Ronni and Jennie: Conversations on Recovery from Childhood Trauma and Abuse
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, and to help them mend their own sibling relationships. 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.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 127
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Nurturing Your Relationship with Yourself
Do put as much effort into building a relationship with yourself as you do building relationships with others? Do you check in with yourself, treat yourself kindly, and really listen to…
Parenting in the Aftermath of Childhood Trauma and Abuse
As Ronni and Jennie work on their second book, they reflect on what they should share about their own struggle to break the intergenerational cycle of abuse, in their effort to help oth…
Life Changes, Relationship Changes
In season three, Ronni and Jennie shared their excitement (and anxiety) surrounding major life changes they were experiencing. In this episode, they reflect on how those changes have af…
Healing Our Sibling Relationship: A Deeper Dive
Having a sibling as a partner in healing from childhood trauma can be a tremendous asset, but difficult to achieve. In this episode, Ronni and Jennie break down how they managed to rebu…
Back Again: What We’ve Learned in Promoting Our Book
Ronni and Jennie have enjoyed being interviewed about their book, and in the first episode of their fourth season, share what they are continuing to learn by telling their story to anyo…
Recovery Check-In: Lessons Learned and Future Plans
In this season’s last episode, Ronni and Jennie reflect on how podcasting, and writing their first book together, have aided their recovery, and talk about what they want to work on nex…
Milestones in Our Lives Help Us Reflect on How Far We Have Come in Our Healing
This week, Jennie’s youngest daughter is getting married. Milestones such as these, whether for us or our children, give us the opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come in our life’…
How Our Pets Provide a Loving Lifeline--Helping Us Survive and Heal
For survivors of trauma, our pets are often lifelines—providing the unconditional love and support we needed (but didn't get) from our families. This week, Ronni and Jennie talk about t…
What Grandparenting Has Taught Us About Parenting (and Our Own Recovery)
Ronni and Jennie reflect on how being grandparents, and watching their children parent, connects to their own recovery process, and helps them grow in their ability to build loving and …
Gaslighting, Triangular Communication, and Other Forms of Manipulation in Abusive Families
Dysfunctional families use multiple techniques to keep patterns of abuse hidden. Ronni and Jennie explore how these destructive dynamics operate, because understanding these unhealthy p…
Even Abusive Childhoods Can Produce Happy Memories
Even in abusive homes, there can be some good times . This week, Ronni and Jennie share some of the happy memories of their family that they hold.
More on Reiki and Energy Healing (Listener's Request)
In response to a listener request, Ronni and Jennie talk more about their work with Reiki and other forms of energy healing.
Giving Ourselves Grace When Old Patterns Re-Emerge
No matter how far along we are in our healing journey, there are deeper layers of challenges that may emerge—sometimes out of nowhere. Treating ourselves with loving kindness—grace—is t…
How to Minimize Your Own Suffering
This week, Ronni and Jennie share how they’ve tried to apply Eckhart Tolle’s teaching on suffering to their lives--to minimize pain and maximize joy.
It's OK to Not be OK
This week finds Ronni and Jennie both working through some challenges--leading them to talk about what they do when they don't feel OK.
Cultivating Everyday Joys for Greater Peace
There are many points in the day where, simply by paying greater attention, we can experience more joy—and if we are able to string these moments together, we can find more peace…every …
A Surprise Preview of Our Book: Chapter One
This week, Ronni and Jennie are sharing the first chapter in the audio version of their book: Healing Begins With Us: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Abuse and Rebuilding the Sibling B…
Navigating Change, Part 2
While starting something new can be exciting and freeing, it also means letting go of the past. In this episode, Ronni and Jennie continue their conversation about navigating change--fo…
Navigating Change
We each face so many choices in life—moments where our lives can change directions—sometimes dramatically. Ronni and Jennie talk about big changes in their lives recently, and what they…
Mother's Day Without Mom
Ronni and Jennie talk about breaking the cycle of abusive parenting--trying to figure out how to mother in a new way. They reflect on their years of celebrating Mother’s Day while being…