As we close out this year, Kelli and I sat down for one last episode — a tender, honest conversation about what it means to navigate this season holding both grief and joy.

With Raynea's son's wedding just around the corner, there’s so much excitement for what’s ahead — love, new beginnings, and celebration. But there’s also that quiet ache for who’s missing, for the moments we wish they could still be part of.

We talk about honoring the past without getting stuck there, looking forward with hope, and learning to live in the beautiful, bittersweet “and.” Because life really is both — grief and joy, loss and love, endings and new beginnings.

This is our final episode of the year, and what a year it’s been. Thank you for showing up, listening, and sharing your hearts with us.

We’ll be taking a little break to rest, reflect, and celebrate the season — and we’ll be back in January 2026 with more conversations from the heart.

After loss, the thought of dating again can feel… complicated. There’s the guilt, the fear of getting hurt again, and the worry about how your kids will handle it — all tangled up with the quiet hope that maybe, just maybe, your heart could open again someday.

In this episode, we're talking honestly about what it’s like to even consider dating after loss — especially when you still have kids at home. From knowing when (or if) you’re ready, to navigating your children’s feelings, to rediscovering the parts of yourself that still long for connection — we’re breaking the silence on what this season really looks like.

Because moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting. You can hold grief in one hand and hope in the other — and still believe that love, in its own time, can find you again. 💞

This week’s episode is packed with so many good things — from the upcoming wedding and all the joy and excitement surrounding it, to the sweet (and sometimes funny) ways we show love through our little “terms of endearment.” 💕

I even make my singing debut in this one (you’ve been warned! 😂). Normally, this time of year can feel really heavy for me, but this season, there’s a sense of excitement and joy that feels brand new. Kelli and I share laughs, real emotions, and everything in between — it’s one of those episodes that just makes your heart feel full. ✨

Grab your coffee and settle in, because Raynea and Kelli are pulling questions straight from the jar — and nothing’s off-limits! From hilarious childhood memories to the faith-filled moments that shaped them, this episode is a rollercoaster of laughter, vulnerability, and heart. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s exactly what Breaking the Silence is all about — finding connection, healing, and a whole lot of joy in the middle of it all.

It’s just me this week—and I’m spilling the tea from my younger years that I’ve never shared before. Let’s just say… if you’ve ever wondered how your attachment style might’ve shaped your love life, this one’s going to hit home.

I’m diving into the ways I sabotaged a relationship without even realizing it—and the powerful lessons that surfaced once I understood why. 💭

We’re wrapping up our deep dive into attachment styles with this final solo episode before Kelli’s back next week, and trust me—you don’t want to miss the plot twist in this story.

Tune in for a little laughter, a little cringe, and a whole lot of self-awareness. 🎙️

Books on Attachment:

Attached by Dr. Amir Levine

The New Rules of Attachment by Dr. Judy Ho

Anxiously Attached by Jessica Baum, LMHC

The Anxious Hearts Guide by Rikki Cloys

The Inner Work

The Inner Work of Relationships

**You can find these books on Amazon**

Creators on social media that I found helpful on my journey:

Dr. Sarah Hensley (She is on all platforms). Her website is thelovedoc.com

Jimmy on Relationships (on all platforms)

Jbirdfit (On all platforms)

Anxious Hearts Guide (TikTok and IG) (She was anxious and her partner was dismissive avoidant and they now have a healthy relationship)

Mack (on TikTok)

Natashavctoria (TikTok)

When someone sees us up close, the mirror doesn’t lie. Relationships have a way of exposing the hurts we’ve hidden and the patterns we’d rather ignore. In this episode, we’ll step into those uncomfortable reflections—why they surface, what they’re trying to teach us, and how facing them can become the doorway to deeper healing and truer connection.

Books on Attachment:

Attached by Dr. Amir Levine

The New Rules of Attachment by Dr. Judy Ho

Anxiously Attached by Jessica Baum, LMHC

The Anxious Hearts Guide by Rikki Cloys

**You can find these books on Amazon**

Creators on social media that I found helpful on my journey:

Dr. Sarah Hensley (She is on all platforms). Her website is thelovedoc.com

Mack (on TikTok)

Jbirdfit (On all platforms)

Natashavctoria (TikTok)

Anxious Hearts Guide (TikTok and IG) (She was anxious and her partner was dismissive avoidant and they now have a healthy relationship)

In this episode Kelli and I talk about the surgery I’m having today. We also share about the hard but beautiful truth that sometimes we simply can’t do it all on our own.

I open up about those first days after Dave died, when I knew I couldn’t raise four kids without a village. Admitting I needed help was one of the most humbling moments of my life, but also where I saw God’s faithfulness the clearest.

Join us for an honest conversation about surrender, community, and the quiet courage it takes to say, “I can’t do this alone.”

🙏 Your prayers for my surgery and recovery mean more than I can say.

This week’s episode took a surprise turn. Kelli and I had a different episode planned, but life had other ideas. Instead, we found ourselves talking through some of the really raw and challenging moments of being a mom—the ones that can feel heavy and lonely. 💛

To every mom out there carrying so much: we see you, we get it, and you are not alone.

And because sometimes the only way through the hard stuff is to laugh, we shifted gears and swapped random childhood stories, the kind that make you forget the weight for a minute and just breathe.

It’s unplanned, a little messy, and completely real—like motherhood itself.

☕ Grab your coffee, settle in, and join us for a dose of real talk and laughter.

We’re continuing the conversation from last week about how fearful and dismissive avoidants use deactivating strategies when closeness starts to feel overwhelming. For avoidants, caring too much or fearing rejection often triggers the instinct to pull back—because distance feels safer than vulnerability.

In this episode, Raynea and Kelli walk through 21 different ways avoidants create space in relationships, from slowing down texts and ghosting to picking fights, withholding affection, or downplaying the importance of the relationship. These patterns can be subtle, like surface-level conversations, or more obvious, like cheating or emotional withdrawal—but all serve the same purpose: self-protection.

If you’ve ever wondered why avoidants seem to back away just when things are going well, this episode will bring clarity, compassion, and a deeper understanding of what’s really happening beneath the surface.

If you found value in this conversation please be sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and share this with someone else that needs to hear it.

You can find me on IG @coachingwithraynea

Books on Attachment:

Attached by Dr. Amir Levine

The New Rules of Attachment by Dr. Judy Ho

Anxiously Attached by Jessica Baum, LMHC

The Anxious Hearts Guide by Rikki Cloys

**You can find these books on Amazon**

Creators on social media that I found helpful on my journey:

Dr. Sarah Hensley (She is on all platforms). Her website is thelovedoc.com

Mack (on TikTok)

Jbirdfit (On all platforms)

Natashavctoria (TikTok)

Anxious Hearts Guide (TikTok and IG) (She was anxious and her partner was dismissive avoidant and they now have a healthy relationship)

Have you ever been in a relationship where everything feels amazing one day… and then suddenly, the other person goes quiet, distant, or even picks a fight out of nowhere? Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about today.

In this episode, Kelli and I dive into the world of avoidant deactivation—what happens when fearful and dismissive avoidants start pulling back in relationships. We share:

• The real reasons behind why avoidants shut down.

• How fearful avoidants and dismissive avoidants deactivate differently.

• Real-life examples you might recognize in yourself—or someone you love.

• Better ways to ask for space without pushing someone away completely.

This isn’t about shaming anyone—it’s about shining a light on patterns that so many of us fall into and learning how to move toward healthier, safer connections.

So grab your coffee, lean in, and let’s talk about what really happens when we pull away.

If this episode reasonates with you please be sure to like, follow and share with someone that needs to hear it.