Aware And Prepared

Mandi Pratt
  • 5.0 (26)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Hello! This is the Aware and Prepared podcast. I'm your host, Mandi Pratt, a trained domestic violence advocate. I teach women and vulnerable populations how to be street smart. I'm a mom with a gnarly backstory from almost two decades ago. The FBI showed up at my door one day to alert me that my abusive ex had become wanted for multiple bank robberies. Our story was in the news (a few times). I was tired of feeling vulnerable and learned how to keep myself and my son safer. I wish when I was a young woman I'd known about red flags to watch for in relationships, and had learned how to be street smart. This podcast is for 15-year-old me and is meant for families and community groups to listen to together. After all, women's safety is a community issue. I'll share with you stories like mine and interview detectives, psychologists and many other experts to NOT only hear their jaw-dropping stories, but also what we learn from them to prevent harm for our every youth and grown up listening. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I did - scared, vulnerable and needing decades of counseling and healthcare to heal. I want you to feel safer with less fear and more power!You can find more from me at my website or my Instagram:WEB: https://womenawareandprepared.com/podcast/IG: https://www.instagram.com/womenawareandprepared/

  1. 4d ago

    How to Ask Someone If They're Thinking About Suicide

    How do you know if someone you love is thinking about suicide, and what do you actually say if they are? For Suicide Awareness Month, Mandi welcomes back returning guest Diane Andre Acuna, a speaker and burnout prevention specialist trained in suicide intervention for a conversation most people are afraid to have. Diane breaks down the real warning signs (hint: it's not what you think), the exact language to use instead of "commit suicide," how to ask someone directly if they're thinking about it (even a child), and when to call 988 versus 911. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, or just someone who wants to be a safe person for the people in your life, this episode gives you the words and the confidence to have this conversation before it's too late. RESOURCES 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988 to reach a trained crisis counselor; can connect you to local resources and a safety plan. LivingWorks - The suicide prevention training with programs: safeTALK teaches how to recognize signs and do a warm handoff to help / ASIST (applied suicide intervention skills training) trains people to directly ask about suicide and intervene Connect with Diane Andre Acuna: WEBSITE: DianneAndree.com - Free download on how to start your day off well; also where to inquire about bringing safeTALK or ASIST training to your organization.  LINKEDIN: Diane Acuna Andree - Weekly "Tuesday Tip" posts for a daily micro-reset.  INSTAGRAM: @Diandree7 Connect with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com Take the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction and guest background 02:13 Personal experiences with mental health and trauma 04:25 Training and resources in suicide prevention 07:12 Signs to look for in teenagers and children 11:14 Recognizing giving away possessions and verbal cues 17:28 How to approach someone showing warning signs 21:26 Handling disclosures and direct questions 26:18 The importance of a safety net and involving others 30:54 Resources, follow-up, and community support 34:40 The aftercare and ongoing support process Send me a message

    How to Ask Someone If They're Thinking About Suicide

  2. Sep 15

    What Does It Actually Take to Get Out of Hypervigilance?

