The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast

Episode 387: Kate On: The Cornell Case, Male Violence, and the Limits of Empathy Oct 8, 2026 37:46 Content warning: This episode covers the Cornell 7 case and includes discussion of sexual assault, drugging, and how survivors are failed by the systems meant to protect them. "The conversation we should be having about the Cornell case isn't one about consent, it's one about entitlement." I have been trying to figure out what I want to say about the Cornell case that hasn't already been said. I

Episode 386: The Divorce Paperwork You Can't Afford to Forget with Marni Blank Oct 1, 2026 37:47 Today we're having a conversation that so many of us need to have but don't want to have, and that's end-of-life planning in the middle of a divorce. Divorce already comes with so many choices, and most of them feel urgent, so the paperwork that comes with planning for the end tends to fall through the cracks. But updating healthcare proxies, beneficiaries, and wills needs a place on that list too

Episode 385: Kate On: Why You Miss Him After You Leave Sep 24, 2026 38:45 "Why am I suddenly missing the person I worked so hard to leave?" A woman wrote to me recently with this question, and I know this is not an uncommon thing to feel. Many women know without a doubt they made the right decision. Yet, suddenly the desire to have the family back comes roaring back. In this episode, I'm unpacking why this happens, what might actually be driving it, and how to come back

Episode 384: End Emotional Outsourcing with Beatriz Victoria Albina, NP Sep 17, 2026 49:21 There was a stretch of my life where I could not be alone. Not because I loved being social so much, but because without someone else in the room, I did not know who I was. No plans for the night meant a full blown panic attack. What was I supposed to do with myself? More importantly, who even was I? Turns out that is not just a me thing. It has a name, emotional outsourcing, and it is exactly wha

Encore Episode: When You Give Up the Authentic Fight Sep 10, 2026 23:46 This week's episode is an encore episode. I'm away at my Unbreakable Retreat, so I'm revisiting one that felt right to bring back. I asked a friend who is going through a divorce what I should talk about on this episode. He said I should talk about cravings. He explained it this way, "Given the shit happening in the world, we turn to safety, fantasy, and imagination to numb our true selves and we

Episode 383: Medical Decision-Making in High-Conflict Co-Parenting with Dr. Madeleine Gagnon Sep 2, 2026 51:54 After divorce, medical decisions don't stop. Kids still need vaccines, dental appointments, medications, evaluations, therapy, all of it. In high-conflict or parallel parenting, even basic healthcare decisions can become a new arena for control, misinformation, and sabotage. To help navigate this, I'm talking with board-certified pediatrician Dr. Madeline Gagnon, a complex care specialist who has

[Encore Episode] Your Divorce Roadmap: The Stages and Phases of Divorce Aug 27, 2026 35:15 Encore Episode!! After over a decade of working with thousands of women, I've become really good at mapping out the entire divorce process and pinpointing where on that map someone might land. I've become so good at it that I actually created something I'm calling The Divorce Roadmap. In this episode, I share the three stages of the Roadmap: Awareness, Action, and Moving On, and explore the vari

Episode 382: The Rise of Misogyny: What Midlife Women Need to Know with Laurie James Aug 20, 2026 49:45 Laurie James, somatic practitioner, coach, and author of Sandwiched, returns to talk about the rise of misogyny and what it means for women inside their relationships, their families, and the broader culture. This is a conversation we've both been having for years—in our own lives and with the women we work with every day—and it felt like time to have it out loud, together. Throughout our conversa

Episode 381: Kate On: The Peace Self-Care Can't Give You Aug 13, 2026 31:31 What if self-care never quite fixed things because it was never designed to? There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from trying to create peace inside a relationship that keeps taking it away from you. You buy the lavender spray. You take the baths. You book the massages. You go to therapy. Some of it helps for an hour, an evening, maybe even a weekend. Then he walks through the door,

Episode 380: When Supporting Your Trans Child Changes Your Marriage with Elle Baade Aug 6, 2026 42:06 They say art imitates life, and this episode is a perfect example. My guest—and new bestie—is Elle Baade, author of the novel Consequences of Normal. The book follows Jane, a mother fighting to find her voice and advocate for her child, who is clearly and joyfully transgender, while her husband insists it's only a phase. As Jane supports her child, the journey begins to reshape their entire family

