Season 6 Episode 5: The Impact of Trauma on Organizations with Dr. James Covey

Join Brandi as she interviews James on this edition of Shop Talk. His recent PhD dissertation explores how individual trauma experiences over time begin to impact—and sometimes infect—how an organization develops and functions. Viewing trauma as contagious within a system can help organizations prevent harm and find healing in the aftermath of trauma. His dissertation […]

Join Brandi and James as they interview Andrew Brown, the program director at Alongside. They discuss the ministry of Alongside and explore short-term, intensive, or immersive care models for cross-cultural workers. Around the world, many centers offer a variety of care options, including counseling, debriefing, spiritual direction, coaching, inner-healing prayer, and training. Most of these […]

Join Brandi and James as they talk with Ben Porter about perfectionism and its impact on cross-cultural workers. He notices in his practice that perfectionism is a recurring theme and a contributing factor to burnout, fatigue, and even moral injury. Roz Shafran defines clinical perfectionism as “the setting of personally demanding, self-imposed standards that are […]

Join Brandi and James as they learn more about caring for workers from the global South and especially Latinos. Diogo Militão is a clinical therapist originally from Brazil, with over two decades of experience in cross-cultural mission work and member care. He has served in West Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, and currently lives […]

Join Brandi and James as they interview Dr. Johnstone Ndunde, the global director for SIL. They talk about the concept and principles of localization, and Dr. Ndunde’s perspective on working cross-culturally in a predominately Western organization as a Kenyan. The shift in the global mission movement from “the West to the Rest” doesn’t mean a […]

Join Brandi and James as they highlight some of their favorite episodes from this year and explore the themes that connect them. In the second half, they’re joined by colleagues who share what their cross-cultural Christmases have been like in Northern Asia, North Macedonia, and all the way to Papua New Guinea. Thank you so […]

Join Brandi and James as they sit down with Dr. Tasha Mitchell to discuss her research on missionary burnout, exploring how leadership, emotional intelligence, and resilience play a role in preventing and predicting burnout among missionaries. Dr. Tasha Mitchell currently serves as the Clinical Director at Willow Creek Counseling Center. She received an M.A. in […]

Join Brandi and James as they meet with Ulrika Ernvik to discuss helping people navigate traumatic experiences using Safety Stories. With extensive experience working with children and adults in Sweden and Thailand, Ulrika has dedicated her career to helping people process trauma and rebuild safety. Her curiosity about how ordinary people can support healing led […]

Join Brandi and James as they sit down with Kimberly Drage to explore the complexities of organizational change. Kimberly highlights the crucial distinction between change and transition, noting that every transition inevitably involves some form of loss. She emphasizes that, while organizations often devote substantial energy and resources to managing change, the process of navigating […]

Join Brandi and James as they sit down with Kristen Cagwin to discuss both the external and internal preparations necessary for a smooth transition back to home cultures.