    In this follow-up to last week's episode on Complex PTSD vs PTSD, Mandi breaks down what's actually happening in the brain during hypervigilance, and more importantly, what to do about it. Pulled from a keynote Mandi recently delivered to a mastermind group titled "Leading Beyond Hypervigilance," this episode walks through the neuroscience behind hypervigilance and hustle mode (parts of the brain affected most), three simple nervous system tools you can use anywhere, two breathing techniques, and Mandi's personal self-care menu she encourages listeners to create for themselves. Whether you're leading a team or just trying to lead yourself out of survival mode, this episode gives you real, practical tools, not just another reminder to relax. RESOURCES Calm App - App Mandi uses for grounding sounds like ocean waves and daily calm practices. Previous Episode: Complex PTSD vs. PTSD - Last week's episode explaining the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD.Previous Episode: Panic Attack Tools For Relief with Tom - Referenced episode on what happens in the body during a panic attack and what to do about it. Connect with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comTake the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS 02:07 Understanding Hypervigilance in the Brain 03:14 Trauma and the Brain's Overactive Alarm System 04:14 Fueling Hustle Mode and Its Roots in Trauma 05:20 The Importance of Asking for Help 06:07 Symptoms and Costs of Hypervigilance 07:01 Signs of Hypervigilant Leadership 08:12 Brain Parts Affected by Trauma 09:45 Neuroplasticity and Healing the Brain 12:55 The Nervous System and Its Role in Safety 14:30 Nervous System Tools: Body, Breath, Environment 17:52 Grounding Techniques: Body, Senses, and Environment 18:32 Breath Techniques for Regulation 20:34 Supporting Yourself with Environment and Self-Care 21:00 Small Steps and Self-Compassion 23:36 Building a Self-Care Menu 29:45 Summary and Resources for Further Support 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. Send me a message

  3. Sep 1

    What's the Real Difference Between PTSD and Complex PTSD?

    What is complex PTSD, and how is it different from PTSD? As a complex PTSD survivor herself, Mandi breaks down the real distinction in this episode, timed around Complex PTSD Awareness Day (September 2nd).  Mandi shares what invisible struggles actually look like in the workplace, the brain science behind hypervigilance, and her PEACE framework for rebuilding trust in your own intuition. Whether you're managing a team, supporting someone you love, or recognizing pieces of your own story, this one gives you the language and the tools to respond with acknowledgement, compassion, and consistency instead of confusion. RESOURCES The Mend Project - Clarity for people navigating interpersonal and domestic violence. Amy Says - A platform helping people navigate relationship harm Previous Episode: Neuroplasticity and Healing with Dr. Keean - Neuroplasticity Previous Episode: Anxiety and Panic Attacks with Tom - Panic attacks and anxiety  Previous Episode: Tracy Mathison, Project Beloved - Soft environments Connect with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comTake the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS [03:00] PTSD and Complex PTSD Awareness [03:27] The rip current metaphor for complex PTSD  [05:10] PTSD vs. complex PTSD  [07:15] How C-PTSD shapes identity and brain processes differently [09:42] What this looks like day-to-day at work: top signs [10:52] Panic attacks, defensiveness, and trauma responses [12:23] The brain science: amygdala, hypothalamus, fight/flight/freeze/fawn  [13:23] Hypervigilance and the restaurant choking story  [14:19] Three foundations: acknowledgement, compassion, consistency  [15:32] Resources: The Mend Project and Amy Says  [16:20] Why affirmations backfire, and adding curiosity to affirmations [16:50] The PEACE framework for trusting intuition  [19:03] Language for checking in on someone  [20:03] Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)  [22:33] Softer physical environments, supportive phrases, consistency [25:00] Great news: brains do heal! 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. Send me a message

  4. Aug 25

    22 Safety Tips Every College Freshman Needs to Know Especially During The "Red Zone"

    I can't tell you how many people disclose past assaults to me once they hear what I do for a living. EVERY SINGLE TIME it was someone they knew. In this episode, Mandi breaks down the "red zone," the stretch from move-in day through Thanksgiving break when first-year college students are statistically most likely to experience sexual assault, including the stat that 73% of victims know their attacker. If you have a kid heading off to college, this one's for you. Mandi shares her PEACE framework for trusting your intuition, why boundaries and people-pleasing matter more than "stranger danger," and 22 practical tips for staying safer this fall (for college students or anyone really!). RESOURCES RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) - The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization; created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. rainn.org 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) Previous Episodes: Project Beloved episode with Molly Jane's mother and Boundaries For Kids With Sydney and Lacye PEACE Framework - Mandi's framework for trusting your intuition, taught in her workshops. Take the quiz to see how well you are trusting your intuition In-Person Safety Workshop in San Diego on September 15, 2026 CONNECT WITH MANDI Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS [01:00] Last week's episode about Molly Jane’s murder and legacy with Project Beloved [03:00] The red zone explained; three key stats from RAINN [05:30] Why boundaries and people-pleasing matter more than "stranger danger" [07:30] What age to start these conversations [09:00] Mandi’s in person workshop September 15, 2026 [10:30] Two sources of harm: strangers vs. acquaintances [11:30] 22 Safety Tips Every College Freshman Needs to Know [32:00] Recap and join the email list to get each week’s episode 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. Send me a message

