Aware And Prepared

Many kids and teens won’t say “I’m being trafficked” BUT they will show signs. 

In Part 2 of this conversation, Mandi and Erin with Love146 answer real concerns from parents, teachers, and teens about how to recognize trafficking and what supportive adult response actually looks like. 

They dig into why asking gentle, curious questions can open the door to disclosure and why resources like the Take It Down app matter for youth who’ve shared explicit images.

They also explore:

• How social media shapes what young people learn (and misunderstand) about trafficking
• The frustration of seeing victims ignored in high-profile cases, including the Epstein files
• Why trafficking affects families across every socioeconomic level
• The systemic gaps that leave survivors without the justice they deserve
• Practical resources on the Love146 website for parents, caregivers, and educators
• How donor support directly helps vulnerable families: like providing grocery gift cards during the government shutdown

This episode offers grounded, empowering steps to raise awareness, support survivors, and protect youth in our communities.

RESOURCES

Love146 website and Instagram and LinkedIn

Take It Down website from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as a resource for youth to manage explicit images online. 1-800-THE-LOST

National Human Trafficking Website and Hotline 1-888-373-7888

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.

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Human trafficking isn’t just “out there.” It’s happening closer to home than most people realize and many children and teens don’t even know it’s happening to them.

In this episode, Mandi and Erin from Love146 break down the hidden warning signs adults often miss, the emotional tactics traffickers use, and why so many cases go unnoticed in everyday communities. They also open up about the challenges of parenting teens in a digital world where harmful content and unsafe relationships can reach kids instantly.

You’ll hear:

• How trafficking can look like drug use, bullying, or an “unhealthy relationship” from the outside
  
  
  
• Why believing youth—and understanding their vulnerabilities—matters
  
  
  
• Real talk about creating safe, judgment-free communication with teens
  
  
  
• The power of “pre-permissioning” so kids know it’s okay to seek help
  
  
  
• What behavior changes adults should watch for

Mandi and Erin from Love146 wrap up with resources, ways to support ongoing anti-trafficking work, and a reminder that awareness and honest conversations save lives.

RESOURCES

Love146 website and Instagram and LinkedIn

National Human Trafficking Website and Hotline 1-888-373-7888

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.

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How do we really keep kids safe online? What are the signs a child might be silently struggling with digital stress? And how can parents or educators build a realistic, compassionate digital safety plan that actually works?

In this conversation, Mandi talks with Deyanira Murga, PPS, CPOI, a professional security consultant and founder of Security Next Gen, about the emotional and mental side of online safety. Together, they unpack what “cyber trauma” looks like, how AI and dating apps are changing the digital landscape for teens, and what trusted adults can do to support youth with empathy and awareness.

If you’ve ever wondered how to protect your child or your students from the hidden risks of today’s online world while empowering them to thrive, this episode is packed with practical answers and heart-centered insight.

RESOURCES

Security Next Gen website (Donate or Book a Training)
    Youth Violence Prevention. Empowering Youth, Building Safer Communities.

EndTab website 

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: Keynote Speaking 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

How many pet parents do we have here? Don’t our pets provide so much unconditional love and help us heal through heartbreaks and difficult times?

Mandi shares an important update about RedRover and their Purple Leash Project, a partnership with Purina that helps domestic violence survivors escape abuse without leaving their pets behind. 

From grants for pet-friendly shelters to resources for boarding and fostering, these programs are helping survivors and their pets find safety together.

Learn practical ways to support this cause and access critical resources to help pets and their people stay safe and heal together.

RESOURCES

RedRover website and Instagram
Supports domestic violence survivors and their pets

Safe Place for Pets website and Instagram
Search by ZIP code for pet-friendly DV shelters, boarding and fostering options for pets

National Domestic Violence Hotline website and #1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Support for survivors in crisis

Purina Purple Leash Project website and shop
Grants and awareness campaigns to increase pet-friendly shelters

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

Have you ever wondered why someone doesn’t just leave an abusive relationship? We pull back the curtain on what domestic violence really looks like and the complicated reasons survivors often stay. From fear and finances to faith and trauma bonds, you’ll gain insight that replaces judgment with compassion.

If you care about someone who might be in an unsafe relationship (or you simply want to understand this issue more deeply), this episode is for you.

Listen now and learn how to truly support survivors - not by giving up on them, but by standing beside them.

RESOURCES

Rev. Dr. Geneece’s Website / LinkedIn

Her books: Taking It Seriously and Never Ever After (about red flags)

Connect with Mandi:

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

Building a Go Bag Episode

Other Resources
- The Mend Project website (to gain clarity)
- DV Hotline in the U.S. website to call / chat / text

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

Ever find it hard to relax like your body doesn’t know how to come down from survival mode? You’re not alone! 

