Aware And Prepared

What happens when you say no and someone doesn't like it? Psychotherapist and "Queen of Boundaries" Dana Skaggs joins Mandi to break down why boundary setting feels so scary, especially for survivors and recovering people pleasers, and what to actually do about it.

Dana shares the fear behind every boundary (rejection, abandonment), a simple yard analogy for knowing what's yours to control, and real scripts for dealing with coworkers, partners, teenagers, and boundary busters who won't take no for an answer.

RESOURCES

• Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend - the book Dana calls the seminal text on boundaries, and one Mandi credits with helping her own healing
• Dana's prior podcast conversation with Mandi - How To Trust Your Intuition After Trauma 

CONNECT with Dana Skaggs:

• Website: DanaSkaggs.com
• Free Boundaries Quiz: DanaSkaggs.com/quiz
• Therapy (Tennessee only): DanaSkaggsTherapy.com
• LinkedIn: Dana Skaggs

CONNECT with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction and welcoming Dana Skaggs

 [03:00] Dana's background and becoming the "Queen of Boundaries"

 [06:00] The fear behind setting boundaries: rejection and abandonment

 [10:00] The yard analogy: what's yours to control

 [15:00] Real example: a college student setting a boundary with friends

 [20:00] Being specific, consistent, and why we "train" people how to treat us

 [25:00] Handling pushback: grudge holders and passive aggression

 [30:00] Boundaries in relationships: the dishes example

 [35:00] The boomerang concept: don't let resentment build

 [40:00] Starting the conversation: the Columbo method

 [45:00] Boundary busters and consequences

 [50:00] Where to find Dana and closing thoughts

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

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Is resilience something you're born with, or something you build? Kelly Edmondson, has spent 25 years as a nurse watching patients face unthinkable trauma, and then lived it herself after losing her son. In this episode, she breaks down what actually makes someone resilient, and why it starts smaller than you think.

RESOURCES

The Timely Presence - Kelly's company sending curated memorial gifts on meaningful dates throughout the year.

Connect with Kelly Edmondson:

• Website: TheTimelyPresence.com
• Instagram (business): @thetimelypresence
• LinkedIn: Kelly Edmondson

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: AwareAndPrepared.life
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: AwareAndPrepared.life/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction to Kelly Edmondson

[06:30] Watching patients rally through trauma as a nurse

[11:00] Is resilience innate or something you build

[14:30] Baby steps: starting with a minute, a trip to the mailbox

[17:30] Reframing grief rituals as a resilience practice

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

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What if resilience isn't something you're born with, but something you can actually build, one small habit at a time? In this episode, Mandi shares what she learned from trauma specialist Ruby Jo Walker, LCSW, at the Conference on Crimes Against Women, breaking down the neurobiology of trauma, the three nervous system "zones," and why willpower is NOT the real foundation of resilience.

You'll learn simple, doable ways to track your nervous system state, counter your brain's negativity bias, and start recovering faster after being knocked off balance, all through the lens of trauma informed neurobiology and everyday mindfulness.

RESOURCES

• WEBSITE: Southwest Trauma Training - Ruby Jo Walker's trauma training organization
• INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK: @swtraumatraining
• BOOK: Applied Polyvagal Theory for Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth by Ruby Jo Walker
• DOWNLOAD: Calming the Nervous System - Free Guide
• PODCAST EPISODE: Helen (certified life coach) on bringing more joy into your life. Listen and see show notes HERE.
• PODCAST EPISODE: Catherine, therapist and somatic experiencing expert. Listen and see show notes HERE.

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

[01:30] Meet Ruby Jo Walker and Southwest Trauma Training

[02:00] Defining resilience: two thirds is learned 

[03:00] Regulation vs. resilience explained 

[04:00] The three zones: green, yellow, red 

[06:30] Trauma as a disorder of not being present 

[08:00] What mindfulness actually means 

[10:30] Secondary trauma and who it affects 

[11:00] Building resilience through small, repeated change 

[12:00] Tracking your state: green, yellow, or red 

[13:30] What charges you vs. what depletes you 

[15:00] Negativity bias and how to counter it 

[17:00] Self-compassion as medicine 

[18:30] Ruby Jo Walker's book and where to find her 

[19:30] Wrap up and how to reach Mandi 

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

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Why has EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) been one of the most effective tools in the shortest time for trauma survivors? In this episode, Mandi breaks down what she learned at the Conference on Crimes Against Women about EMDR. She unpacks how trauma gets "stuck" in the brain, why time alone doesn't heal it, and mentions how a groundbreaking Austin Police Department program is giving free EMDR therapy to crime victims. 

If you've ever hesitated to seek trauma therapy because you thought you'd have to relive every painful detail, this episode will change your mind.

RESOURCES

• EMDR Overview (Francine Shapiro's work) - The therapy approach discussed throughout the episode, developed to help the brain reprocess stuck trauma.
• Austin Police Department EMDR Project - A program training local therapists in EMDR to provide free sessions to crime victims, led by clinical consultant Claire Godfrey.
• Youth180 - Organization represented by Viviana Triana, chief programs officer, who co-presented on EMDR at the conference.
• Free Nervous System Calm Guide - awareandprepared.life/calm - A free one-page PDF with 10 ways Mandi calms her own nervous system.

