The Empowered Divorce Podcast; Navigating Divorce After Betrayal Trauma and Abuse

After a life-saving divorce, many people expect that once they leave the relationship, they should feel better and move forward. But instead, they find themselves replaying memories, feeling on edge, or reacting to triggers that seem small but feel overwhelming. In this episode, I talk about why feeling stuck in the past is not a sign that you’re doing something wrong—it’s often a sign that your n...

In Part 2 of this deeply personal and powerful conversation, my daughter, McKenna, continues sharing her perspective of growing up through divorce, betrayal, emotional pain, healing, and family repair. This episode moves beyond the fear many parents carry and into something deeper: what actually helped a child heal. Together, we explore the realities children often face silently during divorce and...

What is it really like for children growing up in a home impacted by betrayal, emotional abuse, addiction, and divorce? In this deeply vulnerable episode, Alana Gordon and I sit down with a very special guest — My oldest daughter, McKenna — to hear firsthand what the experience was like from the child’s perspective. Together, we explore the emotional realities children often carry silently: sensin...

What happens when your children don’t understand — or even resist — your healing journey? In this deeply honest conversation, Alana Gordon and I explore the painful and complicated reality many parents face after divorce, betrayal, addiction, or relational trauma: trying to heal while navigating disconnection, anger, or distance from their children. We talk about the instinct to over explain, defe...

In this deeply validating and practical conversation, I sit down with internationally recognized divorce parenting expert Christina McGhee to talk about one of the hardest parts of healing after betrayal and divorce: parenting through high-conflict co-parenting dynamics while trying to protect and emotionally support your children. Together, we unpack the realities many women face after a life-sav...

What is it really like for a child growing up in the middle of betrayal, conflict, and uncertainty? In this episode, you’ll hear directly from Hannah Gordon , who courageously shares her personal experience of navigating betrayal trauma within her family. This conversation was originally recorded on the podcast hosted by her mother, Alana Gordon , and it offers a rare and honest look at how childr...

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and colleague Morgan Ellsworth for a meaningful conversation about how betrayal and divorce impact kids—especially teens and young adults—and what parents can do to support them as they navigate the emotional aftermath of family change. Divorce can bring relief in some ways, but it can also leave children carrying confusion, grief, loyalty conflicts, and un...

Dating From Within June 11th-13th ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://datingfromwithin.amiewoolsey.com/dating-from-within-page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ After betrayal, abuse, and divorce, I see so many women become hyperfocused on learning every red flag, analyzing behaviors, and trying to figure out who is safe and who is not. But healing and healthy dating are not built from hypervigilance alone. In this bonus episode, I talk about w...

Divorce is not a one-time conversation with your children. It is an ongoing relationship conversation that unfolds over months, years, and different stages of development. Whether you are preparing to talk to your children about separation, recently divorced, or years down the road and still navigating hard questions, this episode offers guidance for staying steady in those moments. Many parents c...

Divorce, especially after betrayal or ongoing conflict, can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply personal. You may feel like you're constantly defending yourself, explaining your choices, or trying to make others understand your reality. In this episode, I sit down with divorce strategist Meagan Norris to talk about what it really means to own your story while you're still in the middl...

So many women reach a point in their healing journey where they feel completely exhausted and quietly ask themselves, “I am so done with the hard… when does this get easier?” In this episode, I talk directly to that moment. Not to dismiss the fatigue or tell you to push through it, but to explore why the hard can linger long after the divorce is finalized—and what actually helps it begin to soften...

After divorce—especially after betrayal or a life-saving separation—many women find themselves using one word to describe their experience: alone. But being alone and feeling lonely are not the same thing. In this episode, I talk about the difference between those two experiences and why separating them can be a turning point in healing. I share personal stories about grief that still shows up yea...

Trust can feel impossible after betrayal. Not just trust in another person, but trust in yourself. Trust in your intuition. Trust in love. Trust in life. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with psychotherapist and author David Richo to explore what trust really is, why trusting again feels so risky after betrayal or divorce, and how rebuilding trust begins from the inside out. We talk about...

