Unfuck Your Coparenting

Co-parenting with a high-conflict, narcissistic, or toxic ex doesn't just make you worry about your kids — it can quietly turn normal parental concern into a full-blown anxiety spiral. In this episode of The Breakdown, Livi North breaks down the top 10 signs you're in a "good parent anxiety spiral" — and why almost all of them trace back to just three things: anxiety, guilt, and...

Five minutes late to an exchange should not ruin your whole week, but with a high-conflict co-parent it somehow does. In this episode I walk you through 12 things that are genuinely not worth your energy, why some of them are actually bait designed to drain you, and how I tell the difference between annoying and actually serious. I'll give you a simple filter, Safety, Schedule, School, Sanity,...

In this episode of The Coaching Couch, Livi North talks with Corey, a father who survived a four-year custody battle after his daughter was taken out of state and he went 280 days without seeing her. Corey shares what happened when his co-parent relocated with their daughter, why he first hired an attorney, how he later represented himself for much of the case, and what it took to prepare for medi...

In Part 2 of this Coaching Couch interview, Livi North continues her conversation with Ali and Stephanie Schmall, the producer and director behind I Love You, My Narcissist. This episode goes deeper into the emotional reality of making a film about narcissistic abuse, the survivor stories that shaped the project, and why reactive abuse is so often misunderstood. Ali and Stephanie discuss the perso...

Parenting plans are supposed to create structure, predictability, and peace. But when you are dealing with a high-conflict, narcissistic, or toxic co-parent, vague parenting plan language can become the exact thing that keeps you stuck in constant conflict. In this episode of Unfuck Your Co-Parenting , Livi North breaks down 10 common parenting plan clauses that sound reasonable in theory but ofte...

In this episode of The Coaching Couch, Livi North is joined by Ali and Stephanie Schmall, the producer and director behind I Love You, My Narcissist. This independent hybrid film blends scripted storytelling, survivor experiences, and expert commentary to show the slow, confusing, identity-eroding reality of narcissistic abuse — the part that is so hard to explain to friends, family, courts, and a...

What happens when “healthy co-parenting” becomes a trap? In this episode, Livi North breaks down the difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting — and why so many people stay emotionally stuck trying to force cooperation with someone committed to conflict. We cover: what healthy co-parenting actually looks like signs cooperation is no longer realistic why communication becomes weaponize...

This is Part 2 of our series on how high-conflict co-parents weaponize custody agreements. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, start there—we break down The Gray Area Trap and why “reasonable” parenting plans don’t work with unreasonable people. In this episode, we apply those concepts to real-life situations, including: Being blocked from your child’s activities Phone calls being ignored Holidays...

Why does it feel like your ex follows the custody agreement only when it benefits them? Because when a parenting plan is vague, high-conflict people turn every gray area into an opportunity for control. In this Coaching Couch episode, I break down the “Gray Area Trap” — what happens when your custody agreement uses vague language like “reasonable notice,” “reasonable phone contact,” “be flexible,”...

Most co-parenting advice assumes both parents care about the same things. But if you are dealing with a narcissistic or high-conflict co-parent, that is not what is happening. In this episode of The Breakdown, I explain why you are stuck, why nothing seems to work, and the six mistakes that are keeping you trapped in the cycle. We cover: Trying to make their behavior make sense Believing the right...

What is it actually like to date someone with a toxic or narcissistic ex? After my recent episode on the 7 questions you need to ask before dating someone with a toxic ex , I got flooded with messages—and one thing became very clear: Most of you aren’t asking if you should do this…you’re already in it and trying to figure out what’s going on. In this Coaching Couch episode, I’m breaking down real...

Everyone is looking for the perfect response to shut down a toxic co-parent. But that’s the problem. In this episode, we’re breaking down why canned messages don’t work—and how they can actually keep you stuck in the exact cycle you’re trying to escape. Instead, we get into the real strategy: Why you need to stop explaining yourself How high-conflict personalities use communication to control you...

If you are thinking about dating someone who has a toxic or high-conflict ex… or you’re already in it and starting to feel the weight of it… this episode is for you. This is one of the most common questions I get — can a relationship actually work when one or both people have a narcissistic or high-conflict ex? And the answer is yes… but it’s not simple. There’s a version of this that works really...

Spring break and summer travel should be simple… But if you have a high-conflict or narcissistic ex, you already know—it’s never that easy. Suddenly they need constant updates. Everything becomes “urgent.” And somehow, the chaos always starts right when you’re about to relax. It’s not a coincidence. In this video, I break down 8 practical travel tips to help you stay in control, protect your peace...

Coaching Couch: Travel, passports, fake urgency, and the fear they won’t bring your kids back Travel should be simple. You plan the trip, coordinate the schedule, pack the bags, and go. But when you’re dealing with a high-conflict co-parent, travel turns into something else entirely: last-minute demands, passport drama, withheld information, fake urgency, guilt trips, control tactics, and sometime...

If you feel like people are looking at you differently after your breakup… you’re not imagining it. Smear campaigns are real—and they usually don’t start when the relationship ends. They start quietly, over time, while you’re still in it. In this episode, I break down:how smear campaigns actually workwhy reactive abuse gets used against youwhy you start questioning everyone around youand the bigge...

Thinking about going pro se (representing yourself) in family court against a narcissistic or high-conflict ex? You’re not alone. A lot of people reach the point where legal fees are overwhelming, attorneys don’t seem to understand the manipulation, and it feels like no one knows the case better than you do. But going pro se has both serious advantages and serious risks, especially when the other...

Smear campaigns don’t start when the relationship ends—they usually start long before. In this first Coaching Couch episode, I answer real listener questions about what it actually looks like when a toxic or narcissistic ex starts shaping a narrative behind your back—and why trying to defend yourself often makes it worse. We talk about: how smear campaigns show up in real life (teachers, friends,...