Episode 379: Kate On: What Boundaries Actually Are and How to Set Them So They Stick Jul 30, 2026 40:59 If setting boundaries were easy, we wouldn't need podcasts, books, or frameworks to teach us how to make and hold them. Boundaries are hard. But they're also essential to keeping sanity, strength, and confidence before, during, and after divorce. In this episode, I break down what a boundary actually is, and why most of us were never taught it in the first place. Most of what we call boundaries a

Episode 378: Legal Separation vs Divorce with Nicole Sodoma Jul 23, 2026 41:17 Separation is one of those words that confuses, intrigues, and scares a lot of people. In fact, one of the first questions that comes up for many considering divorce is, "Should we legally separate first?" I wanted to break down what legal separation actually means, what it requires, and what it protects you from, so I brought back attorney and founder of Sodoma Law, Nicole Sodoma. Nicole has buil

Episode 377: Kate On: Unraveling Divorce Guilt Jul 16, 2026 27:13 Guilt. So many women feel it intensely when they're contemplating divorce, or when they've already made the decision to leave. In this episode, I'm talking about the guilt of breaking your marriage vows, the guilt of doing this to your kids, and what to do when that guilt becomes overwhelming. Women carry guilt as though they woke up one morning, looked around at a perfectly healthy marriage and a

Episode 376: "Needy No More": From Anxious to Secure Attachment with Chris Rackliffe Jul 9, 2026 44:15 I'm back with anxious attachment style coach Chris Rackliffe and he's got a new book, Needy No More: The Journey from Anxious to Secure Attachment. We pick up on our previous conversation about anxious attachment right where we left off a few years ago.This episode is about the label "needy", the butterflies that aren't what you think, and choosing yourself, in dating, in marriage, and in divorce

Episode 375: Kate On: Finding Your Sense of Self After Divorce Jul 2, 2026 37:55 What happens when you spend years orienting your life around another person and suddenly have to learn to live from the inside again? When I got out of my marriage, I had no idea who I was. I had zero sense of Self. I didn't know what I liked, what I wanted, what my values were. I didn't even know my favorite color. I had all this time that technically belonged to me, and I had no idea how to inha

Episode 374: Winning: Rewiring Your Brain After Toxic Love with Jackie Miller Jun 25, 2026 41:36 You left the toxic relationship. You legally divorced, you financially divorced, you physically moved out, and somehow they still have you. You wake up angry, ruminating, unable to stop thinking about what they did, and wondering what's wrong with you. The answer is nothing. Your nervous system changed while you were in that relationship.This episode is about what's actually happening in your body

Episode 373: Solo Episode: What True Crime Gets Right About Abuse, and What It Gets Dangerously Wrong Jun 18, 2026 31:38 Worst ex ever. The monster next door. The case nobody saw coming. That's how true crime frames these stories, as something extraordinary and shocking. But for a lot of women who have lived inside coercive control, domestic violence, emotional abuse, or post-separation abuse, these stories are anything but unbelievable. They're horrifying and devastating, but they are not unfamiliar. And that is th

Episode 372: Understanding the Narcissistic Mind with Chelsey Brooke Cole Jun 11, 2026 45:52 Understanding the psychology of a narcissist is the topic of conversation this week, with my guest Chelsey Brooke Cole. Chelsey is a licensed psychotherapist, expert in narcissistic abuse recovery, and bestselling author of If Only I'd Known: How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakable Self-Worth. She specializes in helping people understand the psychology of narc

Episode 371: Solo Episode: Before You Leave: How to Create a Safety Plan Jun 4, 2026 51:38 You may have heard it so many times. "Make a safety plan." And every single time, the women I talk to say the same thing: okay, but what does that actually mean? In this solo episode, I'm walking you through what a safety plan actually is, why it matters, how to contact a domestic violence agency or shelter before you're in crisis, and what kinds of help may be available even if you never spend

Episode 370: The Book Every Protective Parent Needs: Helping Children Heal from Coercive Control with Dr. Christine Cocchiola May 28, 2026 42:13 Dr. Christine Cocchiola is back with a brand-new children's book called Every Moment of Every Day. It's a book for kids who are going back and forth between homes when one of those homes isn't safe. It gives children language for what they're feeling, and it gives protective parents a roadmap for how to support them when they come home. This book does something I haven't seen in any other children

