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

Ronni Tichenor and Jennie Weaver
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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.

  1. 3D AGO

    When the Universe Invites You to Heal

    Send a text There are times when situations keep coming up in our lives—these are invitations from the Universe to heal. Ronni and Jennie talk about how to roll with what is coming up for you, and how to move through those challenges. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    32 min

  2. MAR 7

    Trauma, “Positivity,” and Misplaced Loyalty

    Send a text Sometimes we cling to things, “hoping” they’ll get better—our trauma background primes us for this. Ronni and Jennie share how they have been able to recognize when this is occurring and move forward. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    28 min

  3. FEB 28

    Authenticity, Transparency, and Boundaries

    Send a text In this first episode of their 7th season, Ronni and Jennie talk about how authenticity, transparency, and boundaries are interconnected, and how they are related to being true to yourself. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    31 min

  4. 11/17/2025

    BONUS: Putting More JOY into Your Holidays!

    Send a text The holiday season can leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Ronni and Jennie share ideas for making your celebrations more joyful--which is the reason for the season. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    34 min

  5. 11/01/2025

    REPLAY: How to Navigate the Holidays with Family

    Send a text Now is the time to begin planning what you want your holidays to look like—especially if there are some challenges in your family relationships. Ronni and Jennie share ideas for preserving your peace of mind and making space for new traditions that will put more joy back into the holiday season. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    28 min

  6. 08/10/2025

    BONUS: What Do You Carry from Your Lineage?

    Send a text Many of us carry the trauma that has run through our families, but we also carry forward gifts. As Ronni and Jennie are with their families for their annual reunion, they reflect on what they hold…and are passing on. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    30 min

  7. 07/05/2025

    Take a Vacation from Healing!

    Send a text We all need to take break from the mental, emotional, and physical effort involved in healing from trauma. Ronni and Jennie talk about how to approach this break and what to focus on instead. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    21 min

  8. 06/28/2025

    Transformational Coaching is Here!

    Send a text Ronni and Jennie talk about their plans to use all that they’ve learned, in their personal healing journeys and professional trainings, to offer one-on-one transformational coaching—to help anyone who wants to accelerate their own healing. We are two sisters who weren’t supposed to be friends. We grew up in a family with addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness that harmed us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It also pitted us against each other; there was even some abuse between us. We managed to come together in adulthood, to rebuild our relationship and find healing. Having each other for support and validation, especially of painful childhood memories, dramatically accelerated the healing process for us both! In the beginning, we followed conventional approaches to healing (counseling, Al Anon/ACOA groups), which gave us more insight, but only took us so far. From there we have continued to explore yoga, meditation, energy healing, sound healing, breathwork, and intuitive work---all of which have brought amazing transformation in our lives, as well as the lives of those we love. We have worked for years in fields related to family trauma. Ronni has conducted research and taught courses on family violence. Jennie has seen the physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes of childhood trauma as a clinician in family practice. Now, our mission is to bring together our personal and professional experiences to help others find the remarkable healing that we have experienced, both individually and in our relationship. We are sharing our story (in ...

    26 min
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4.7
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About

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.

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