Real Talk with Tina and Ann

Send us Fan Mail Engage with us as we delve into the human response to trauma, with a focus on the fight or flight response. Guest host Denise Bard and Ann paint vivid pictures of how trauma can manifest in our bodies and our minds.  The pair talk ways the body handles stress and includes terms such as dissociation and masking.   The pair also discuss paths to healing.  Forgiving? Counseling?  Rid...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a single moment in your life, one powerful enough to shape your trajectory.  This is part 4 of Denise Bard's interview. This is our 40th episode!!!!!! Denise shares how the abuse in her childhood actually made her a better parent and how she touches the lives of teachers today. Ann states that she does not want her children to know what it is like to  not belong and t...

Send us Fan Mail YOU MATTER! Listen as Denise shares her journey of changing her life's narrative, reminding us all of the power of our own voices, even in the face of adversity.  Join us as Denise shares how she rewrote her story to one of triumph and resilience and reminds us that faiure is a part of success. She quotes Denzel Washington as he stated, "If I'm going to fail, I&apos...

Send us Fan Mail This powerful episode is part 2 of Denise Bard's triumphant story. This is proof of  how 30 seconds can make a huge difference in someone else's life. Denise shares 3 life-changing moments that gave her something to hold onto to when life was hard .  She also talks in depth about the youth shelter that gave her importance and worth.  Anchor House, a sanctuary for runaway...

Send us Fan Mail Denise Bard's  life story, one marked by struggles and hardships, is a compelling portrayal of the human spirit's capacity to rise above circumstances. This is a must listen as Denise discusses being born from  two drug-addicted parents and the  physical, mental, and emotional abuse that she endured. Abuse and neglect led her to almost taking her own life, but she chose...

Send us Fan Mail What is the true opposite of love? Hate or Fear? How does it affect a child when their first emotion is fear and not love? What happens when the very person loving you is the one instilling that fear? We're peeling back the layers on this complex subject, starting with early childhood experiences where fear is instilled by those who should be our protectors. We're talkin...

Send us Fan Mail What changed your life more? Love or Fear? What is the stronger emotion? If Rock breaks scissors, but paper covers rock,  Fear dilutes love, but love melts fear. Let's look at these two emotions, together. People say that love hurts, but in actuality it is abuse with love that hurts, it is rejection with love that hurts, but love without those things is the purest kind of lov...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is not just a conversation; it’s a celebration of differentness, friendship, and unity in the face of adversity.  Ann welcomes special guest, RJ Formanek, the trailblazer behind Flying with Broken Wings and Red Shoes Rock, who has embraced his FASD diagnosis as a power source instead of a limitation.  He shares deep incite into what it feels like to get the diagnosis...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine having your life shaped by trauma before drawing your first breath.  That's the reality for people living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a misunderstood and stigmatized condition. I had the honor of hosting RJ Formanek, a tireless advocate for people with FASD, who also happens to be a person living with the disorder. Together, we confront the misconcept...

Send us Fan Mail Tina and Ann continue their discussion on Pain and Joy living together, simultaneously. They do a deep dive on childhood pain and deprivation and how it can continue to impact us, as adults. They look more into the book, The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo and discuss his beliefs on how our cells are affected in trauma.  The duo discusses the courage it takes to confron...

Send us Fan Mail Life is a blend of joy and pain, and this episode is a testament to our belief that these contrasting emotions can coexist. From Tina's recent trip to Hawaii, to breaking the cycle of past pain, we emphasize the importance of simultaneously experiencing life's highs and lows. We discuss how to heal, manage mental health, and break negative cycles. Ann talks about the hea...

Send us Fan Mail Ever grappled with life's rock-bottom moments, only to find an inner strength you never knew existed? This is a common thread in our lives, and in this heartfelt episode, Tina and Ann pull back the curtain on our personal trials and tribulations - from the arduous journey of healing our own life's scars to navigating our children's challenges. We strip away the glos...

Send us Fan Mail Join Tina and Ann as they revisit episode one. Tina and Ann's friendship began in the midst of an intense capital murder trial, 15 years ago. Neither of them had covered a story with such intensity. as journalists. This is where the story of their friendship began. They spent 12-hour days together processing and covering a horrifically, sad situation causing a strong bond of...

