Divorce Coaches Academy

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

We can’t believe it’s finally time to share this news. We’ve been working behind the scenes for months to get ready to present this incredible event and now we get to announce it to the world. Registration is now open for the Free Save Your Sanity Divorce Summit - the first ever online event featuring 27 professional certified divorce coaches. It’s our dream, honestly, and it’s happening April 22nd through the 26th.

This thing is big - it’s 5 full days and includes 25 individual talks given by DCA trained coaches covering 6 topic areas including preparing for divorce, co-parenting and custody, conflict and safety, emotional wellness, legal and financial decision making and recovery after divorce.

The main message of the Summit is “Divorce doesn’t have to wreck your mental health, empty your bank account or derail your future”.  We want attendees to take away practical tips to help them experience divorce and co-parenting in a way that puts less stress on their bank account and their personal wellness. And we hope they learn that working with a DCA trained divorce coach is the key to saving their sanity and their money.

And did we mention that it’s FREE? It’s absolutely zero cost to register and attend any speaker talk on the schedule. There is an option to upgrade to a VIP ticket for just $49 which will provide exclusive access to the VIP panel discussions, allow you to watch replays of all the talks for 30 days, and enter you to win some extra prizes.

Sign up now: Save Your Sanity Divorce Summit

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

In past episodes we’ve talked about strategies you can use with clients to improve their chances of success in mediation. But today we dig into the importance of choosing the right mediator and what to do if your mediator or your client’s mediator seems to be the one complicating the process.

We review the role of a mediator and some of the professional ethics they are bound by because one thing that can cause problems is when clients don't  have a clear understanding of what the process is (and what it isn’t).

Then we offer up 8 important questions for your client to ask any mediator they are considering working with. And we identify 4 red flags to watch out for during the mediation process. Finally, we discuss 4 courses of action someone can take if they feel like their mediator is conducting themselves in a manner that violates the standards of neutrality, impartiality or self-determination.

Just like every other part of their divorce, we encourage clients to take charge of their own process and that includes any professionals they hire to assist them. 

Resource: Academy of Professional Family Mediators Standards of Practice for Professional Family Mediators

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

Just because we have the word “divorce” in our job title doesn’t mean that we encourage divorce . As a matter of fact, you might be surprised to learn that we sometimes help save marriages.  It’s true. In fact, our favorite time to work with clients is when they are still trying to make that difficult decision of whether they should stay married or get divorced. 

Because we are actually happiness advocates. One of our most important jobs is to help clients self-discover where and how they are most likely to be able to live a fulfilling and happy life. And sometimes that means that by working with us, clients get the skills and tools to communicate more directly, set effective boundaries, manage conflict and release the burden of people-pleasing enough to change the dynamic of the relationship for the better.

We often have an amazing opportunity to help them determine if 1) they’ve really already decided but some fear is holding them back or 2) they still have hope and just don’t know how to change the repetitive patterns that have developed over time.

Listen in as Tracy and Debra discuss what experts say are the 6 most important factors for a happy relationship and how we work with clients to pinpoint what's wrong and what's possible.

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

We're excited for you to meet Nada Hariri, the DCA Director of Learning and Development for the Arabian Gulf. Nada is the first certified divorce coach in the region and has worked with hundreds of Arab clients all over the gulf area. She is an experienced coach, group facilitator, workshop leader, author and is currently pursuing her Master's in family counseling.

Nada is a revolutionary. She is lifting the taboo of talking about divorce and is seeing a both great need and a great desire for divorce support services for families in her part of the world. She is committed to training and certifying divorce coaches who speak the unique cultural and religious language of the divorce process in Arab countries.

Even though divorce is allowed, people in the Arabian Gulf must navigate both the legal and religious aspects because the divorce process itself is based on Sharia Law. Muslim communities continue to redefine how to practice Islam in the modern world even as they remain faithful to its general precepts as a guide to correct living and religious practice.

Nada hopes to expand culturally relevant support to help Arabic families make their way through the process in a manner that honors both the modern family and traditional values. She believes that certified ADR divorce coaches are the key to help increase understanding, reduce conflict, and manage the practical and emotional facets of divorce in the gulf area.

The first cohort of DCA Certified ADR Divorce Coach training specifically for the Arabian Gulf begins the week of April 14. Visit the DCA website and schedule a one-on-one meeting with Nada to learn more about this revolutionary program.

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

Nowhere is planning more important than when we are trying to communicate in the midst of big emotions or conflict. And today, we dig into the idea of using scripts or planning what you want to say and how you want to say it.

As ADR specialists, we’ve seen hundreds of conversations and negotiations go off the rails because one party failed to be intentional about their communication. We both spend quite a bit of time with clients working on their conflict communication skills by identifying goals, developing strategies, and crafting scripts.

In today's episode, we review the 4 basic communication styles and introduce a 3-step strategy you can use yourself or with clients to communicate assertively, set boundaries, de-escalate conflict, and protect your peace.

Get ready to learn about the life-changing power of:

1. Script
2. Speak
3. Stop

Does this 3-step strategy guarantee your client will get the response they are hoping for? No, not at all. But it does mean that they can walk away from the conversation with their self-respect, boundaries, and power intact. And that's everything.

