Have you ever been told you’re too much, too emotional, too honest, too soft, too forgiving? Host Ranae Van Roekel explores what it means to carry that label as a woman healing from trauma and choosing love in a world that often tells her to harden.

Ranae shares a raw and intimate reflection on the cost of caring deeply, the strength it takes to remain open-hearted after betrayal, and the power of staying soft when life has tried to break you. Through her own story, she challenges the idea that being “too much” is a flaw, and instead redefines it as courage, resilience, and healing in its purest form. If you’ve ever questioned your worth because you feel deeply or love without limits, this episode will remind you that your sensitivity is not a weakness, it’s a gift.

What if the real sentence begins after prison? Ranae Van Roekel shares her personal journey through incarceration and sheds light on the deeper, often overlooked realities of the justice system. From untreated trauma to the barriers people face when rebuilding their lives, Ranae explores how healing, education, and meaningful reform can break cycles, not just for individuals, but for communities. She highlights key justice reform legislation and calls for policies rooted in redemption and second chances. This episode is both a personal testimony and a call to action for compassion, change, and connection.

Ranae unpacks the pardoning of reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, not to scrutinize their release, but to shine a light on the deeper, systemic issues it reveals. Drawing from her own lived experience, she explores what fairness really means in a justice system that often favors wealth, fame, and privilege over healing, accountability, and transformation. She challenges listeners to consider the thousands still incarcerated without advocates or visibility, and outlines the urgent reforms needed; from Clean Slate legislation to meaningful reentry programs. It’s a heartfelt call to action, reminding us that second chances shouldn’t be a luxury, they should be a right.

Renee unpacks how trauma, especially when unhealed, can silently influence your decisions, relationships, and sense of self. She shares her own journey of learning to recognize patterns, reframe her thinking, and reclaim her voice through tools like Rational Self-Analysis (RSA) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This episode offers a powerful blend of personal truth and practical guidance for anyone ready to shift from survival mode to intentional, empowered living.

What if healing isn’t about fixing your past, but preparing for your future? In this episode, Ranae challenges the idea that healing is just about managing trauma. Instead, she explores what it means to make room for joy, peace, and success, especially when those emotions feel unfamiliar.

If you’ve ever felt more comfortable in survival mode than in happiness, this short episode offers a new perspective, and a few steps to help you start practicing the emotions you actually want in your life.

In Episode 2 of Connecting to Cope, Ranae continues her story by sharing how she ultimately ended up in federal prison and the emotional state that led her there.

She reflects on how a deep desire to people-please and avoid conflict pulled her into a business situation that was not operating within the law. At the same time, her mental health was unraveling. Anxiety, disassociation, and unaddressed trauma were taking a toll, even if she did not yet have the language to understand what was happening. Ranae describes losing hours and days, feeling disconnected from herself, and reaching a point where she could no longer recognize the person in the mirror.

This episode includes a raw account of the moment everything came to a head. Faced with two choices, to end her life or to take responsibility and turn herself in, Ranae chose accountability. She shares what it meant to face the consequences of her actions and begin confronting the trauma she had been carrying for years.

In this first episode of Connecting to Cope, host Ranae Van Roekel shares the story behind the podcast and the experiences that shaped her life and work.

Ranae opens up about her background and the traumatic event that changed the trajectory of her life. She talks honestly about how unresolved trauma led to anxiety, harmful coping mechanisms, and a series of poor decisions that impacted her relationships, her sense of self, and ultimately her future. Rather than glossing over the hard parts, Ranae walks listeners through what it felt like to live in survival mode and how trauma quietly influenced her choices for years.

This episode also introduces the turning point, when consequences forced Ranae to slow down and confront the root causes of her behavior. She reflects on the role accountability played in her healing and how learning to understand trauma became the foundation for real change.

As a trauma-informed coach and judicial reform advocate, Ranae sets the tone for what Connecting to Cope is about: honest conversations, practical tools, and creating space for people to better understand themselves and their experiences.

This episode is for anyone who has struggled with anxiety, unhealthy coping, or decisions they do not fully understand and for those who are ready to begin a more intentional path toward healing.