Send us Fan Mail Can facing difficult situations make us stronger? Can our weaknesses actually become our strengths? Tina says YES! Tina and Ann go head on into healing on this episode as they explore the importance of doing more than just letting the pain in. Forging through, connection with others, letting love in and letting the depths of our pain, heal is where we can fully LIVE! Tina's i...

Send us Fan Mail Tina shares her soul-searching  journey on the 22-mile Kalalau Trail .  She takes us on an exhilarating journey as she finds herself on the narrow, rugged trail that landed her in front of the Jurassic Park backdrop. As she encountered monk seals, sea turtles, pigs and dangerous goats, she breathed in the awe-inspiring beauty of Kauai's landscape. Tina and her hiking partner,...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to an enlightening conversation that promises to redefine our perceptions of education and mental health. We have an extraordinary guest, Shannon Fisher from Wadsworth City Schools, known for advocating mental health over traditional academics. Together, we explore the questions: when it comes to our children's education, which is more important - achieving acade...

Send us Fan Mail Tune in this week as Real Talk with Tina and Ann speak with two very experienced educators regarding trauma and mental health within our schools. Shannon Fisher, a certified trauma and resilience practitioner is a teacher in the Wadsworth City School District in Ohio. Listen to her insight as well as a three-decade-long experienced school  counselor, Kerri Franks, share what it ta...

Send us Fan Mail  When you feel like giving up, remind yourself why you started in the first place. Believe that just beyond obstacles or tough times, success is waiting. Sometimes the way forward is not clear, but what matters most is that you keep going, no matter what path you choose.  Our minds can be our own worst enemies, but it can also propel us forward. Sometimes, it is not the challenge,...

Send us Fan Mail Today, Real Talk is graced with the presence of Erin Simpson and Joyce Walker from the Wadsworth City Schools in Ohio. They expose us to their trauma-aware, mental health focused  program, in part two,  of a two-part series. Grizzley Academy is not just another school, but an environment that nurtures family connections through values such as regulation, empathy, confidence, and c...

Send us Fan Mail Join us this week as Tina and Ann interview Principal Erin Simpson and Director of Students Services, Joyce Walker from Wadsworth City Schools in Ohio. They have created a model program to reach students where they are. In this episode you will hear them talk about student's needs, how their district has assessed the needs and how they have filled those gaps. They discuss the...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode is a little different as Tina and Ann discuss the cycle of life–Life's ups and downs and the simplicities and complexities of merely existing.  Tina shares some of the most heartbreaking and simultaneous joyous times and a counselor’s reaction to her pain.  Listen as the pair dissect a painfully real situation, the role of a counselor and what happens when...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode, Tina and Ann discuss different types of panic attacks and generational trauma. They share their thoughts on epigenetics, physical symptoms from trauma and neurobiological pathways.  They look at the definition of panic attacks from the Mayo Clinic, physical symptoms of panic attacks and how it can be a physical response of trauma. They briefly discuss the d...

Send us Fan Mail PTSD part 4 This week, Tina and Ann discuss the next symptom of PTSD. Our body is so intricate and remembers trauma in different ways. The pair share how the body can keep score of what we have gone through. The book, The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk is mentioned. Ann shares some pretty significant stories where trauma has altered a family member’s brain and Tin...

Send us Fan Mail In this weeks episode, Tina and Ann finish up the symptom of selective amnesia and  how kind the mind can actually be when it comes to traumatic memories. Tina and Ann also discuss the difficult topic of self-harm and suicide.  If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call suicide hotline at 988.  If you feel like you cannot go one more day or one more moment, please call th...

Send us Fan Mail Tina and Ann discuss two more symptoms of PTSD.  Avoiding people places and things Memory loss Ann shares the joy of realizing how far she has come in her journey and how she became more than her abuse and no longer lives in her pain. Tina shares a painful memory, going through the grief and how memory loss and trauma is currently affecting her life.  Quote: ”Hurt people hurt othe...