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

 [02:15] What EMDR actually is and Viviana's acrostic explanation

 [03:30] Why EMDR works and how it differs from talk therapy

 [05:00] How trauma gets stuck in the brain

 [08:30] Explicit vs. implicit memory processing

 [09:30] Why time doesn't heal all wounds

 [11:00] The three types of trauma

 [12:00] The Austin PD EMDR project with Claire Godfrey

 [14:00] Program results: therapists trained, clients served

 [15:00] Closing thoughts and free resources 

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

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What if the tool that could finally help you organize your story, prepare for court, and feel less alone was available for free, right now? In this episode, Mandi sits down with Anne, co-founder and CEO of AIMEE, an AI-powered companion built specifically for survivors of domestic abuse and relationship harm.

Anne breaks down how AIMEE turns overwhelming, emotional experiences into clear, documented timelines that hold up in legal and therapeutic settings, how privacy and data protection work on a closed platform built for this exact use case, and why this kind of support matters for anyone navigating post-separation abuse, coercive control, or relational harm of any kind.

TIMESTAMPS

[01:47] Anne's background and founding AIMEE

[03:21] How AIMEE Says helps survivors prepare for court

[04:30] What AIMEE Says does NOT do and do 

[09:51] Free vs. paid tiers and how memory works

[11:44] Privacy Qs answered and legal discovery explained

[15:03] How AIMEE differs from general AI tools like Claude

[15:54] Prompts to start with on AIMEE Says

[17:07] Using AIMEE alongside therapy and legal support, save time and money

[32:00] Utilize My Story page and personalization features

[22:20] AIMEE can store documents and chart them

[23:15] AIMEE helps with relational harm beyond intimate partners

[27:50] Assistance when DV supports are overloaded

[31:08] Employer and university benefit programs

[32:30] Closing thoughts and where to find AIMEE

[34:00] Addressing AI skepticism and sustainability concerns

RESOURCES

Connect with Anne:

• Website: AIMEE Says (Affiliate link - Use code: Mandi)
• Instagram: @aimeesaysdv
• LinkedIn: Anne Wintemute

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: AwareAndPrepared.life
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: AwareAndPrepared.life/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

Send me a message

Mandi, the host, takes a second to remind you what's available through this community. 

First, the free podcast and a weekly companion email that goes along with it and brings the episode link straight to your inbox

Second, Mandi offers keynotes and workshops to students, educators, HR teams, and more on topics like personal safety, emotional safety, like boundaries, intuition, resilience, and then also nervous system regulation. 

The best way to stay connected and not miss any of this is to make sure you're on the podcast companion email list. Scroll to the bottom of the show notes here where it says, "Send me a message." Drop your email in there to make sure you're not missing out on anything (only I will see it), or you can ask me a question, or just say hello there.

Another way to connect with me is through social media: Instagram at WomenAwareAndPrepared and LinkedIn, as my name, Mandi Pratt.

If you want to leave a review for the show, for Apple scroll down to the bottom of the episodes, you'll see the stars down there, and you can click the number of stars. In Spotify, I believe it's in the top right-hand corner.

I hope to connect with you through email and / or social media. I would love to see who you are and be able to say hello to you there. So let's connect!

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Hear why most Gen Z survivors don't even recognize they're being stalked, the chilling phrase that signals real danger in a relationship, lethality risk factors backed by research, and a true case study showing how stalking escalates when it's ignored. Plus, where to go for help if this is happening to you or someone you love.

RESOURCES

SPARC - Stalking Prevention Awareness and Resource Center - Training for law enforcement, advocates, and therapists, a free victim documentation log, and the SLII risk assessment framework discussed in this episode. 

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

 TIMESTAMPS

[01:03] Today's topic: stalking, and how pop culture romanticizes it
[01:25] Gen Z stalking stat and the behaviors that actually count as stalking
[03:29] Crediting the session: SPARC director Jennifer Landhouse and professor Patrick Brady
[04:18] Pop culture examples: Twilight, Mrs. Doubtfire, Amazing Spider-Man
[05:26] Myth busting: stalker psychology and the "if I can't have you" mindset
[08:19] Stalking by proxy, including Mandi's own story
[09:10] Trusting your intuition and protective action stats
[10:02] Protective actions by victims
[11:08] Lethality risk factors
[12:46] Inside the mind of convicted stalkers
[14:40] Case study: the coworker stalker
[20:14] The SLII risk assessment framework and victim resources

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

Send me a message

Mandi breaks down campus safety from a legal and prevention standpoint, sharing key legislation every parent and student should know before orientation day.

From the Jeanne Clery Act to Texas' new Summer Willis Act, Mandi covers the laws shaping campus sexual assault reporting, what colleges are now required to do, and why prevention has to include all genders. She also shares how to have the hard conversations at home, what to do if something happens, and why bystander responsibility is everyone's issue.

