Divorce Coaches Academy

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

We're so happy to bring you another spotlight coach episode this week featuring Jennifer Warren Medwin,

Jennifer Warren Medwin, MS is a CDC© Certified Divorce Coach, Supreme Court of Florida Family Mediator, a Certified Marital Mediator, and author of Strategies & Tips from a Divorce Coach: A Roadmap to Move Forward.  Jennifer is a member of the National Association of Divorce Professionals (NADP), a member of the SupportPay Advisory Council, and a contributing writer for Your Tango, Thrive Global, and OurFamilyWizard. She partners with clients to develop the clarity, confidence, courage, conflict management strategies, and communication skills they need to move through the process.

Tracy and Jennifer shared an intimate conversation about the role of professional divorce coaching, the inspiration behind Jennifer's book, her writing process, and why she believes having a framework can help couples make divorce less difficult.

Jennifer says her book is like "having a divorce coach in your pocket" and shares how emotional management and conflict resolution skills play such a big part in helping families experience a less traumatic divorce process and move forward more successfully.

Listen in as Tracy and Jennifer talk about the power of divorce coaching and reminisce back to the time when Tracy was Jennifer's mentor in the CDC program. The mutual admiration is an inspiration to all of us in the profession.

You can find Jennifer at the following links:
Website: https://www.seekingempowerment.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenseekingempowerment/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenseekingempowerment
Get her Book "Strategies and Tips from a Divorce Coach: A Roadmap to Move Forward": https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tips-Divorce-Coach-Roadmap/dp/1736854410/

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

Did you know the family law/divorce lawyer industry revenue for 2022 is projected to be $12.1 billion dollars? OMG, that's a lot of money being spent on divorce.

On today's podcast, Tracy and Debra talk about the frustration that clients often experience with their attorneys and what you, as a professional divorce coach, can do to support your clients to have a more productive AND cost-effective relationship.

It seems the narrative out there is that the only way to divorce is to get an attorney, so that is the first step many clients take. In fact, the court system was not intended to be a family resolution process. So, they are expecting the legal system to solve a family problem.

In an ideal world, divorce coaches would be brought in at the very beginning. That would allow us to help them understand the process, explore all their divorce options and if they do choose to work with an attorney, assist them in identifying their needs and interview questions targeted to their specific case.

And once that relationship is established, we can provide enormous value in guiding the client to take charge of their own divorce, be a credible client, communicate effectively, and be assertive when the relationship isn't meeting their needs. We can also help them assess if they are contributing to the problems that exist or if they need to change counsel.

You have the opportunity and, we would argue, responsibility to consistently speak to potential clients through your marketing materials and in your consult calls about the benefits of making a divorce coach the first member of their team.

We can make a difference for families.


You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

As divorce coaches, we want our clients to have a better divorce experience.  But when does that desire cross the line from supporting our client to feeling the need to save our client? Today's episode is a reminder that we serve our clients best when we stay neutral and allow them to choose their own path and make their own decisions.

We talk a little about the difference between sympathy and empathy and how sympathy pulls us into judgement, the need to give opinions, problem solving, and the urge to "save" clients from their own choices. While empathy allows us to feel what the client feels but still sit in the neutral, supportive space.

Are you tempted to put on your cape and be a superhero for your client? The simple statement "It's going to be OK" can be an indicator that you're stepping into that role. If you find yourself using phrases like "I think", "You need to", "You should", and "Have you considered" you may be trying to direct your client toward the solutions you think are best.

When we block our own curiosity, we block the client's opportunity to discover their own solutions. They're also left at the end of their divorce without knowing that they have the skills, power and agency to make good decisions going forward.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

It happens. You begin coaching a client and ... uh oh ... it's just not working. If you've ever struggled with the decision to end a client relationship, then this episode is just for you.

Today Tracy and Debra talk through the nuts and bolts of what to do when you begin to notice something is off, action isn't being taken, the client isn't a good fit, payment isn't forthcoming or something else has gone sideways in your coaching relationship.

Relationship is the key word here. Coaching is a relationship between us and the client, so all the same boundary and conflict resolution skills we would bring to any other relationship should apply here. Chances are if you aren't feeling it, your client isn't either. So use your curious questioning skills to identify what is getting in the way and help your client determine how they want to move forward. Often this open and honest dialogue will either get the work back on track or help the client self-identify that coaching with you isn't right for them right now. This allows you to bless them and send them off with resources, referrals, and love.

You have two powerful tools that can help you - your consult call and your coaching agreement. The consult call has two express purposes. First for you to share the value of what you offer (sales), but also for you to learn enough about the client to determine if they are a good fit to work with (screening). Once you choose to engage, your coaching agreement outlines the mutual responsibilities (boundaries) that you both commit to uphold.

