welcome back to a new season of A Trauma-Informed Future! After a restorative pause, Katie is offering transparent updates about the behind-the-scenes shifts that have unfolded since the last episode. Acknowledging the deep distrust shaping our world-from politics to community safety to information itself-Katie reminds us that trust is built slowly, at the pace of the nervous system, through aligned intentions and actions. She reflects on the collective trauma of the current moment, the exhaustion and hopelessness that doom-scrolling can amplify, and the grounded hope that trauma-informed practice continues to offer as people make daily choices toward humanity, safety, and care. Katie shares the evolution of her work, including the emergence of TRUST™ (Trauma-Informed Relational Upskilling and Systems Transformation) as the aligned home for her methodology, the beta launch of TRUST Works, and the growing community of trusted partners. Centering the power of caring as courageous rather than “soft,” Katie calls listeners into mindful action, inviting them to reflect on where their care lives, how they can use their power within their spheres of influence, and how choosing trauma-informed care in small everyday moments contributes to a broader trust swell.

Say ‘hello’ on Instagram or LinkedIn

Catch up on podcast episodes

Get certified + create a sustainable practice with TRUST™ Works

Interested in a keynote or consulting? Connect with Katie!