Episode 369: Solo Episode: Living Together While Separated: How to Transition With Intention May 21, 2026 36:55 I'm back with a new solo episode this week, and I'm talking about something that is incredibly common, deeply complicated, and almost never talked about honestly: Living together while separated. Same house. Same kitchen. Same hallways. Maybe even the same bedroom — though if you can create different sleeping arrangements, please do. For most people, deciding the relationship is over does not mean

Episode 368: Divorce, Business Valuation, and Financial Infidelity with Jennifer Lee May 14, 2026 35:06 If you own a business, or your spouse does, or you built one together, divorce just got more complicated. You may be wondering, how will divorce impact the business? I'm so glad I have returning guest Jennifer Lee to answer this and other important questions. In this episode, we get into what happens to the business you built together, what happens when there's been financial infidelity and the

[Encore Episode] Healing from Relationship Betrayal with Michelle Mays May 7, 2026 59:06 I'm re-airing one of the most powerful conversations I've ever had on this podcast. This is my conversation with Michelle Mays, author of The Betrayal Bind, and it is one of the most in-depth explorations I've done of betrayal, attachment, and the very real, very complex reasons it can feel so impossible to leave or to stay and repair when trust has been broken at this level. "Divorce is common, a

Episode 367: Rituals for Divorce Grief with Barri Leiner Grant Apr 30, 2026 46:28 So much of what women contend with during divorce is really intense grief. Sometimes they don't name it that or even realize that's what's happening, but that is what's happening. Barri Leiner Grant, founder and Chief Grief Officer™ of The Memory Circle, is back with me to keep the conversation going about grieving before, during, and after divorce. For those new to Barri, her community and creati

Episode 366: A Reflection of the Work: What's Possible on the Other Side of Divorce Apr 23, 2026 15:04 This weekend, I'm getting married. And before you're like, wait, what podcast am I listening to? stay with me. Because if you've been here a while, you know this show isn't just about leaving. It's about what comes after. It's about what's possible. So today I'm talking about what happens when you don't settle, what healthy love actually feels like, and how to know when you've found it. I wasn't s

Episode 365: Children as Co-Victims of Coercive Control with Dr. Emma Katz Apr 16, 2026 56:47 I am so glad to bring Dr. Emma Katz back to the show. She is a senior lecturer in criminology at Edgehill University and one of the world's leading experts on coercive control. She is the author of Coercive Control in Children's and Mothers' Lives and writes the Substack Decoding Coercive Control, where she makes this research clear to process and digest for anyone navigating it in real life. To

Episode 364: Burnout After Divorce: What Nobody Prepares You For Apr 9, 2026 20:46 Something I hear increasingly among my client population is the experience of burnout after divorce. And this is the thing that very few people prepare you for. You've made it through the hardest decision of your life. You survived the chaos of the initial separation. You got through the legal process. And then you get to the other side, expecting to feel magically better, clear, and free. Instead

Episode 363: Codependency in Women: Signs, Patterns, and How to Break Free with Michelle Farris Apr 2, 2026 44:42 Imagine what it would be like to create healthy relationships without sacrificing ourselves as women. That is exactly what Michelle Farris helps women do. Michelle is a psychotherapist and codependency expert, and this conversation goes deep fast. She brings both the clinical knowledge and the lived experience of someone who has done her own recovery work, and honestly, we could not have been more

Episode 362: "Why Didn't I Leave Sooner?" Because you were becoming the person who could. Mar 26, 2026 20:30 The question I hear more than almost any other, from clients, from women inside Phoenix Rising, and from my community is: "Why didn't I leave sooner?" Perhaps it's an inner voice that nudges. It sounds like you, but it's partially your friends, your family, maybe your attorney or it's cultural. That voice asks, "If it was so bad, why did she stay?" or "You should have known better." But here's

Episode 361: Why Dropping Divorce Rates Are Not Always Good News with Dr. Amelia Kelley Mar 19, 2026 54:55 TEDx speaker, author, neurodiversity and mental health advocate, and host of the Sensitivity Doctor podcast. Her work centers on relationship trauma and gaslighting recovery, and she brings over 20 years of clinical experience to everything she does. We have done some incredible episodes together, and this is no exception. Amelia recently brought to my attention a study exploring the impact of K