  5. Aug 18

    A Mother's Worst Nightmare Became Her Mission: Making Sexual Assault Reporting Less Traumatic

    What if the room a survivor is asked to sit in after a sexual assault could make the difference between being believed and being dismissed?  Mandi sits down with Tracy Matheson, founder of Project Beloved, to talk about the soft interview rooms her nonprofit builds inside police departments across the country and why trauma-informed environments change outcomes for survivors and investigations alike. Tracy shares the story behind Project Beloved's founding and its two core programs: the soft interview rooms that make reporting less traumatic, and the Beloved Bundles that help survivors walk out of hospitals with dignity after a forensic exam. It's a conversation about grief, advocacy, and what real systemic change can look like. RESOURCES Connect with Tracy Matheson: Website: ProjectBeloved.orgInstagram and FacebookLinkedIn: Tracy Matheson Connect with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comTake the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS [03:00] What a soft interview room is and why it matters [08:00] The elements that make a room trauma-informed [13:00] Tracy shares her daughter, Molly Jane's story [17:30] Why Project Beloved waits for law enforcement agencies to come to them [22:00] How Tracy's soft interview room idea is confirmed by forensic psychologist [25:00] How the nonprofit is funded and how they support survivors [29:00] The Beloved Bundle: clothing and hygiene kits for survivors at hospital or PD [34:00] Megan Guttrum's became the next victim and failures that let the perpetrator escalate [37:00] Follow Project Beloved 2.0 to see the interview rooms, bundles and see how to support 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. Send me a message

    A Mother's Worst Nightmare Became Her Mission: Making Sexual Assault Reporting Less Traumatic

  6. Aug 11

    Teaching Kids Boundaries: Prevention Skills That Start Early

    What if the best time to prevent abuse and assault isn't high school, but preschool? Lacey and Sydney from the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault join the show to talk about the Butterfly Effect Program, a curriculum built for kids as young as three that teaches boundaries, consent (using kid-friendly language like "permission"), emotional regulation, and how to identify a safe adult, not just a trusted one. This episode breaks down how early prevention education actually works in the classroom, why the word "no" isn't mean, and how parents and teachers can bring these same lessons home through an eight-book series designed for any family, anywhere. RESOURCES Butterfly Effect Program Website - The book series discussed in this episode, teaching prevention skills to children ages 3 to 8.Butterfly Effect Program YouTube Channel with songsFacebook: Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault Connect with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comTake the Free Intuition Quiz WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS [04:00] Why prevention education needs to start in preschool  [07:30] The eight lessons: empathy, boundaries, rejection, and permission  [11:00] The Hulk smash story: teaching kids that "no" isn't mean  [15:00] People-pleasing conditioning and how it connects to victimization  [18:00] Getting parents and teachers involved through take-home newsletters  [22:00] Safe adult vs. trusted adult  [25:00] Secrets versus surprises and the somatic connection  [28:00] The Butterfly Effect book series for homeschool families and beyond  [32:00] YouTube channel, the Boundary Bubble Song, and where to find their resources and social media 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. Send me a message

    Teaching Kids Boundaries: Prevention Skills That Start Early

  7. Aug 4

    How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt: A Guide for People Pleasers