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

When it comes to divorce, co-parenting and conflict, understanding the “why” behind someone's ugly behavior doesn’t provide the tools or strategies clients need to navigate dealing with these individuals. Instead, it can create mindsets that keep them stuck or even complicate the process.

They get caught in the trap of spending more time and energy trying to figure out why their partner behaves the way they do and not enough time and energy focused on how they can insulate themselves and find some peace.

Shifting roles from being someone’s spouse to being their ex is a complicated journey for most of us. Not only are our clients legally divorcing their spouse, but they also must go through the process of emotionally divorcing their spouse and that’s where some of this over-analysis originates.

In January, we held a networking event to discuss Jessica Garza’s TED Talk about emotional contagion and she introduced a strategy she calls “Ok. So What? Now What?” Listen in as we apply these 3 steps to helping clients get out of the rabbit hole of narcissism and shift the focus to peace, safety and decision making.

If you need support to navigate divorce or co-parenting with a difficult character, check out our new DCA online support groups. For just $75/month, you can meet weekly with a professional, certified divorce coach.

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

Today we're shining a light on two of the biggest struggles faced by those of us running our businesses solo. And we can tell you from years of experience working with and training certified divorce coaches, the majority of us are independent practitioners. From juggling multiple hats to navigating the sometimes lonely path of entrepreneurship, we're doing it all. And, not everyone makes it.

Solopreneurship is not just a business venture; it's a courageous journey where we are the architects of our own destiny, navigating the challenges of self-reliance, embracing the solitude of innovation, and finding strength in the resilience of our entrepreneurial spirit. Exciting on one hand, yet tremendously scary at the same time!

Being a solopreneur is not for the faint of heart. We were exhausted just talking through the list of all the roles we have to play. And trying to do it all in isolation without support or social interaction - well that doubles the difficulty. 

We've shared that scary ICF statistic that 4 out of 5 coaching businesses fail. But we know plenty of divorce coaching professionals who have thriving practices - it just takes strategy and intention to combat the struggles of solopreneurship. So while you may be running a solo practice, you don't have to do it alone!

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

We're thrilled to be joined this week by Jackie Pilossoph, founder of Divorced Girl Smiling.  Jackie says that Divorced Girl Smiling (DGS) is like going to Starbucks with your friend to talk about your divorce and your love life. DGS is about community — the community is those facing divorce and those who have dedicated their careers to helping people in their shoes.

Today we talk about why community is so vitally important for those experiencing divorce and how the right community can improve outcomes for everyone. One of Jackie's passions is matching people with the right professionals so they can get the expert support they need. She offers a free 30-minute consult for those going through divorce where she listens with an empathetic ear and then provides personal introductions to divorce professionals with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise.

Jackie shares how she wishes divorce coaching had been accessible when she went through her divorce. She sees how valuable it would have been to have someone other than her attorney to help her process emotions, understand the process, advocate for herself, de-escalate conflict, and make values-based decisions.

You can find Jackie and Divorced Girl Smiling:

Website: divorcedgirlsmiling.com
Instagram: @divorced_girl_smiling
Facebook: DivorcedGirlSmiling
Podcast: on Apple Podcasts

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

Money fears are pretty common in divorce. Clients may be afraid they don’t know enough about money, won’t get enough money or they’ll have to give up too much money. Or they might have concerns that their partner will be difficult and they’ll have to fight to get what’s “fair”. By the way, most of us call “fair” the 4-letter F word in divorce because each person’s definition of “fair” is different and it’s the source of so much disagreement.

In this week’s episode, we dive into the first few important steps when working with money fears. When we are able to dial down fear, we also make it possible for clients to be less reactive, more flexible, and more strategic - and that means less conflict and better decisions.

We find it so interesting that financial fears are one of the most common instigators of divorce conflict because money is widely known as one of the leading causes of divorce in America. We're taking people who likely couldn’t agree about money in their marriage and asking them to make big decisions about money during their breakup. It just doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.

We review working with clients to establish a post-divorce budget and running through possible marital property settlement proposals. The key to minimizing money fears is a combination of understanding the divorce process, financial literacy, and values based decision making. When clients are prepared to negotiate from an interest based perspective, they improve the chances that they’ll get a satisfying outcome.


Learn more about DCA® or  any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)

No one likes feeling hopeless and most clients who choose mediation are desperate to avoid the cost and stress of a trial, but how can we help when they feel like it's not going well and they're running out of options? Today we’re going to give you and your client some proven strategies to try when they’re feeling hopeless in their mediation process.

We start with differentiating between making a wish and having hope. While we often say "I hope this or that happens", we mean we are wishing it will happen because hope involves taking action toward a goal, while a wish is out of your control. And that's the great news...high hope people understand that taking action and problem solving not only gets them closer to their desired outcome, but also increases hope.

We talk through 5 strategies you can use with clients when they feel frustrated, stalled or ready to give up in mediation and give you an example of a client who used these tools to make an informed, intentional decision in her mediation process.

If you'd like to learn more and specialize in supporting clients in mediation, please join our next session of Pre-Mediation Divorce Coach Training beginning Feb 5.


Learn more about DCA® or  any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: [email protected]