The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast

Laura Friedman Williams was a happily married, stay-at-home mom of three children. She had plans to grow old with her husband. Then she discovered her husband was having an affair and found herself single after 27-years. Faced with the choice to consider her life over or reinvent herself, she chose the latter. Today, she shares her explosive story of sex and dating after divorce.  Laura is the aut...

This week I am talking about the importance of finding and utilizing the proper support tools as you go through the most transitional time in your life. The topic was inspired by my Facebook group , where I've been seeing a stream of really long posts. And what that says to me is that women are looking for ways to offload, mirror, and vent about the toxic and oftentimes abusive relationships they...

Joining me this week is Seth Nelson, family lawyer and host of the podcast, How to Split a Toaster. He is going to help us break down divorce law in the United States - because not only can it be overwhelming, it can be confusing, and frustrating. The good news is that there are some universal truths to divorce law that can help you maneuver through the court system and work with your lawyer with...

"Speaking your mind is an act of rebellion." This week, Andrea Owen joins me to talk about making some noise, taking up space, and how to be empowered in your life. Andrea Owen is a speaker, life coach, author, hellraiser, and a very close friend of mine. She's creating a global impact on women's empowerment with her books being translated into 18 languages and available in 22 countries.  Our frie...

When you are a caretaker on both sides of the coin - caring for your children, as well as, aging adults,  and then throw in going through a divorce; things just can get really overwhelming.  My guest, Laurie James, is a mother, caregiver, divorcée, turned author, and transformative coach. In this episode, we get to the heart of what it is like living in the space between holding on and letting go....

This week's podcast topic is trauma bonding and shame. My guest, Dr. Nadine Macaluso, has an incredible story to share. Nadine Macaluso is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice. Her personal and clinical expertise is in attachment trauma, shame, and relationships. Dr. Nae is also the ex-wife to the infamous Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort, with whom she shares two childr...

My guest, Tina Swithin, survived a "Category Five Divorce Hurricane," while acting as her own attorney in a high-conflict custody battle that turned her family's life upside down for over a decade. Tina is the author of Divorcing a Narcissist and the founder of One Mom's Battle. She continues to champion children's rights through her family court advocacy and works to raise awareness of the issues...

Today we're talking about boundaries with my good friend, Amy E. Smith. If you have a history of constantly putting everybody first, giving in, or not speaking up when something is bothersome to you, then you, my love, need to set some boundaries. In this episode, Amy shares her three-step process for boundary setting, shares some thought-provoking lessons like, "You are not responsible for other...

This week I am talking with Meredith Shirey about the do's and don'ts of therapy - individual and couples therapy alike. Meredith is licensed in New York and Tennessee as a Marriage and Family Therapist is a Clinical Fellow member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the founder of Meredith Shirey Marriage and Family Therapy, PLLC. In this episode we explore the complexi...

Rebecca Zung is one of the Top 1% of attorneys in the nation, author of bestselling books, including Negotiate Like You M.A.T.T.E.R, and host of the popular Negotiate Your Best Life . She is who many women turn to regarding all things narcissistic abuse and divorce.  I am thrilled to welcome Rebecca as a guest to talk about how to negotiate a divorce with a narcissist. In this episode, Rebecca and...

As co-parents, sometimes we just need a third-party element for communication, especially in a high-conflict situation. The co-parenting app space is growing day by day — and you already know I am a huge fan of these types of apps. So, when I learned about Bianca Balogh's app, Peaceful Parent Messenger , I was intrigued. It's a communication tool for all co-parents but especially those in high-con...

Caroline Dooner has written one of my favorite books,  The F*ck It Diet.  This book is for chronic dieters who want to heal their relationship with food. Yes, hello! She joined me on the podcast this week to talk about her book, rejecting diet culture, and why, as a culture, we are so addicted to dieting. The majority of our culture is stuck in a brainwashing assumption that food is bad and danger...