Episode 360: Stop Explaining Yourself: Why It Makes High-Conflict Divorce Worse Mar 12, 2026 21:10 One of the things I see so often with women going through divorce, especially high conflict divorce, is this instinct to explain yourself, to clarify, to defend yourself, to make sure the other person understands what actually happened. But here's the problem: in a high conflict divorce, explaining yourself is often the very thing that keeps you stuck in the conflict. In this episode, I walk you t

Episode 359: Assessing High Conflict Divorce Risk with Sarah McDugal Mar 5, 2026 50:55 Sarah McDugal is back on the podcast, and this time we're talking about what it actually takes to protect your children inside a family court system that often reframes abuse as "mutual high conflict" and makes the protective parent look like the problem. Sarah is a clarity coach and founder of Freedom Navigator and Wilderness to Wild, where she works exclusively with protective parents navigati

Episode 358: Anger is Not a Communication Issue Feb 26, 2026 25:11 Let's talk about something that sits at the center of so many of the conversations I have with women: men's rage is not a communication issue. It's a responsibility issue. So many of us are taught to treat anger like something that can be solved with better tools, better timing, or more understanding. Something you can help fix. But when anger creates fear, when it's targeted, when it's tied to

Episode 357: The Truth About Mortgage Assumptions with Tami Wollensak Feb 19, 2026 48:40 I'm welcoming back one of your favorite guests and one of mine, divorce mortgage specialist Tami Wollensak, because we need to talk about the house. Specifically… what actually happens to it in divorce and what your real options are. Mortgage rules have shifted, interest rates have changed, and the questions I hear from clients all the time still come back to the same thing: Can I keep the hous

Episode 356: How to Assess Real Change When a Partner Promises Everything Feb 12, 2026 24:50 When you tell your partner you want a divorce and suddenly they promise everything, how do you know if it's real desire to change or just panic talking? You may be hearing apologies that sound deeper than anything you've heard before, promises of therapy, and urgent requests for time, all while you're stuck questioning yourself. Is this real? Is it different this time? Or is this fear talking? Th

Episode 355: Divorce Across Borders with Diana Romanov Feb 5, 2026 40:00 Divorce can become significantly more complicated when culture, immigration status, or international law are part of the equation. I'm joined by family law attorney Diana Romanov for a conversation about what happens when divorce crosses cultural and international lines. Diana brings a rare perspective to this work, shaped by her own immigration journey, her legal training, and practice across mu

Episode 354: The Personal Has Always Been Political Jan 29, 2026 22:05 Many women are grieving two things at once right now, a relationship that didn't protect them and a country that won't either. There is a lot happening in the world right now, and none of it is abstract. Not for women. Not for our marriages, our divorces, our bodies, our safety, or our credibility. What we are witnessing is the lived, relational impact of rising authoritarianism. In this solo

Episode 353: Aimee Says Updates: How Women Are Documenting Abuse in Real Time with Anne Wintemute Jan 22, 2026 41:56 When you're living inside an abusive relationship, one of the hardest things to do is see the pattern clearly while you're still in it. Everything feels confusing and destabilizing, especially when blame shifting, gaslighting, and constantly moving goalposts are part of the dynamic. That's why I'm so grateful to welcome back Anne Wintemute, CEO and Co-Founder of Aimee Says, an AI-powered support

Episode 352: An Intentional Divorce Strategy for January Jan 15, 2026 23:59 It's January, and you've made the decision to get divorced. The question now isn't whether you're moving forward. It's how. This is the phase that requires strategy, not emotion. Not because your emotions don't matter. They do. But right now, clear thinking matters more than anything else. In this solo episode, I share three things to help you formulate your strategy so you can move forward withou

Episode 351: Protecting Your Financial Future During Divorce with Jamie Lima, CDFA® Jan 8, 2026 37:02 If you're going through divorce and feeling overwhelmed by the financial decisions in front of you, you are not imagining it. There is far more to divorce financial planning than most people are ever told. Divorce creates financial challenges that most traditional financial advisors simply are not trained to handle, which is why I invited Jamie Lima, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and the f

Episode 350: You Don't Have to Become Someone New to Begin Again Jan 1, 2026 12:25 New Year's Day comes with a lot of pressure to reinvent yourself, get clear, and have a plan. In this solo episode, I'm talking about why you don't need any of that today. January 1st doesn't have to be a test, a turning point, or proof that you're doing life "right," especially if you're coming out of divorce, separation, or a year that asked more of you than you thought you could give. This epis

