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

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There is sometimes a great deal of shaming in recovery communities, urging people to "forgive" someone who has abused them, saying that you have to forgive your abuser to heal. Forgiveness is often a long process, that can take people through a range of emotions. Ronni and Jennie talk about all that can go into choosing whether to forgive someone who has abused 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 illness, which generated dysfunctional dynamics that often pitted them against each other. Miraculously, they came together in adulthood to help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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Recovery takes consistent work, and when you’re doing it, it can be hard to tell if your effort is paying off. Then, all of a sudden, you start to see positive changes. Ronni and Jennie share stories and insights about moments along the way when they noticed the healing effects of their recovery efforts.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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We all have gifts to share with this world. Experiencing trauma or abuse in childhood can leave us feeling like what we have to offer is worthless—or at least, less valuable than what other people can contribute. Part of the healing process is embracing who we are, in each moment, shining our Light as best we can...remembering that we are enough, and the world needs us.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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The language used in healing communities can sometimes seem confusing or contradictory. If we are all “beings of Light,” what is “the shadow self?” Are we all really “doing the best we can,” even those who commit “evil” acts? Ronni and Jennie reflect on, and try to unpack, some of these commonly used phrases.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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Easier said than done! But this week, Ronni and Jennie talk about situations that trigger defensiveness, and the strategies they use to manage their emotions and come back to a place of peace.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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Ronni and Jennie talk about what the word “recovery” means to them, in the context of healing from childhood trauma, and what their recovery journey has felt like.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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Body shaming is rampant in American culture; the “body positivity” movement has done much to challenge this and help people feel good about themselves and their bodies. But Sonya invites us to dig deeper on the quest for “radical self-love.” Ronni and Jennie talk about how her book has affected them and their healing process.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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This week, Ronni and Jennie share the second chapter of the audio version of their book, “Healing Begins With Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond,” where they focus on what it felt like to be young children in a home with addiction, abuse, and mental illness. Though every family is different, the dynamics generated by this kind of dysfunction are remarkably similar across households and will feel familiar to other trauma survivors. Listeners may want to go back to Season 3, Episode 9 (May 28, 2022) to hear the first chapter before listening to this episode. Links to the book (as well as reviews of it) can be found here: https://linktr.ee/ronniandjennie

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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This episode from Season Two of the podcast really resonated with listeners, so we are sharing it again. In their series,"The Me You Can't See," Oprah and Prince Harry shine a loving light on people who are recovering from trauma and living with mental health challenges. In this episode of the podcast, we share our own experiences, as well as our reactions to the stories from the series (which can be found on Apple TV).

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.

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Trying to unwind what you learned growing up in a home with trauma and abuse can be daunting, and generate a wide range of uncomfortable emotions. Ronni and Jennie share their experiences in trying to create new ways of being in the world and relating to others.

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 help each other heal. Now, drawing on their personal and professional experiences, they are telling their story to help others recover from childhood trauma and abuse, mend their own sibling relationships, and live joyfully. They invite you to join them in this healing conversation. 

Please feel free to share your own experiences, or ask questions, via their website: www.ronniandjennie.com (other free content is also available there), or follow them on Instagram: @ronni_and_jennie.

Ronni Tichenor is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at State University of New York--Polytechnic Institute, specializing in family studies; Jennie Weaver is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years' experience in family practice and mental health. They detail their story in their book, Healing Begins with Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling Bond.