Tracy Callahan and Debra Doak

Divorce Coaches Academy

Business EN ↓ 220 episodes

Divorce Coaches Academy podcast hosts Tracy Callahan and Debra Doak are on a mission to revolutionize the way families navigate divorce. We discuss topics to help professional divorce coaches succeed with clients and meet their business goals and we advocate (loudly sometimes) for the critical role certified divorce coaches play in the alternative dispute resolution process. Our goal is to create a community of divorce coaching professionals committed to reducing the financial and emotional impact of divorce on families.

Author

Tracy Callahan and Debra Doak

Category

Business

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Fairness Vs. Resolution Within the ADR Framework 14.01.2026

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Fair feels righteous, but it quietly keeps so many divorces stuck. We pull back the curtain on why “I just want what’s fair” becomes a trap and how a resolution-focused approach creates momentum, protects your energy, and ends conflict sooner. Instead of treating divorce like a moral tribunal, we frame it as a structured exit from...

Fair is the Four Letter Word: Why Chasing Fairness Keeps People Stuck in Divorce 07.01.2026

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Fair sounds virtuous, but it’s the quiet saboteur of many divorce negotiations. We pull back the curtain on how fairness language derails progress, fuels story stacking, and turns negotiations into a tribunal of the past instead of a plan for the future. When each person holds a private definition of “fair,” the gap widens, defens...

Diversity in Divorce Coaching: A Reflection on Access, Trust, and Effectiveness 31.12.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Trust accelerates the work. That simple idea sits at the heart of our conversation with betrayal trauma specialist and DCA-certified ADR divorce coach, Christina Riley, as we explore why representation isn’t a tagline—it’s a performance driver in divorce coaching and mediation. Clients don’t arrive as blank slates; they bring hist...

Artificial Intelligence and Divorce Coaching: Will AI Take Our Jobs or Help Us Do Them Better? 24.12.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Feeling uneasy about AI crowding into divorce work? We felt it too—so we sat down to map where technology actually helps and where only a trained human can do the job. From polished emails to calmer exchanges, AI can create a crucial pause. But growth doesn’t happen in a prompt; it happens when someone learns why they got triggere...

The Most Dangerous Sentence in Divorce 17.12.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The phrase “I just want this over with” shows up every December like clockwork. Tracy unpacks why that sentence is both deeply human and a vital signal that capacity is low—and why mistaking urgency for readiness can derail agreements, parenting plans, and trust long after the paperwork is signed. We map how the holidays act as a...

Roadmap To A Sustainable ADR Divorce Coaching Practice 10.12.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Wondering if a sustainable divorce coaching practice is really possible—or how to build one without burning out or getting lost in theory? We sit down with DCA-certified coach Lyerly Spongberg to unpack the exact steps she took to turn rigorous ADR training, mentor feedback, and a growth mindset into steady client results and a bu...

Reframing Conflict in Divorce Coaching: From Pathology to Pragmatism 03.12.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) When the words “narcissist” or “toxic” hit the table, the conversation often derails. We take a different path—away from labels and toward behavior—so clients can make safer, smarter decisions during divorce without stepping into clinical territory. Tracy lays out a clear, ethical approach that validates harm, respects mental heal...

​​​​Preparing for Divorce Month: Coaching for an Exit Strategy 26.11.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The holidays promise cheer, yet for many families they amplify tension, unmet expectations, and quiet grief. We open the door to a calmer path by guiding clients through a practical, humane pre-decision continuum that reduces conflict before lawyers, filings, or ultimatums take center stage.  Since January is known for a surge in...

When Men Divorce: Exploring the Male Experience in Divorce Coaching 19.11.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Divorce can knock the wind out of the protector identity many men carry. We explore what happens when that role shakes, why so many dads go silent, and how outcome-oriented coaching can turn conflict into a proving ground for empathy, clarity, and calm co-parenting.  In this DCA Podcast episode, Tracy welcomes JH Harper, a DCA-cer...

Navigating Divorce When Family Advice Clashes With Resolution 12.11.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) When love gets loud, decision-making gets messy. We sit down with family law attorney, mediator, and certified ADR divorce coach Lauren Fair to unpack why support from family and friends often feels good in the moment but can quietly anchor clients in rigid positions. From “my cousin got the house” jurisdiction myths to the rallyi...

How Thoughtful Parenting Plans Reduce Conflict And Protect Kids 05.11.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The hardest part of co-parenting isn’t agreeing when things are calm—it’s knowing exactly what to do when life changes. We unpack how to design a parenting plan that functions like a family operating system: practical, plain-language, and built to reduce conflict before it starts. With DCA ADR Certified Divorce Coach Dori Braddell...

Defining Divorce Coaching: Role, Boundaries, and Impact 29.10.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) What if the missing piece in most divorce processes isn’t another document or courtroom strategy, but a steadier, more prepared client? Tracy goes deep on the questions coaches ask most—how to define our role, hold firm boundaries, and position divorce coaching as an essential part of modern alternative dispute resolution. We star...

