Ronni and Jennie: Conversations on Recovery from Childhood Trauma and Abuse

Send us Fan Mail As we pursue healing, we reach plateaus where we feel like we have things under control. Then life comes along and challenges us in new ways. No matter how far we have come in our healing, there is always more to learn.  Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysf...

Send us Fan Mail When we look to others to help us in our healing, it can be easy to put those mentors on a pedestal. Ronni and Jennie talk about what happens when they disappoint you, or turn out not to be who you thought they were. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunct...

Send us Fan Mail Experiencing trauma can make you feel like you have to hold back in life, or create an emotional suit of armor to protect yourself. Ronni and Jennie talk about how they have learned to recognize when they are being too guarded and when it is safe to be open and trusting with others. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addic...

Send us Fan Mail Many people feel they need to know exactly what happened to them in order to heal. Ronni and Jennie share how following their feelings (even in the absence of memories) has helped them release the pain associated with the trauma they experienced. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental ill...

Send us Fan Mail We all learn lessons from our parents, for better or worse. Now that their mom and dad are both gone, Ronni and Jennie talk about what they have taken away from the time they had with their parents. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics tha...

Send us Fan Mail Ronni and Jennie share memories of their mother, and talk about the complicated emotions surrounding them. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them against each other. Miraculously, they came together in adulthood to hel...

Send us Fan Mail Ronni and Jennie’s mother has just passed, and they share the range of emotions this has triggered, as well as what this moment means in their healing. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them against each other. Miracul...

Send us Fan Mail We all try to make sense out of what happens in our lives, but it can be very difficult to find meaning in experiencing trauma or abuse. Ronni and Jennie share how they have come to understand the abuse they lived through, and how it shapes their purpose in life now. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and...

Send us Fan Mail Many people who are healing from intergenerational trauma talk about how, through their individual healing efforts, they are also healing their lineage. Ronni and Jennie share what this means to them, and how you can know if it’s happening for you. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental i...

Send us Fan Mail Many of us from homes with addiction, violence, or other forms of abuse grew up feeling isolated and lonely. As we heal, it’s important to know the difference between feeling lonely and being alone. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics tha...

Send us Fan Mail Our expectations—of how others should act, or how a situation should turn out—can get us into trouble at times, suggesting that we would be better off releasing these expectations. Ronni and Jennie talk about why it’s so hard to let go of them completely, and how to find some middle ground. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home wi...

Send us Fan Mail Survivors of childhood trauma sometimes create busy-ness, even chaos, in their lives to distract from their memories and the pain associated with them. Ronni and Jennie talk about the role silence plays in their lives now, and how it facilitates their healing. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untrea...

Send us Fan Mail Survivors of childhood trauma are often made to feel that they don’t matter in the world. Our guilty pleasures can help us tap into what we really want and need, and bring more joy into our lives. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that...

Send us Fan Mail When you are healing from childhood trauma, you need a wide range of supports. Ronni and Jennie discuss how to go about ensuring that you get them. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them against each other. Miraculousl...

Send us Fan Mail Survivors of childhood trauma are often good at worrying—catastrophizing, even. Ronni and Jennie talk about how you can turn that dynamic around and instead imagine how well everything will work out for you in your life. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysf...

Send us Fan Mail Change is an inevitable part of life. How you approach it can determine what you get out of each decision you make. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them against each other. Miraculously, they came together in adultho...

Send us Fan Mail We all have negative thoughts that run through our minds—for many of us, they can seem like constant companions. Ronni and Jennie talk about what they do to disrupt that train, and how you can turn your negative thoughts around and improve your sense of wellbeing. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and un...

Send us Fan Mail There are times when situations keep coming up in our lives—these are invitations from the Universe to heal. Ronni and Jennie talk about how to roll with what is coming up for you, and how to move through those challenges. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dy...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes we cling to things, “hoping” they’ll get better—our trauma background primes us for this. Ronni and Jennie share how they have been able to recognize when this is occurring and move forward. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics t...

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of their 7th season, Ronni and Jennie talk about how authenticity, transparency, and boundaries are interconnected, and how they are related to being true to yourself. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often p...

Send us Fan Mail The holiday season can leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Ronni and Jennie share ideas for making your celebrations more joyful--which is the reason for the season. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them again...

Send us Fan Mail Now is the time to begin planning what you want your holidays to look like—especially if there are some challenges in your family relationships. Ronni and Jennie share ideas for preserving your peace of mind and making space for new traditions that will put more joy back into the holiday season. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a ho...

Send us Fan Mail Many of us carry the trauma that has run through our families, but we also carry forward gifts. As Ronni and Jennie are with their families for their annual reunion, they reflect on what they hold…and are passing on. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunct...

Send us Fan Mail We all need to take break from the mental, emotional, and physical effort involved in healing from trauma. Ronni and Jennie talk about how to approach this break and what to focus on instead. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often...

Send us Fan Mail Ronni and Jennie talk about their plans to use all that they’ve learned, in their personal healing journeys and professional trainings, to offer one-on-one transformational coaching—to help anyone who wants to accelerate their own healing. Ronni and Jennie are sisters who were not supposed to be friends. They grew up in a home with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness, w...