Episode 349: You're Allowed to Let Today Be Exactly What It Is Dec 25, 2025 10:16 Christmas comes with a lot of expectations about how it's supposed to look and feel, and in this solo episode, I'm talking about what happens when your life doesn't match that script. You'll hear why there is no correct way to feel today and how to let this day be exactly what it is without judging yourself or trying to fix it. I also talk about why Christmas can feel so heavy during divorce, sepa

Episode 348: Divorce Mediation Explained: What It Is and How It Works with Susan Guthrie, Esq. Dec 18, 2025 01:04:52 Mediation can feel confusing, intimidating, and wildly misunderstood, especially when you're being told you "don't need a lawyer" because you're mediating." That's exactly why I invited my good friend and colleague Susan Guthrie back to the show. Susan is going to help break down what mediation actually is, how it works, and how to protect yourself in the process. Susan is a former family law atto

Episode 347: When the Holidays Trigger Every Old Wound: How to Get Through Without Losing Yourself Dec 11, 2025 25:36 The holidays have a magical way of triggering every wound you've ever had. In this solo episode, I'm sharing how you can take care of yourself so you don't lose your mind, your center, or your sanity in the process. Whether this is your first holiday season post separation, you're holding it together until January to file, or you're already divorced and juggling co-parenting, conflict, grief, or t

Episode 346: The Female Loneliness Epidemic Dec 4, 2025 19:54 This episode is about the loneliness women feel inside of relationships and how that loneliness can cut deeper than anything else, even when someone is sitting right next to you. If you've been moving through your days feeling invisible, misunderstood, or emotionally starved inside your own home, please hear me when I say this: you are not alone. Loneliness in marriage has become one of the most c

[Encore Episode] Holidays in Divorce Nov 27, 2025 30:02 Enjoy this encore episode as I walk you through a big one: navigating the holidays during divorce. The holidays can feel like walking an emotional tightrope while trying to hold onto some joy. Whether it's your first holiday season after divorce, your last one as a family before separating, or you've been navigating holidays in divorce for a while, it's a time that stirs up all the emotions. Wher

Episode 345: How to Communicate With Your Ex (Without Losing Your Mind) with the Pros at Talking Parents Nov 20, 2025 43:25 If you've gone through divorce, are contemplating it, or you're smack in the messy middle, you already know: one of the hardest parts isn't the paperwork. It's learning how the hell to communicate with your ex. This is someone you likely have a lot of emotional heat with: toxic, irritating, disappointing, or all of the above and communication might even be one of the reasons you're not together an

Episode 344: Parenting Plans, Support, and Legal Truths with Renee Bauer Nov 13, 2025 50:03 This episode is all about parenting plans, spousal support, and the biggest legal truths people miss when they're divorcing with kids. I'm joined by award-winning divorce attorney and My Next Chapter's legal expert, Renee Bauer, who brings over two decades of family law experience to this conversation. We get into how courts are shifting toward shared parenting, why some parenting plans need two

Episode 343: Healing, Resilience, and Redefining Life After Divorce with Dr. Marianna Strongin Nov 5, 2025 48:43 If you've ever found yourself in that painful in-between of "I can't stay, but I don't know how to move forward," my hope is that this episode will feel like a big exhale. I'm joined by Dr. Marianna Strongin, licensed clinical psychologist, child of divorce, and the mental health expert at My Next Chapter, where she and I have been collaborating to support people through every stage of divorce. In

Episode 342: From Uncertainty to Clarity with Tamara Frankfort Odinec and Shari Joseph of My Next Chapter Oct 30, 2025 38:39 I'm thrilled to welcome back two women I absolutely adore:Tamara Frankfort Odinec and Shari Joseph, the powerhouse duo behind My Next Chapter, an expert-led platform and community that supports people at every stage of divorce. When they first joined me, the platform was just getting started. Now, they've built something extraordinary: a vibrant, growing community with nearly a thousand members, e