The Power of Mentorship: Guiding Growth in the Divorce Coaching Journey 22.10.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Ten mentoring rounds don’t happen by accident—they happen because mentorship works. We sit down with mentor and certified ADR divorce coach, family mediator, and co‑parenting specialist Carolyn Jacobs to unpack how structured labs turn theory into confident practice, why the “week five slump” is a turning point, and what shifts wh...

Breaking the Cycle: How Confirmation Bias Keeps Divorcing Couples Trapped in Conflict 15.10.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The loudest voice in divorce is often the one inside your head—the story that explains everything your ex does and why you’re “right.” We dig into how confirmation bias narrows your view, fuels conflict, and drains families, and we show a better path: shifting from case-building to problem-solving with tools you can use today. We...

Inside New Zealand’s FDR Shake-Up: Free Mediation, Fewer Supports, and the Case for Coaching 08.10.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) What happens when a country makes mediation free for every separating family—but removes the preparation that makes it work? We dig into New Zealand’s bold FDR shift with Mediator and Divorce Coach Nikki Bould, unpacking the real-world impact of funding cuts, waitlists, and the shortage of child inclusion specialists. From the out...

Fear-Driven Divorce: Unpacking Client Anxieties 01.10.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Ever wondered what's truly driving the most difficult divorce cases? Fear might be the hidden force behind excessive legal fees, ongoing conflicts, and harmful decisions that impact families for years to come. The fears inventory is a powerful but often overlooked tool in the divorce coach's arsenal. As divorce coaches, when we he...

Brick by Brick: Divorce Lessons from the Three Little Pigs 24.09.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) What can a children's fairy tale possibly teach us about divorce? As it turns out, quite a lot. The story of the Three Little Pigs offers a surprisingly perfect framework for understanding how different approaches to divorce preparation yield dramatically different outcomes. Some clients rush through their divorce process, making...

Waiting for Sorry: Moving Beyond Apologies in Divorce 17.09.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The weight of an unspoken "I'm sorry" can anchor someone in pain long after a marriage ends. This powerful episode explores why apologies matter so deeply in divorce, and more importantly, how to move forward when they never arrive. Divorce isn't just legal paperwork—it's an emotional rupture filled with pain and broken trust. An...

When Drinking Concerns Meet Custody: The Soberlink Solution 10.09.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) When alcohol concerns collide with custody arrangements, families need more than good intentions—they need accountability. Laura Crossett joins the Divorce Coaches Academy podcast to reveal how Soberlink's remote alcohol monitoring system transforms high-conflict co-parenting situations into manageable, child-centered arrangements...

The Unexpected Professionals Reshaping Divorce Support with Canadian Director Dori Braddell 03.09.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Divorce coaching isn't just for one type of professional anymore. What began as a niche service has evolved into a versatile skill set embraced by lawyers, mediators, paralegals, therapists, financial professionals, mortgage lenders, realtors and entrepreneurs—each using these powerful tools in unique ways. For attorneys, divorce...

Who's On My Side? Helping Clients Navigate Conflicts with Their Divorce Team 27.08.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Feeling unheard or misunderstood by their divorce professionals can add another layer of stress to an already challenging process for our clients. What happens when their attorney seems dismissive or their forensic accountant isn't addressing their concerns? More importantly, how can you help your client effectively advocate for t...

Why Some Divorces Cost $3,000 and Others Cost $300,000 20.08.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Navigating the stormy waters of divorce conflict requires more than good intentions—it demands specific skills, awareness, and strategies. Tracy and Debra tackle this crucial topic that affects every divorcing couple at some point, revealing the true costs that extend far beyond legal fees. When people enter conflict during divorc...

Clients, Credibility, and Cashflow: Real Talk About The Time It Takes to Build Your Business 13.08.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Ready for some straight talk about building a divorce coaching practice? Forget the overnight success stories you've seen on social media. The path to a thriving practice follows a predictable pattern that requires patience, consistency, and strategic action. Tracy and Debra break down the four distinct phases every successful div...

Nesting Sounds Nice… But Does It Actually Work? 06.08.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) "Nesting" sounds like the perfect solution when parents divorce – children stay in the comfort of their family home while mom and dad are the ones who rotate in and out. But what happens when one parent returns to find empty refrigerators, piles of dirty laundry, and dust bunnies the size of a softball? Tracy and Debra discuss bot...

When Empathy Becomes Too Heavy: Managing Compassion Fatigue in Divorce Coaching 30.07.2025

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Compassion fatigue silently affects countless divorce coaches—many don't even realize they're experiencing it until they're deep in burnout territory. Tracy and Debra tackle this critical topic by explaining how the very empathy that makes coaches effective can become their downfall without proper boundaries. The conversation dive...

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