In this episode, we continue the conversation from last week by going deeper into one of the most misunderstood parts of the healing process: acceptance . This is not about agreeing with what happened, minimizing the pain, or pretending everything is okay. Acceptance is about acknowledging reality so your energy can begin to shift back into your own life. We explore why acceptance can feel so thre...

Many women walk away from a marriage knowing deep down they made the right decision, yet still feel overwhelmed by guilt and grief. Especially when children are involved, the emotional weight can feel confusing and heavy. In this episode, I talk about the kind of guilt that doesn’t make logical sense, the sadness that shows up when anger was expected, and why grief after betrayal and divorce is no...

If you've ever stood in the middle of your new life after divorce and genuinely not known who you are anymore, this episode is for you. Losing yourself in a marriage built on betrayal is not a character flaw — it's what happens when you spend years trying to be enough for someone who was never fully honest with you. In this episode, I walk through what it actually looks like to rebuild your identi...

Few Spots left for July 20th-25th 2026 https://www.chooserecoveryservices.com/rise-renew-restore-retreat/ Alana Gordon & Hali Roderick are two of my most favorite people and I'm lucky enough to also work with. Alana and I host The Choose To Be podcast for betrayed partners and Hali is one of the coaches with Choose Recovery Services as well. Head over to the link to find out more! Rise Ren...

Have you ever been the strong one — the one who holds everything together, manages everyone's emotions, and keeps the ship running — but quietly wondered why you're so exhausted? In this episode I'm sitting down with licensed psychotherapist and bestselling author Terri Cole to talk about something she coined called high functioning codependency (HFC). This isn't the codependency y...

If you've ever laughed out loud and immediately braced for something bad to follow, or found yourself scanning for what's wrong the moment something finally feels right, this episode is for you. Betrayal trauma doesn't just break your heart — it breaks your nervous system's ability to trust that good things are safe to feel. In this episode, I unpack the psychology behind forebodin...

You've heard it a hundred times — you need boundaries. You agree, you nod along, and then you close the app and have no idea where to start. In this episode I'm getting into the actual how. I walk you through the stages of boundary setting, the real difference between a request and a boundary, and give you word-for-word language you can use with your ex today. I also get honest about the l...

If you’ve ever listened to a boundaries episode, nodded the whole time, and then shut it off thinking, “Okay… but what do I actually do?” this one is for you. In today’s episode, I’m not teaching boundaries in theory. I’m helping you figure out where you actually need one , especially if you’re navigating betrayal, post separation abuse, high conflict divorce, or ongoing co parenting stress. Becau...

Healthy Dependence After Betrayal: The Attachment Truth About “I Don’t Need Anyone” If you’ve been betrayed, divorced, or coming out of a relationship where you lost yourself, it makes total sense if you swung hard into “I don’t need anyone.” For a while, that kind of hyper independence can feel like safety. Like a fortress. Like finally no one can regulate you, hurt you, or take you down again. B...

In this episode I talk with you about self objectification and how it quietly pulls you out of your own life. Many women learn to experience themselves from the outside in, constantly evaluating how their body looks instead of feeling what their body needs. This can come from sexual abuse, purity culture, early exposure to pornography, body shaming, or sexual betrayal in adult relationships. Over...

In this episode, I’m talking about something that gets misunderstood all the time: what safety actually is when your nervous system has lived in chronic relational threat. If you’ve noticed triggers around Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, kid exchanges, family gatherings, Target runs, or even a simple text from your ex, you are not crazy. Your body learned to scan for danger because it had to. And...

February can feel like love is being shoved in your face. Cards, candy, flowers, couples, social media, and if you’re healing from betrayal trauma and a life saving divorce, it can feel like the world is celebrating something your body doesn’t trust yet. In this episode, I’m talking about Valentine’s Day triggers, anniversary triggers, and why being activated right now does not mean you’re not hea...