Episode 341: The Angry Woman's Guide To Embodying Change With Arianne MacBean Oct 23, 2025 43:33 Arianne MacBean writes, "Your anger is the spark of your inner fire." As outlined in her upcoming book, Tough Shit: The Angry Woman's Guide to Embodying Change, that spark is something every woman deserves to honor. This week she joins me for a conversation that's all about reclaiming that fire and learning how to channel it into transformation. Arianne is a licensed marriage and family therapist

Episode 340: Feminism, Divorce, and The Legacy of Judy Blume with Rachelle Bergstein Oct 16, 2025 34:47 Judy Blume and feminism? Yes, please. Add in divorce… and we got ourselves a cool (albeit, a bit different) podcast episode this week! I'm thrilled to welcome Rachelle Bergstein to the show, a lifestyle writer, bestselling author, and editor whose work explores the intersections of style, pop culture, and family. Her latest book, The Genius of Judy, takes us on an intimate and unflinching journey

Episode 339: Military Marriage and Divorce with Heather Sweeney Oct 9, 2025 54:58 We're pulling back the curtain on military marriage and divorce, a world built on service and sacrifice but also one that silences and sidelines the spouses, most often women, who hold everything together while their partners serve. I'm thrilled to welcome Heather Sweeney to the podcast for this conversation, one I've been wanting to have for years. She's a writer, former military spouse, and the

Episode 338: Divorce, Money, and Self-Worth with Shari Rash Oct 2, 2025 34:33 We are diving into one of the most challenging and emotional parts of divorce, money. Money is not just numbers on a spreadsheet; it is safety, freedom, self-worth, and often a whole lot of shame. Today I'm joined by Shari Rash, a nationally recognized financial advisor and money mindset expert. She hosts Everyone's Talkin' Money, named a Top 4 money podcast by The New York Times with more than 24

Episode 337: SOLO Episode - How I Learned the Communication Skills That Changed My Life Sep 25, 2025 36:12 If you've ever felt like you "just weren't born a good communicator," I want to stop you right there. Most of us are not born with these skills, instead we learn them, often the hard way. I know, because when someone asked me at my book launch, "Where did you learn to communicate?" I blanked and said I was "just born with it." The truth? Communication is something I studied, practiced, and worked

Episode 336: Breaking Patterns, Choosing Power: Dating After Divorce with Jennie Young Sep 18, 2025 49:20 I'm excited to welcome back Jennie Young to the podcast. Jennie is here to talk about dating after divorce and how to protect yourself from getting tangled in the patterns you worked so hard to get yourself out of. She's the creator of the Burned Haystack Dating Method — a sharp and fiercely feminist approach to spotting danger early in the dating process, and the author of the upcoming book Burn

Episode 335: Making Your Trauma Responses Work For You with Dr. Amelia Kelley Sep 11, 2025 55:22 Podcast favorite Dr. Amelia Kelley is back on the show! Today we're unpacking something I know will resonate with so many of you: our trauma responses. Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn… we all have them. But what if instead of shaming ourselves for these responses, we learned to use them for our benefit? Amelia and I get into what each response actually looks like day-to-day, why they happen so quic

Episode 334: Leadership in Intimate Relationships with Blair Glaser Sep 4, 2025 48:48 New episodes are back! Blair Glaser joins me to talk about how leadership roles, yes, the ones from the boardroom, can help you become a better partner, communicator, and even co-parent during and after divorce. What it comes down to, quite simply, is using leadership for love. Blair shares how her four-part leadership model applies directly to relationships in transition, including divorce and

[Encore Episode] After The Talk: How to Prepare for Your Divorce with Susan Guthrie, Esq. Aug 28, 2025 50:39 New episodes return in September! In this final encore episode for the month of August, you'll hear part two of a special crossover series with The Divorce and Beyond Podcast. This episode picks up where my conversation with Susan Guthrie left off: how to have the most difficult conversation of your life: "I want a divorce." To hear the first part of our conversation, be sure to visit Susan's we

[Encore Episode] Your Divorce Roadmap: The Stages and Phases of Divorce Aug 21, 2025 34:14 This week's encore episode is a solo one, focused on The Divorce Roadmap—a framework I created after more than a decade of working with thousands of women and mapping out every stage of the divorce process. Over the years, I've gotten really good at helping people identify exactly where they are on that path, which makes it much easier to know what comes next. Throughout this episode, I walk you t

