Elisa Toha’s path to becoming a trauma therapist was not exactly a conventional one. Before she began her career helping people through their trauma, she spent years chasing trauma around the United States as a chase producer, or booker, for major network morning shows and CNN.

From her home in New York City, where she was based as an Emmy-award-winning journalist and now works as a therapist, Elisa discusses her career as a booker in a highly competitive media market in which journalists are often flown to traumatic events even before family members have been notified that their loved ones were killed. Elisa and Tamara share anecdotes of being directed to do tasks that went against their moral compasses, and the moral injury they suffered as a result.

Tamara and Elisa grapple with the ethics of trauma journalism, the importance of self-care for journalists who cover trauma, and ideas for how traumatic stories can be told, better.

Resources:

elisatoha.com

As per trauma-informed practice, each guest in The Trauma Beat podcast is afforded the opportunity to review and veto a list of anticipated questions before the recorded conversation. Ongoing, informed consent is sought throughout the production process.

This conversation was recorded in January 2024.

For more trauma-informed storytelling resources, visit pickupcommunications.com.