    What happens when you say no and someone doesn't like it? Psychotherapist and "Queen of Boundaries" Dana Skaggs joins Mandi to break down why boundary setting feels so scary, especially for survivors and recovering people pleasers, and what to actually do about it. Dana shares the fear behind every boundary (rejection, abandonment), a simple yard analogy for knowing what's yours to control, and real scripts for dealing with coworkers, partners, teenagers, and boundary busters who won't take no for an answer. RESOURCES Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend - the book Dana calls the seminal text on boundaries, and one Mandi credits with helping her own healingDana's prior podcast conversation with Mandi - How To Trust Your Intuition After Trauma CONNECT with Dana Skaggs: Website: DanaSkaggs.comFree Boundaries Quiz: DanaSkaggs.com/quizTherapy (Tennessee only): DanaSkaggsTherapy.comLinkedIn: Dana SkaggsCONNECT with Mandi: Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.comTake the Free Intuition Quiz: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi Pratt TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Introduction and welcoming Dana Skaggs  [03:00] Dana's background and becoming the "Queen of Boundaries"  [06:00] The fear behind setting boundaries: rejection and abandonment  [10:00] The yard analogy: what's yours to control  [15:00] Real example: a college student setting a boundary with friends  [20:00] Being specific, consistent, and why we "train" people how to treat us  [25:00] Handling pushback: grudge holders and passive aggression  [30:00] Boundaries in relationships: the dishes example  [35:00] The boomerang concept: don't let resentment build  [40:00] Starting the conversation: the Columbo method  [45:00] Boundary busters and consequences  [50:00] Where to find Dana and closing thoughts 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. Send me a message

    How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt: A Guide for People Pleasers

  8. Jul 28

    Is Resilience Something You're Born With, or Something You Build?

    Is resilience something you're born with, or something you build? Kelly Edmondson, has spent 25 years as a nurse watching patients face unthinkable trauma, and then lived it herself after losing her son. In this episode, she breaks down what actually makes someone resilient, and why it starts smaller than you think. RESOURCES The Timely Presence - Kelly's company sending curated memorial gifts on meaningful dates throughout the year. Connect with Kelly Edmondson: Website: TheTimelyPresence.comInstagram (business): @thetimelypresenceLinkedIn: Kelly EdmondsonConnect with Mandi: Website: AwareAndPrepared.lifeTake the Free Intuition Quiz: AwareAndPrepared.life/QuizInstagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedLinkedIn: Mandi PrattTIMESTAMPS [00:00] Introduction to Kelly Edmondson [06:30] Watching patients rally through trauma as a nurse [11:00] Is resilience innate or something you build [14:30] Baby steps: starting with a minute, a trip to the mailbox [17:30] Reframing grief rituals as a resilience practice 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. Send me a message

    Is Resilience Something You're Born With, or Something You Build?
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About

Hello! This is the Aware and Prepared podcast. I'm your host, Mandi Pratt, a trained domestic violence advocate. I teach women and vulnerable populations how to be street smart. I'm a mom with a gnarly backstory from almost two decades ago. The FBI showed up at my door one day to alert me that my abusive ex had become wanted for multiple bank robberies. Our story was in the news (a few times). I was tired of feeling vulnerable and learned how to keep myself and my son safer. I wish when I was a young woman I'd known about red flags to watch for in relationships, and had learned how to be street smart. This podcast is for 15-year-old me and is meant for families and community groups to listen to together. After all, women's safety is a community issue. I'll share with you stories like mine and interview detectives, psychologists and many other experts to NOT only hear their jaw-dropping stories, but also what we learn from them to prevent harm for our every youth and grown up listening. I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I did - scared, vulnerable and needing decades of counseling and healthcare to heal. I want you to feel safer with less fear and more power!You can find more from me at my website or my Instagram:WEB: https://womenawareandprepared.com/podcast/IG: https://www.instagram.com/womenawareandprepared/

Information

  • Creator
    Mandi Pratt
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Aware And Prepared
  • Show Website
    Aware And Prepared