Jordan Shapiro joins me to talk about being a feminist dad. Jordan is an author, educator, and researcher. He's Senior Fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. Finally, he is the author of  Father-Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad .  In this episode, we discuss gender essentialism and how me...

I am joined this week by Dr. Shyamala, Podcast Host, Media Expert for National T.V., and founder of The EQ Code, a coaching program for high-performing women who are ready to transform their relationships, so they can execute on their mission at a whole new level. Dr. Shyamala and I geeked out on emotional intelligence, communication styles, and the importance of focusing on the deep work needed i...

Our society has conditioned us to think that money is gendered and that men are more competent when it comes to matters of money. Further, society tells us that women, because we're "nurturing or caretaking" are not strong enough to handle money. Amanda Steinberg joins me to turn that idea on its head, talk about women's financial empowerment, and share a roadmap so you can become financially free...

This week I am busting divorce myths with my guest, Eric Broder. Eric is a divorce and family attorney,   and co-founding member and partner at Broder Orland Murray &DeMattie LLC.  In this episode, Eric and I bust myths about no-fault law, modern parenting agreements, assets, and whether or not getting a job will impact your divorce settlement. That's just some of what we discuss — we cover a lot...

In many states, courts mandate divorcing parents to take a co-parenting class. And as we often discuss in my Facebook group , many parents leave these court-mandated classes traumatized because the very first thing they teach is that divorce is terrible for your children.  While the research doesn't support this being true (and you'd think educators in this arena would, you know, read the research...

Dr. Shefali, an expert in family dynamics and personal development and NY Times Best-selling author, joins me this week to talk about how to radically awaken yourself from the fear-based patterns women have been raised into and instead embrace our truths and live free.  We explore many of the glitches in psychological armor that keep women from daring to speak up. Dr. Shefali also helps us to unde...

We are so conditioned to expect that Prince Charming will show up on his white horse and deliver us radical intimacy; he will sweep us off our feet and the rest is history. Let's be real - that's just not how intimacy works .  In fact, as Zoë Kors, a sought-after thought leader on intimacy and sexuality, says  "We are not taught these [intimacy] skills. We are programmed to believe passion, sex, a...

In 2012, my guest, Sara Olsher, packed up her 18-month old daughter, left her marriage, and after four years of intense personal growth, founded a company that sells amazing resources for co-parents and their children. Whether it's divorce, cancer, death, or any other uncertainty, Sara has worked hard to be comfortable with the profoundly uncomfortable through her company Mighty + Bright. Much of...

Many of the women I work with, at some point, have stated that all they wanted in their relationship was to feel understood. As this week's guest, Mira Kirshenbaum (author of the seminal book, Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay ) states in her book, Why Couples Fight , "Feeling understood is the orgasm of intimacy."  Mira joins me to talk about the ways in which couples can end conflict, frustrati...

Dr. Elizabeth Cohen is CEO and Founder of the online divorce course and membership, Afterglow: the Light on The Other Side of Divorce. She is also the author of the book, "Light on the Other Side of Divorce: Discovering the New You," which is a phenomenal book about how to grow and thrive after divorce.  She joins me this week to discuss aspects of her book, including the need for processing your...

So, you and your spouse have decided to divorce. You're now faced with the responsibility of telling your kids. Unfortunately, there is no script for breaking the news to them. This week, I am bringing back my friend and colleague Christina McGhee to walk listeners through the very nuanced step-by-step process of telling your children you're getting a divorce.   You and your ex are going to be co-...

This week, I'm sharing the conversation I had with Ellen Bruno about her film, Split. Split is an incredible film for kids of divorce and their parents.  It is simple in its presentation, but poignant. Split is a deeply personal film that explores the effects of divorce on children, from the child's perspective. The movie allows children to speak the powerful truth of what is on their minds and in...

This week, I am talking with Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic about sexual coercion. We discuss how it shows up in relationships and what a woman can do if she is a victim. Dr. Jeglic is an internationally renowned expert speaker, author, and researcher on topics related to sexual violence prevention and sex offender public policy. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, and...