I’m really excited to be supporting some of the leading minds in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mind & Media has always strived to work on projects that affect positive change in this world, and the project with which we’ve been engaged over the past year has probably been the most positively impactful of any I’ve worked on. We’ve helped disseminate information to families dealing with PTSD, to therapists treating PTSD, and most recently to therapists helping couples cope when one partner is struggling with PTSD. Each project has been different in its own way, but they have all been equally rewarding to me personally.

Make no mistake; it’s not just the end goal I’m passionate about. I’m a geek for the technology and aesthetics of the communications in general, but to apply my years of geeking to efforts like the treatment of PTSD is amazing. Sure marketers or designers everywhere worry about web usability or word choice in when trying to sell a product or push an agenda, but all the same communications best practices hold true no matter what communication effort you undertake. It doesn’t have to be sexy, but it has to be clear, easy to use, and it must give the audience what they need.

For a public-facing presentation about reuniting with family members returning from a war zone, we got to put ourselves in the shoes of stressed out, nervous family members waiting at home. How could we write this content so it’s easy to understand? What questions could we answer, via video interviews with other families, that would show these folks they are not alone? What images would connect them to the material, and what, ultimately, do they want from this presentation? Not cool animation, not a widget, not a text message, nothing from the bag of new communications technology. They just want to know what to expect, what to look out for, and where to turn if things are not going well. Our work moves them from anxious to reassured, from unsure to confident. Positive change I remember long after the work ends. It was a pleasure to bring Returning From the War Zone: A Guide for Families to life for all the families that need it.