Why do healthy relationships feel uncomfortable at first? If you've ever come out of a toxic or abusive relationship and wondered whether you'd even recognize a healthy one, this episode is for you.

Most of us know what a red flag looks like, but knowing what a green flag feels like is a different skill entirely. Today's guest walks us through the real signs of a healthy relationship from emotional safety and mutual respect to shared power, conflict resolution, and building trust slowly and intentionally.

We also talk about why if someone manipulated you into believing they were a good partner, that is never your fault. Whether you're healing from a past relationship or simply want to show up better in the one you're in, this episode will give you a whole new framework for what love is supposed to feel like.

RESOURCES

DOVES Program, Scottsbluff, Nebraska

DOVESprogram.com

24 Hr Helpline: 866-95-DOVES

24 Hr. Text Line: 515-599-6620

Green Flags Worksheet PDF download

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.

Ever wondered if the person you're dating is seeing someone else behind your back? With over 8 million women across 200+ cities, "Are We Dating the Same Guy?" has become a global movement helping women navigate the murky waters of modern dating.

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Marina Dorian shares her personal experiences with the platform, revealing shocking stories of deception and the rise of "ethical non-monogamy" (ENM) in today's dating scene.

From “hobo-sexuals” to wealthy yacht owners, discover how women are banding together to protect each other from serial cheaters and dangerous behavior patterns. Plus: which dating apps are worth your time (hint: even eHarmony isn't what it used to be), and why trusting your intuition might be the most important dating tool of all.

RESOURCES

Are We Dating the Same Guy?

• Website: arewedatingthesameguy.com
• Available as an app (download links on website)
• Facebook Groups: Search "Are We Dating the Same Guy [Your City]" to find local private and public groups

Dating Apps Discussed:

• eHarmony
• Facebook Dating
• Coffee Meets Bagel
• Hinge
• Bumble
• Tinder
• Elite Dating
• Millionaire Match

Additional Resources:

• Marina's Podcast: Love Liaisons website / podcast / social
• Previous episode referenced: Narcissistic Abuse (on this podcast)

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.

In this continuation episode, forensic psychologist Ashley Wasserburger explores the depressive face of trauma, the final of four trauma responses discussed in this series.

Ashley breaks down how depression manifests as a trauma response, addressing common misconceptions like viewing depressed individuals as lazy or unreliable. She explains how overwhelming daily tasks become, why people isolate despite craving connection, and the masks they wear to avoid feeling like a burden. The conversation covers practical support strategies including breaking tasks into manageable steps, celebrating small victories, and providing tangible help without judgment.

The conversation touches on cognitive distortions, the five Cs for addressing intrusive thoughts (catch, control, challenge, change, cherish), and the importance of reframing negative self-talk with curiosity rather than forced positivity. Ashley emphasizes that trauma responses are normal adaptations, NOT character flaws, and discusses how our brains physically change to help us survive, requiring patience and self-compassion as we learn to feel safe in healthy environments.

RESOURCES

Ashley works at Working Against Violence, Inc. (WAVI), a domestic violence and advocacy organization based in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Facebook and Instagram

Take Action Short Film - "Faces of Trauma" (10-minute youth-led film showing four siblings processing their parents' divorce through different trauma responses)

988 - National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 24/7 for mental health crises)

211 - National community resource helpline (food assist, mental health support, housing…)

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Support for those experiencing domestic violence and their support persons

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.

How do we take care of ourselves when we are seeing violence, heartbreak, and fear unfold across the United States every day? It feels helpless! Hear Mandi and Dr. Keean talk honestly about collective harm in America and how it impacts our nervous systems, our emotions, and our sense of safety. They explain why forcing positivity during painful times can disconnect us from reality and why fear, anger, grief, and disbelief are natural and healthy responses, not signs of weakness.

Together, they explore how trauma lives in the body, why current events can trigger past experiences, and how movement, community, intuition, and speaking up help release pressure from the nervous system. This conversation offers validation for survivors and anyone feeling overwhelmed or unsafe, reminding listeners that healing does not come from silence or shutting down, but from connection, self trust, and allowing our emotions to move through us, especially now in early 2026.

RESOURCES

5calls.org to call your Representatives

Connect with Dr. Keean

• Website: Keean.org
• Instagram: @Holistic.Therapist
• LinkedIn: Dr. Keean

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.

Mandi and Forensic Psychologist, Ashley Wasserburger, explain how behaviors like perfectionism, anger, and people-pleasing are often trauma responses, not personality flaws. They break down the different “faces of trauma” and share why curiosity, patience, and safety matter more than judgment.

This conversation helps normalize trauma adaptations and reminds listeners that healing begins when people feel safe, supported, and empowered with choice.

Subscribe to the show so you hear Part 2 next week!

RESOURCES

Ashley works at Working Against Violence, Inc. (WAVI), a domestic violence and advocacy organization based in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Facebook and Instagram

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.

Is your home helping or harming your nervous system? Mandi sits down with trauma-informed interior designer and author, Sarah Trop, to explore how our environments impact emotional safety, regulation, and peace. How can small, thoughtful changes make a big difference?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why earth tones and nature-inspired elements tend to feel more grounding and calming
  
  
  
• How light, texture, and color affect the nervous system
  
  
  
• Simple, low-risk ways to add color without overwhelm
  
  
  
• How to create nourishing spaces even if you’re renting or living somewhere temporarily
  
  
  
• What “dignified design” means and why it matters in therapy offices, nonprofits, and healing spaces
  
  
  
• Budget-friendly ways communities can come together to create safer, more welcoming environments
  
  
  
• How to design sacred personal spaces that support rest, regulation, and self-care
  
  
  
• Why clutter, organization, and shared routines can impact your ability to truly relax
  
  
  

This conversation is filled with practical ideas to help your home or workplace feel more supportive, comforting, and aligned with how you want to feel.

RESOURCES

Connect with Sarah Trop:

- Website: FunCycled.com (Book a virtual consultation or buy her book)
- Free Design Tips PDF: Funcycled.com/free
- Instagram: @FunCycled
- Facebook: @FunCycled
- Pinterest: @FunCycled

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.

A loud knock at the door. Early morning. Something feels off. What you do in that moment matters more than you think.

In this short but powerful episode, Mandi shares a recent real-life moment that highlights why intuition is one of our most important safety tools. Why listening to that “something isn’t right” feeling matters, and simple, practical ways to stay safer at home.

This episode is a reminder to slow down, think smart, and take your inner warning system seriously.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why ignoring intuition can create unnecessary risk
• Simple, realistic safety choices you can make at home
• That you can call non-emergency services
• How acting on intuition builds confidence and inner peace

Past episodes Tips From 911 Dispatcher Part 1 and Part 2

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.

Hear 14 simple, practical ways to calm your nervous system when you feel stuck in fight-or-flight like during the holidays! These are the same tools Mandi learned while healing from years of hypervigilance and complex trauma. These are research-backed gentle practices that help your body relearn what safety feels like.

You’ll hear easy, accessible strategies you can use anywhere: at home, in your car, or during stressful moments, to reset your stress response, lower anxiety, and return to calm. This episode is especially supportive during the holidays, when emotions run high and your nervous system may need extra care.

These practices aren’t about avoiding what’s hard. They’re about reminding your body that, in this moment, you can feel safe and that peace is something you can return to again and again.

RESOURCES

N.O.W by Solu Tone Therapy System

Grab the Calm Checklist pretty printable here on Mandi's website.

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.