Your mission deserves communication that heals rather than harms
You probably already know this: the people you work with, including colleagues, volunteers, and community members, may be carrying more trauma than you see.
Over 60% of adults have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (>BMC Public Health. Add to that the collective trauma of the climate crisis, systemic racism, colonization, and ongoing injustice, and it can feel overwhelming. If you’re working in a field where you’re confronting systemic challenges—for instance, nonprofit, climate, or social justice spaces—you’re likely surrounded by people who are deeply affected by the very issues you’re trying to solve.
This reality makes how we show up for each other even more important. How we communicate can either compound that trauma or create space for healing. And organizations are starting to pay attention.
The shift that’s happening right now
When it comes to organizational culture and societal expectations, there’s been a significant change over the past few years. The conversation around mental health, well-being, and psychological safety moved from the margins to the centre of organizational strategy, and this shift happened because the cost of ignoring these issues became impossible to overlook.
For instance, when psychological safety is low, 12% of employees plan to quit. When it’s high, only 3% do ((Boston Consulting Group). For mission-driven organizations already stretched thin, losing good people isn’t just inconvenient, it’s devastating.
- When your team doesn’t feel safe to speak up, share concerns, or bring their full selves to work, your organization loses:
- Critical perspectives that could strengthen your strategy
- Early warnings about problems so they don’t become crises
- The innovation and creativity you need to tackle complex challenges
- Trust with the communities you serve
What trauma-informed communication looks like
At its core, trauma-informed communication follows six principles: safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment through voice and choice, and attention to cultural and historical context (SAMHSA).
Here’s what that actually looks like in practice:
- Prioritize safety: Create a calm, respectful environment—physically, emotionally, and culturally. Avoid language or tone that feels shaming or threatening.
- Build trust through transparency: Be clear about processes, expectations, and next steps. Honest, consistent communication reduces stress and builds credibility.
- Offer choice and foster empowerment: Provide options when possible and encourage people to make decisions that feel right for them. This restores agency for those who may have experienced loss of control.
- Collaborate rather than dictate: Work with people rather than for them. Invite their input and recognize their lived expertise to strengthen shared decision-making.
- Use strengths-based, respectful language: Highlight resilience, validate feelings, and avoid deficit-focused framing. Language should reflect dignity, not judgment.
- Practise cultural humility and sensitivity: Recognize how trauma interacts with culture, history, and identity. Avoid assumptions—ask, listen, and learn from each person’s lived experience.
- Slow down and listen actively: Allow space for pauses, reflection, and clarification. Trauma can affect attention and processing, so thoughtfully pacing communication helps people feel heard and understood.
This might sound like obvious common sense, but the reality is that not every organization can follow through on these principles, especially when resources are tight and pressure is high.
Why this matters more in mission-driven work
Mission-driven organizations often serve communities carrying disproportionate levels of systemic, intergenerational, and/or acute trauma. In these contexts, communication that feels rushed, authoritative, or unclear can unintentionally create distance. Trauma-informed communication, grounded in safety, transparency, and respect, helps people feel more comfortable participating with, sharing with, and trusting in your team.
It also directly strengthens program effectiveness. When people feel safe, they’re more likely to engage honestly and consistently, which leads to better information, clearer decisions, and smoother service delivery. This is a practical strategy that reduces misunderstandings and improves outcomes for both clients and staff.
Finally, trauma-informed communication reflects the values most mission-driven organizations stand for: dignity, empathy, and equity. How you communicate day to day is one of the clearest expressions of those values. By choosing language and practices that empower rather than overwhelm, you reinforce trust, strengthen community relationships, and ensure that your mission shows up in every interaction.
The four questions that guide better communication
When you’re crafting any communication—such as an email, a meeting, a strategy announcement, a community update—ask yourself these four questions (adapted from Allen Interactions’ crisis communication framework):
1. WHY am I communicating this?
Establish purpose and transparency.
- What’s the core reason for this message?
- Why does it matter for the people receiving it?
- Does the purpose build clarity and trust?
2. WHAT does the audience need to know?
Prioritize essentials and reduce overwhelm.
- What information is truly necessary right now?
- Is it organized in a way that feels manageable and predictable?
- Could anything be misinterpreted without context?
3. HOW can I communicate this with safety and choice?
Shape tone, pacing, and empowerment.
- Does my tone feel respectful, calm, and non-urgent?
- Am I offering options or next steps where possible?
- Have I explained what will happen next to reduce uncertainty?
4. WHO is impacted and how do I honour their experiences?
Centre dignity, equity, and lived experience.
- Who will receive or be affected by this message?
- Am I avoiding assumptions about needs or emotions?
- Does the message reflect empathy and inclusion?
Putting trauma-informed communication into practice
Even with the right principles and framework, trauma-informed communication only makes an impact when it shows up in daily habits, not just policies. It’s about action over intention. That means building rhythms and structures that make this way of communicating the default.
To make this happen, here are a few ways you can start embedding this into operations:
- Normalize check-ins. Begin meetings with a grounding question or a moment to pause, helping people regulate before jumping into complex topics.
- Create clear communication pathways. Make it easy for staff and community members to ask questions, flag concerns, and request clarification without fear of judgment.
- Reduce unnecessary urgency. Not every message needs to feel like an emergency. Calmer pacing supports better thinking and lowers stress.
- Model from the top. Leaders who communicate transparently and vulnerably set the tone for the entire organization.
- Train your team. Give staff shared language, tools, and examples so they feel confident adopting trauma-informed practices.
These everyday actions create conditions where trust, psychological safety, and community connection can grow, no matter the size of your organization or the pressure you face.
Communication shapes impact
Trauma-informed communication isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it’s a core part of doing mission-driven work well. When our messages are grounded in safety, clarity, choice, and cultural awareness, we reduce harm and build trust. More importantly, we create conditions where staff, partners, and community members can show up fully and engage meaningfully. In a sector defined by people and relationships, how we communicate is one of the most powerful tools we have, not just for strengthening impact, but for building collective resilience that sustains movements and creates lasting change for everyone involved.