[Encore Episode] Covert Emotional Abuse with Annette Oltmans Aug 14, 2025 50:50 This encore episode features passionate human rights advocate Annette Oltmans, and we're talking about covert emotional abuse, one of the most insidious and overlooked forms of domestic violence. If you're in it, have been through it, or suspect something's not right in your relationship, this is one you don't want to miss (or re-listen to). Annette shares her personal experience of prolonged emot

[Encore Episode] The Science of Stuck with Britt Frank Aug 7, 2025 46:09 This encore episode features Britt Frank, therapist and author of The Science of Stuck, and we're unpacking what it actually means to feel stuck and how to finally move through it. Britt has a gift for cutting through the shame we carry about our behaviors. Whether it's procrastination, burnout, people-pleasing, or codependency, she breaks down the brain-body connection behind it all and reminds

[Encore Episode] Healing from Gaslighting with Dr. Amelia Kelley Jul 31, 2025 01:01:57 Over the next month, I'll be sharing encore episodes of the podcast - conversations that remain just as relevant and impactful today. New episodes will be back in September! This week's encore episode features fan-favorite Dr. Amelia Kelley, and we're digging into what gaslighting really is, how it shows up in our lives, and how we start to heal from it. This conversation originally aired in 2023

Episode 333: If there's a playbook for them, there's a playbook for YOU Jul 24, 2025 49:33 If you've been in a narcissistic, emotionally abusive, or coercively controlling relationship, you may think you're alone in your confusion and trauma. After working with thousands of women, however, I can assure you that abusers are all operating out of the same playbook. The gaslighting, the love bombing, the silent treatment? The patterns are actually completely predictable. It's called the Abu

Episode 332: Divorce, Menopause, and Medical Gaslighting with Kathy Gould Jul 17, 2025 49:47 Why are women's health concerns still being dismissed and what can we do about it? The healthcare system was not built for women. For many of us, especially in midlife, our health concerns are dismissed, misunderstood, or flat-out ignored. And when you're navigating the storm of divorce at the same time as perimenopause or menopause? It can feel like you're unraveling. I'm joined by Phoenix Risin

Episode 331: The Overfunctioning Woman with Dr. Ashley Southard Jul 10, 2025 45:06 Have you ever felt like if you don't do it, it just won't get done? Like the relationship, the parenting, the emotional glue that holds everything together is your job? You might be an overfunctioning woman and this episode is your loving (but no-nonsense) invitation to finally let it go. I'm joined by Dr. Ashley Southard, a licensed marriage and family therapist with over two decades of experienc

Episode 330: Attachment Styles & Somatic Healing with Laurie James Jul 3, 2025 58:29 I'm joined once again by Laurie James for a conversation that bridges nervous system healing, somatic experiencing, and attachment work. If you've ever felt overwhelmed or disconnected in relationships, this episode will help you understand why and what to do about it. Laurie isn't just a coach and author, she's someone who's done the deep work to regulate her nervous system after divorce and hear

Episode 329: Divorcing with ADHD: Tracy Otsuka on Trauma, Misdiagnosis, and Mental Overload Jun 26, 2025 41:02 The brilliant Tracy Otsuka is back on the show for another rich conversation about why ADHD so often gets misdiagnosed (or completely missed) in women, how trauma can mimic or amplify ADHD symptoms, and what you can actually do to function and advocate for yourself if you're dealing with either (or both) during divorce. We also dig into the very real challenges of trying to function while your

Episode 328: Crypto and Divorce: How to Uncover Digital Assets with Chris Groshong Jun 19, 2025 55:09 On today's episode we're talking about the complex issue of cryptocurrency and divorce, and to help unpack it, I brought in Chris Groshong. Chris made the leap from biotech to fintech when he founded CoinStructive back in 2015. Since then he's worked for crypto financial institutions and has helped hundreds of people track down crypto lost to scams, hacks, and yes, hidden in divorce. If crypto

Episode 327: Parenting Older Kids Through Divorce with Christina McGhee Jun 12, 2025 47:01 Today we're talking about something that doesn't get nearly enough airtime: how older kids and adult children experience and process divorce. Whether they're in high school, college, or fully grown, your children still need you to show up as a parent. Today, I'm joined by the one and only Christina McGhee to unpack the complexities of divorcing when your kids aren't little anymore. In this episode

