How a Personal Healing Journey Led Me to Reimagine Communications Strategy
Laura Braden shares how her own healing journey revealed that trauma-informed principles transform organizational communications.
In 2022, I joined the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) as its head of communications, crafting messaging and content strategy and building its website and social media presence.
I was fully expecting to deepen my understanding of how trauma shapes policy, industry sectors, and societal systems. What I didn’t anticipate was how quickly this work would transform everything I thought I knew about communications.
TLDR: principles that help people and families heal and build resilience (e.g., safety, transparency, collaboration, empowerment) apply just as powerfully to how organizations communicate with the people they serve.
I came to this realization from an unlikely place. After leaving an abusive marriage and walking my own healing journey, I understood something viscerally that no research could have taught me: trauma creates a cloud that hangs over your existence. It impacts how you move through the world, what feels safe, and whether you can trust (others but also yourself!).
And critically, I learned that impact matters far more than intent.
The Problem With Fear-Based Messaging
Too many organizations communicate from a place of scarcity or fear. We lead with shocking statistics, guilt-based messaging, and urgency designed to trigger an immediate response.
It works…temporarily. But it’s exhausting for audiences. It can even retraumatize the very populations these organizations serve, leading to low engagement, missed appointments, and poor ROI from marketing campaigns.
That’s when everything clicked into place. The trauma-informed approach I’d learned through CTIPP wasn’t just for direct service providers or crisis counselors. It was a communications framework that applies to any organization, mission, and audience.
Whether you’re building a nonprofit, leading a Fortune 10 company, or launching a tech product, these principles work.
Why GoldenDoodle AI Exists
And GoldenDoodle AI was the tool I’d wished existed for every client I’d worked with, especially those serving underserved and vulnerable populations. Its trauma-informed, dignity-driven approach fosters lasting trust and engagement. Communications rooted in safety, transparency, and empowerment create genuine connection.
What excites me now is how AI can democratize this approach. Tools that help communicators apply trauma-informed principles at scale (especially for organizations that couldn’t previously afford sophisticated strategy) can fundamentally change how we talk to and about our targeted audiences.
Because here’s what I know: your words matter. Your impact matters. And the organizations that learn to communicate with integrity will ultimately achieve their mission.
— Laura Braden, Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer, GoldenDoodle AI