Welcome to the Aware and Prepared podcast

Where I, Mandi, a certified domestic violence victim advocate and survivor, host a podcast about prevention and post-traumatic growth to help others live safer with more peace.


Choose which platform you’d like to listen and follow the show:

Hear real stories, expert insights, skills and resources to prevent harm, heal from trauma and grow. Let’s leave worry behind and live aware, prepared and empowered. You deserve to live in peace and safety!

How to Help Your Nervous System Feel Safer After Trauma: Polyvagal Theory

How to Help Your Nervous System Feel Safer After Trauma: Polyvagal Theory

How to Help Your Nervous System Feel Safer After Trauma: Polyvagal TheoryMandi Pratt
Published on: 10/11/2026

We're talking about why talk therapy alone often isn't enough, why safety is the real treatment, and why freezing and fawning are your body keeping you alive.

polyvagal theoryneurobiology of traumasomatic therapycomplex PTSD healingpost-traumatic growthfawn responseappeasement vs fawningtrauma and the nervous systeminteroception and traumaneuroceptionwhy talk therapy isn't enoughtrauma-informed self-defensehealing after sexual traumadomestic violence trauma recoverytrauma training for advocates
Listen Now
How to Heal Complex PTSD After Domestic Violence: What Worked for Me

How to Heal Complex PTSD After Domestic Violence: What Worked for Me

How to Heal Complex PTSD After Domestic Violence: What Worked for Me Mandi Pratt
Published on: 03/11/2026

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Mandi shares her own healing journey after domestic violence and complex PTSD: what helped, what didn't, and real hope.

healing after domestic violencepost traumatic growthcomplex PTSD recoveryDVAMDV awarenessDV survivor storydomestic violence survivor storycoercive controlpost separation abusedomestic violence awareness monthsomatic therapynervous system healingtrauma and the bodyEMDR for complex PTSDfinding safe people after traumaself compassion after abusehealing from narcissistic abusehope after domestic violencehow to heal complex PTSDc-PTSD healinghope after traumahealing from traumahow the brain heals from traumaself compassion after traumahypervigilance recovery
Listen Now
How to Stop People Pleasing and Heal Codependency After Trauma

How to Stop People Pleasing and Heal Codependency After Trauma

How to Stop People Pleasing and Heal Codependency After TraumaMandi Pratt
Published on: 27/10/2026

Ever say yes before you've had a chance to ask yourself what you want? It's not a character defect. It's your nervous system doing exactly what it was trained to do: fawn response, hypervigilance, and why trauma can make good moments seem dangerous..

people-pleasingfawn responsenervous system regulationself-abandonmentcodependencycomplex traumacomplex PTSDc-PTSDhypervigilancewindow of toleranceneuroceptiondomestic violence recoveryDV recoverynarcissistic abuse recoverypeople pleasingself abandonreconnecting with yourselftrusting your intuitiontrust my intuitionGayle Dargel
Listen Now
How to Raise Kids Who Won’t Become Victims, Perpetrators, or Silent Bystanders (Cornell 7)

How to Raise Kids Who Won’t Become Victims, Perpetrators, or Silent Bystanders (Cornell 7)

How to Raise Kids Who Won’t Become Victims, Perpetrators, or Silent Bystanders (Cornell 7)Mandi Pratt
Published on: 20/10/2026

Why prevention starts when kids are little, what parents need to know about alcohol and hyper-masculine spaces, how groomers manipulate kids online...gives you tools to raise kids who won't become victims or perpetrators, without victim blaming

SafeNestLiz OrtenburgerDomestic Violence Awareness MonthDVAMpreparing kids for collegecampus sexual assault preventionCornell SevenCornell 7consent and boundarieshyper-masculine spacesbystander intervention for young menonline grooming red flagsteaching kids bodily autonomytalking to teens about sexbelieving child abuse survivorssexual assault preventionraising safe kidsLarry Nassar
Listen Now