Divorce Coaches Academy

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) You may have heard that DCA is going global. And today we're honored to introduce you to Anne-Marie Cade - the DCA™ Director of Learning and Development for Australia.  She is an award-winning lawyer and mediator, a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Certified Divorce Coach and Parenting Coordinator as well as a speaker, trai...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Many of us (including our clients) have learned all the wrong things about negotiation. We think of haggling over the price of a car where each person gives up a little of their position until an agreement is reached. Essentially we’ve been taught incorrectly that the loudest and most assertive voice wins in any negotiation, or th...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Today we're talking conflict styles and how helping a client gain insight into their own as well as their partner’s dominant or historical conflict style can be a game changer in divorce. Most couples have repetitive, unhealthy conflict patterns that have been established throughout their marriage. And those dysfunctional patterns...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Today, we thought it might be fun, interesting, and helpful to demonstrate what it sounds like when a coaching session goes wrong. We were looking back on some of our most popular podcast episodes and we noticed that many of the most downloaded topics were related to effective coaching skills. A few of the super popular ones inclu...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Most bottom lines are generated out of fear and uncertainty.  Clients feel that their well being, identity, status, financial security and more are being threatened in divorce. Today we're talking about helping our clients explore options that meet their core interests while still allowing for flexibility and collaboration - and t...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) When clients act out of fear, anger, powerlessness, overwhelm, or other emotions, they aren’t making the best decisions for themselves. This week, we’re talking all about triggers - why they happen and what you, as a coach, can do to support your clients in managing those emotional responses. How many times have you heard a client...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it … if you want to get clients, grassroots marketing is the least expensive and most effective way to go. Today we want to talk about the mistakes we see new coaches make and what you can do to work your two most important referral pipelines - current clients and professional contacts. T...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Why would someone with decades of experience as a family law attorney and family court judge choose to pursue training as a divorce coach? We invited Chandlee Kuhn, a student in our current cohort, to share her perspective and give you some insights. Chandlee J. Kuhn is the retired Chief Judge of the Family Court for the State of...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Well, we couldn't be more excited to have THE Susan Guthrie joining us on the podcast this week. TBH we were fangirling a little bit, but we had the most incredible conversation about how she transitioned from litigation to ADR and why Susan believes a divorce coach should be everyone's first call. Susan is a nationally recognized...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Have you ever had a client who is timid about going into mediation because they believe their spouse or co-parent will over-power or try to dominate them? Perhaps they don’t feel like they have the confidence to advocate for themselves? Today we're talking about the concept of psychological power and that’s where we can look to Sa...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) The quickest route to jeopardizing your business is crossing the line and giving clients legal advice. Yes, as divorce coaches, we do support clients through the legal process and we do provide general divorce education, but we need to be very cautious to avoid acting as a legal advocate. In this week's episode, we review the conc...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Clients don’t always serve up their fears, goals, biases, needs, expectations, assumptions and thinking problems on a silver platter. Often they’re embedded deep inside their stories.  One of the most critical skills we develop as coaches is to hear what isn’t being said.  In today’s episode we dive into how excellent coaches trai...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) These days everyone is talking about high conflict divorce, but is it always the other party? Today we thought we’d talk about those times when your client is contributing to the conflict and discuss some strategies for helping them identify when they’re getting in their own way. Have you heard the saying “it takes two to tango”? ...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) We talked earlier this year about why we hate toxic positivity and it obviously hit a nerve. It’s one of our most downloaded episodes, so we thought we’d unpack that a little more and spend some time chatting about why we want professional divorce coaches to stop referring to themselves as cheerleaders. Cheerleader: be an enthusia...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) There’s a lot of confusion out there about what being a certified divorce coach means and why it matters. Advocating for the profession of divorce coaching is part of our mission here at DCA™ and today we’re talking about how important it is that anyone calling themselves a divorce coach have the proper training and credentials. I...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Mediation is becoming more and more popular as a means for couples to negotiate their divorce and co-parenting agreements. And many courts are now requiring mediation before hearing or trial dates can be set. But clients who aren’t properly prepared for mediation often make common mistakes that are obstacles to successful negotiat...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) We talked last week about what can happen when new coaches get distracted by the latest market trends and shiny objects.  This week, we want to continue the conversation and chat about the importance of ongoing professional development. Because growing a divorce coaching practice isn't easy and it's certainly not a one-time event....

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Trying to decide where to start or what to do next when it comes to your business can feel overwhelming at times. It's easy to see the latest shiny trend and lose focus.  Debra and Tracy discuss how to navigate this difficult process, how to simplify your approach, and how to know what's working in today's episode. When it comes t...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) When clients punt responsibility for their divorce decisions to others, it's a recipe for regret and resentment. In today's episode, Tracy and Debra discuss why this happens, what the repercussions are for the client, and what you can do to help. We get it. Clients beginning the divorce process are scared. There's so much they don...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Let's just sum up this episode by saying that self-reflection can be a bitch. As divorce coaches, we frequently ask clients to examine their own unproductive behaviors or thought patterns, consider alternative perspectives, or take actions that feel difficult or scary. This process of pushing clients outside of their comfort zone...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) We have a treat for you this week. Tracy is joined by fellow Divorce Coach Michelle Browning who also happens to be a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. They discuss the physical experience of divorce and how Michelle's practices help clients come into alignment with their nervous systems. Michelle says "we're not logical, we're b...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) So, we did a thing.  After 2 years of offering continuing education for divorce coaches who are already certified, we've made a decision to launch our very own certification training. Tracy and Debra talk about the reasons why they chose to design and develop their own curriculum and why they believe this program is revolutionary...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Attorney-client relationships are complicated in divorce. And we're guessing that you hear the same common complaints that we do - clients are frustrated that they aren't able to communicate with their attorney in a way that feels effective. This week we're talking about some of the issues that contribute to this dynamic and what...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) Today we're preaching about the much overlooked topic of the divorce budget. That means talking with your client early on in your coaching relationship about the amount of money they'd like to spend on their divorce. Why is that so important? Because they can't get a Lamborghini divorce on a Kia budget. Cultural norms tell people...

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply) It's gonna be OK. You're going to get through this just fine. You'll be so glad when it's over.  Focus on the good. In today's episode, we unpack why we believe these kinds of statements aren't just ineffective from a coaching standpoint, but can actually harm clients.  Toxic positivity is defined as the act of avoiding, suppressi...