Connecting to Cope

Have you ever been told you’re too much, too emotional, too honest, too soft, too forgiving? Host Ranae Van Roekel explores what it means to carry that label as a woman healing from trauma and choosing love in a world that often tells her to harden. Ranae shares a raw and intimate reflection on the cost of caring deeply, the strength it takes to remain open-hearted after betrayal, and the power of...

What if the real sentence begins after prison? Ranae Van Roekel shares her personal journey through incarceration and sheds light on the deeper, often overlooked realities of the justice system. From untreated trauma to the barriers people face when rebuilding their lives, Ranae explores how healing, education, and meaningful reform can break cycles, not just for individuals, but for communities....

Ranae unpacks the pardoning of reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, not to scrutinize their release, but to shine a light on the deeper, systemic issues it reveals. Drawing from her own lived experience, she explores what fairness really means in a justice system that often favors wealth, fame, and privilege over healing, accountability, and transformation. She challenges listeners to consider t...

What if the way you make choices is being shaped by pain you haven’t even named yet? Renee unpacks how trauma, especially when unhealed, can silently influence your decisions, relationships, and sense of self. She shares her own journey of learning to recognize patterns, reframe her thinking, and reclaim her voice through tools like Rational Self-Analysis (RSA) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CB...

What if healing isn’t about fixing your past, but preparing for your future? In this episode, Ranae challenges the idea that healing is just about managing trauma. Instead, she explores what it means to make room for joy, peace, and success, especially when those emotions feel unfamiliar. If you’ve ever felt more comfortable in survival mode than in happiness, this short episode offers a new persp...

In Episode 2 of Connecting to Cope , Ranae continues her story by sharing how she ultimately ended up in federal prison and the emotional state that led her there. She reflects on how a deep desire to people-please and avoid conflict pulled her into a business situation that was not operating within the law. At the same time, her mental health was unraveling. Anxiety, disassociation, and unaddress...

In this first episode of Connecting to Cope , host Ranae Van Roekel shares the story behind the podcast and the experiences that shaped her life and work. Ranae opens up about her background and the traumatic event that changed the trajectory of her life. She talks honestly about how unresolved trauma led to anxiety, harmful coping mechanisms, and a series of poor decisions that impacted her relat...