Episode 326: My Next Chapter with Tamara Frankfort Odinec and Shari Joseph Jun 5, 2025 46:33 Today on the podcast I'm talking with Tamara Frankfort Odinec and Shari Joseph, the brilliant creators behind My Next Chapter, a new expert-led digital platform designed to support people through every stage of divorce with guidance, community, and curated content. What started as two women trying to find clarity in their own divorces has become a full-fledged resource hub with everything they wis

Episode 325: They Helped Me Find Love—Now They're Interviewing Me About It! With Alyssa Dineen and Jennie Young May 29, 2025 01:01:09 This episode is a fun twist. Alyssa Dineen of Style My Profile and Jennie Young of Burned Haystack Dating Method are back, but this time they're interviewing me. I'm in the hot seat as we dive into how their work completely shifted my experience re-entering the dating world, what I did differently this time, and how I met my partner, Ethan. I was done with dating. D.O.N.E. I was perfectly content

Episode 324: The Power of Differentiation with Tony Overbay May 22, 2025 59:57 My friend and colleague Tony Overbay is back, and we're unpacking one of the most transformative concepts in relational healing: differentiation. At its core, differentiation is the ability to say, "This is who I am" and to stay rooted in your identity, beliefs, and emotions, even when others might pressure you to conform. It's about holding onto yourself while staying connected to others, without

Episode 323: Parenting Through Regret and Repair with Dr. Alexandra Solomon May 15, 2025 47:54 When you've finally left a toxic marriage and your kids, especially adult kids, have spent years steeped in that same environment, the guilt can be crushing. You wonder: How do I help them heal? How do I set them up for success when I feel like I already failed them? Dr. Alexandra Solomon is back, and we're getting into the deep stuff: parenting through regret, healing alongside our kids, and w

Episode 322: Put Your Past In Your Past with Beverly Engel May 8, 2025 56:54 Beverly Engel is back, and I'm so grateful to talk with someone who's spent decades helping people break free from trauma-driven relationship patterns. If you've ever felt stuck in the same story - same red flags, different partner - you're not alone. In this episode, Beverly brings clarity to the messy, courageous work of breaking free and putting your past in your past. Beverly is a renowned psy

Episode 321: The Selfish Woman with Valerie Jones May 1, 2025 46:40 Valerie Jones joins me for a powerful conversation about something so many of us need to hear: redefining what it truly means to be selfish. Valerie is a life coach, host of The Selfish Woman Podcast, and the author of the upcoming book The Selfish Year: The Power of Choosing Yourself, hitting shelves in September 2025. In our conversation, Valerie shares the transformative experience of her own "

Episode 320: The Black Hole of High Conflict with Brook Olsen Apr 24, 2025 44:49 If you're stuck in endless loops with a high-conflict ex, Brook Olsen wants you to stop expecting them to change, and start changing how you respond. Brook is a Certified Parenting Educator, Divorce Coach, and author of The Black Hole of High Conflict. In this conversation, we get real about what happens when you stop feeding the conflict, why parallel parenting is often the only way forward, and

Episode 319: When the Healer Harms: Speaking out Against Lundy Bancroft Apr 17, 2025 51:36 April Worthington is a teacher, mother of five, minister, and author of The Debriefing Workbook: Hope and Healing after Spiritual Abuse. In this conversation, April shares her experience involving a retreat led by Lundy Bancroft, author of Why Does He Do That?, a book many of us have clung to in our darkest moments. April's story isn't just one of personal harm, it's a call to action. As a surviv

Episode 318: The Messy Truth About Healing with Kerry McAvoy, Ph.D Apr 10, 2025 51:18 Dr. Kerry McAvoy returns to talk about what it means to heal from narcissistic abuse. Not just from an intellectual standpoint, but healing your nervous system, in your relationships, and in your relationship to yourself. Healing is not quick, it's not tidy, and it's definitely not linear. Dr. Kerry and I talk about how women have been conditioned to serve, to disappear, to manage the emotions of

Episode 317: Burned Haystack Dating Method with Jennie Young Apr 3, 2025 57:00 Finding a partner after divorce can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This week's guest, Jennie Young, suggests a bold alternative - burn the haystack. Jennie is the creator of Burned Haystack Dating Method, a method grounded in applied rhetoric and feminist praxis, designed to push back against the toxic norms built into many modern dating platforms. In this episode, Jennie shares p

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