RESOURCES

• Jeanne Clery Act Federal law requiring colleges to disclose campus crime stats; look up any school before enrolling.
• RAINN.org Sexual assault hotline and confidential online reporting resource.
• Summer Willis Act Texas law passed November 2025 defining consent in sexual assault cases.
• Mandatory Reporting Bill
• Title IX Resources Bill
• Bystander Intervention Episode with Kelly Mandi's earlier episode covering bystander intervention training with Kelly from Pure Praxis
• College Safety Workshops -- Mandi Pratt Two to three-hour trauma-informed, skills-based workshops on situational awareness, communication and boundaries, healthy relationships, and basic self-defense. Available in-person or online for groups this summer only with Mandi

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: AwareAndPrepared.life
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz: AwareAndPrepared.life/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

[01:33] Campus safety overview and workshop announcement 

[02:17] Conference on Crimes Against Women key takeaways 

[03:36] The Jeanne Clery Act explained 

[04:56] The Summer Willis Act and defining consent in Texas 

[6:42] Texas Senate bills: Title IX orientation requirements and mandatory reporting 

[6:58] Supportive vs. harmful responses to survivors 

[8:24] Educating all genders - why boys need the conversation too 

[9:36] People-pleasing, boundaries, and saying no clearly 

[10:20] Survivor-centered campus processes and prevention work 

[11:23] What to teach kids before college - social media, bystander responsibility 

[13:52] Reporting options and knowing it's never the victim's fault 

[15:37] Summer college safety workshop details and close

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

Send me a message

What if the trauma you survived years ago is still quietly affecting your body today? Most people don't realize how deeply the emotions and body are connected, and for survivors of abuse and assault, the post-traumatic health effects on the body can show up in devastating ways decades later. In this powerful episode, Mandi sits down with returning guest Rev. Dr. Geneece, a domestic violence survivor, researcher, and advocate, to discuss something almost no one is talking about: the connection between abuse, assault, and immune function, and how that link can lead directly to cervical cancer.

"If you're a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault, wouldn't you want to know if you are at higher risk for certain physical or mental health conditions?" That's the question driving Rev. Dr. Geneece's new mission. She shares her deeply personal journey through a cancer diagnosis, three surgeries in five months, and the research she uncovered that every survivor deserves to know. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered why their body still feels the weight of something they survived long ago.

RESOURCES

• HPV Vaccine Information - CDC resource on the HPV vaccine, eligibility, and efficacy
• Previous episodes with Rev. Dr. Geneece on “Why Victims Stay..” and “Exposing Spiritual Abuse” and “Tricky Thing About Spiritual Abuse”
• Research articles on PTSD and long-term health effects “Exploring the Possible Link Between PTSD and Early Menopause” and “PTSD Symptoms and Timing of Menopause and GYN Surgery”

Connect with Rev. Dr. Geneece:

• Website: HopeRiseThrive.com
• Instagram: @HopeRiseThrive
• Facebook: @HopeRiseThrive

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

TIMESTAMPS

[04:03] Emotions and body are connected; why trauma survivors feel it years later 

[05:17] Geneece's HPV diagnosis and the cancer journey begins

[9:04] The connection between abuse, assault, and immune function, and what that means for cancer risk 

[11:15] "He actually died five years ago, and here he is still trying to attack me from the grave" 

[14:16] Three surgeries, robotic hysterectomy, and becoming cancer free 

[18:15] Victim blaming and why survivors avoid follow-up care 

[19:41] The HPV vaccine: who should get it and when 

[23:11] Coping mechanisms, survivor wellness, compassion for those still healing 

[26:08] How to connect with Rev. Dr. Geneece 

[27:10] Recap and closing thoughts

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

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What if the key to preventing burnout wasn't a weekend retreat or a complete life overhaul, but a 30-second reset in the middle of your day? Dianne Andree, professional speaker, former school counselor supervisor, and self-compassion advocate, joins us to challenge the way high-achieving women think about self-care.

In this episode, Dianne shares the practical frameworks she uses with audiences everywhere, including habit stacking, body scanning, and micro-moments of intentional rest. If you've been telling yourself you'll slow down "someday," this conversation will show you how to start right now.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dianne Andree and Her Journey

01:45 The Importance of Self-Compassion

05:06 Caring for Ourselves in a Hurry Culture

09:24 Practical Techniques for Self-Care

16:35 Body Awareness and Checking In

20:18 Integrating 30 Second Body Scan

20:30 Mindful Eating and Intentional Breaks

24:24 Micro Breaks and Movement

26:32 Intentionality in Daily Routines

28:46 Cumulative Self-Care Practices

30:28 Finding Joy and Preventing Burnout

Resources

Connect with Dianne Andree:

• Website: DianneAndree.com - Download her Morning Routine
• LinkedIn: Dianne Andree
• Instagram: @dianandre7

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
• Take the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
• LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.

Send me a message