In this solo episode, I’m wrapping up our Complex PTSD Series by sharing some additional final thoughts on what trauma has looked like in my own life, including:

-  How trauma may contribute to early menopause

-  Difficulty processing emotions

-  The inability to relax

-  Reflections on hypervigilance, numbness, and learning self-compassion

Hear practical ways to start reconnecting with your body and emotions safely.

You are not alone! Healing, peace, and self-trust are absolutely possible.

Resources Mentioned:

• Articles: Research on PTSD and early menopause among women veterans plus one other.  (Read Here and Here Exploring the Possible Link Between PTSD and Early Menopause.)
• Episode with Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP
  – Therapist and author of The Science of Stuck
• Episode with Catherine Lucy, LMFT
  – Therapist specializing in trauma recovery and self-compassion
• Take my free Intuition Quiz on my website!
• Connect with Mandi:
  • Website: MandiPratt.com
  • 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

What if you’ve tried talk therapy for years but still feel stuck?
Listen in as therapist, Catherine Lucey, LMFT, and host Mandi Pratt unpack the healing practices that go beyond talk therapy bringing the body (not just the midn) into the process.

You’ll learn:

• The three lenses of healing: nervous system regulation, self-compassion (through Internal Family Systems), and community.
  
  
  
• A simple interrupt + orient practice you can use daily to calm your body in minutes.
  
  
  
• How movement, nature, creativity, and even surfing can help regulate the nervous system.
  
  
  
• What questions to ask when seeking a trauma-informed, body-based therapist.
  
  
  

Whether you’ve experienced trauma yourself, or you support others on their healing journey, this episode is filled with practical tools and gentle reminders: you are not broken, and healing doesn’t have to be another overwhelming “to-do.”

RESOURCES

Nourished Wellness Group Website and Instagram

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition 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 sits down with neuro-psychotherapist and author Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP for a powerful and down-to-earth conversation about navigating healing after trauma. Together, they explore how our inner critic can feel overwhelming, why safety is the foundation of healing, and what it means to practice “trauma turtle rolls”— the small, grounding actions that carry us through tough moments until conditions improve.

They share their real-life experiences with anxiety, affirmations, and even breathwork: what helps, what doesn’t, and why it’s okay if your healing doesn’t look like anyone else’s. Whether you’re managing PTSD, C-PTSD, or simply the waves of everyday stress, this conversation reminds you: healing happens in safe places, and even the smallest choices can bring peace.

Resources

Britt Frank’s books:

• The Science of Stuck
  
  
  
• The Getting Unstuck Workbook
  
  
  
• Align Your Mind
  
  
  

Britt Frank’s website: brittfrank.com

Follow Britt on Instagram: @brittfrank

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition 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

September is Complex PTSD Awareness Month, and in this solo episode I share an authentic part of my journey as a survivor of narcissistic and sociopathic abuse — including the long years of post-separation abuse that followed. 

What trauma looks like in real life: hypervigilance, brain fog, and decision fatigue, to self-doubt, health struggles, and relationship challenges, I open up about the many ways complex PTSD shows up in daily life.

BUT woven throughout is also a message of hope: the power of resilience, faith, and nervous system healing to restore a sense of peace. 

This episode sets the stage for the upcoming expert guests joining me to unpack anxiety, healing strategies, and how we can learn to feel safe again. Whether you’ve faced trauma yourself or are just navigating everyday stress and anxiety, this series is for you.

RESOURCES

TheMENDProject.com with Annette Oltmans (Providing Clarify / Supporting Abuse Survivors)

My Gnarly Life Story Episodes One and Two

National Domestic Violence Hotline: Thehotline.org | 1-800-799-7233

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 if you or someone you know is in crisis

An app for better sleep, meditation and relaxation: Better Sleep

Just a couple of my favorite nervous system tools to help get stress out of the body: humming or standing up and shaking out your arms. (We will discuss these in the upcoming episodes.)

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition 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

Careless or clueless? Tech often rolls out new features without thinking about safety—and Instagram’s new Location Map is no exception. In this episode, Mandi shares how to:

• Turn off Instagram Location Map on iPhone & Android
  
  
• Adjust location sharing across your apps and devices
  
  
• Protect your digital footprint when posting photos online
  
  

Simple steps, real-life examples, and practical tips to help you stay safe in a digital world.

RESOURCES

EndTab.org

What Meta Says About Their IG Map Sharing

My Story of Being Tracked by a Creep Via AirTag

Connect with Mandi:

• Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition Quiz!)
• Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared

LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt

Send me a message