Don't let an ineffective coaching relationship linger and create friction or frustration for either of you. It's not a reflection of your coaching skills or expertise, it's just not a good fit. Support that client in discovering what they do need, point them in the right direction, and sit back in confidence knowing you did the right thing for both of you.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

Periodically, we want to bring you insights from other successful, practicing divorce coaching professionals to expand the conversation . We're so excited to bring you our very first spotlight coach interview today.   

Today's guest, Andrea Hipps, LBSW, is a Certified Divorce Coach® and author who helps parents all along the divorce continuum resolve their divorce debris and create beautiful two-address families for their kids. She's the author of the internationally bestselling book The Best Worst Time of Your Life: Four Practices to Get You Through the Pain of Divorce, which outlines the four practices you need to create wholeness and healing for you and your kids before, during, and after divorce. As a regular contributor to our nation’s divorce recovery conversation, she's been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX and the CW discussing how we can do divorce better for the sake of ourselves and our families.

Tracy and Andrea focus on the topic of divorce debris and why it's so critical for those thinking about entering the field of divorce coaching to wait until their hearts and their wisdom can catch up with their passion . As Andrea so aptly states, "We can only lead people as far as we've grown".

We're not in the business to create "mini-me's" or to "save" clients from having a divorce experience like we did. We're here to be curious and help them self-discover the best options for their own families and their own lives. Divorce coaches need to have enough space and healing from our own experiences  to support clients from a neutral perspective.

As Debra often says, "We must coach from our scar, not from our wound". Listen through to the end to learn how taking the garbage out every morning keeps Andrea "debris free".


You can find Andrea all over at the following links:
Website: https://www.andreahippsdivorcecoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreahippsdivorcecoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreahippsdivorcecoach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-hipps-certified-divorce-coach-lbsw-56374058/
Get her Book "The Best Worst Time of Your Life": https://www.amazon.com/Best-Worst-Time-Your-Life-ebook/dp/B08TP6XWBN

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

Getting new clients is important, but so is making sure you’re spending your time, money and energy on the marketing activities and admin tasks that create the most return for your business.

Today, Tracy and Debra talk about the metrics that have helped them  make critical decisions in their businesses. Do you know what percentage of your consult calls are converting to paying clients? Do you know which marketing channels or activities are generating the most leads for you? What portion of your business is referrals from satisfied clients?

The time you spend on creating posts or interacting on social media, attending networking meetings, writing emails or blog posts, conducting or following up on consults...is time you could be spending somewhere else. Smart business owners constantly assess whether they're focusing their time on the right activities.

In any business, efficiency is key and coaching is no different. Tracking your KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) as part of your monthly routine can point you to the places that are giving you the most bang for your buck (or time).

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

Every divorce has conflict, but not every divorce is high conflict. As divorce coaches, we have the unique opportunity to help our clients become self-aware of their own conflict style, identify any personal behaviors that are contributing to divorce conflict and transition to a more strategic approach.

Word on the street is that everyone is divorcing a narcissist, but even in the presence of a full blown personality disorder, we can support clients in differentiating between actions that are protective and those that throw fuel on the fire.

Divorce conflict exists on a spectrum from general disagreements and good people behaving badly all the way to  false allegations, illegal behavior, and physical violence. One key for coaches is to "know your zone" and not attempt to coach clients that exceed your conflict comfort level.

Listen in to today's conversation as Debra and Tracy talk all things high conflict divorce and how professional divorce coaches play such a vital role in helping clients manage that conflict more productively and effectively.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

In today's episode, Tracy and Debra talk about how the coaching conversation is intentionally different from a conversation with friends and family.  While divorce coaches are great listeners, empathetic, and caring, we're also professionals who are there to get results for our clients.

In order to achieve those results, we need to understand where the client wants to go. Much like using a GPS in our cars, we have to know our destination in order to plan a route to get there.

When clients inevitably show up with a whole host of issues, emotions and concerns (what Tracy refers to as the "dump truck"), we serve them best when we can help them sort through and prioritize what needs attention.  Establishing a specific focus for each client session allows the client to feel a sense of forward motion, some progress toward their goals.

Not only does this help your client feel confident and empowered moving through their divorce process, but it makes them feel amazing about their work with you. And that's good for business because referrals from happy clients can be one of the best sources of new business for you.

Listen in as we discuss why establishing session focus is the key to getting results for clients and for building your practice.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

One of the most common mistakes we see as divorce coaching professionals is when clients allow others to make decisions in their divorce.

Today we discuss the power of reminding clients that they are the captain of their own divorce; from deciding the type of process they use to the amount of conflict they want to introduce to the final financial and parenting agreements they make.

When clients let family, friends, attorneys or even coaches influence their choices in divorce it can leave them feeling confused and powerless. One of the greatest gifts we offer are tools and encouragement to help clients advocate for themselves. Getting them to the understanding that they are the captain of their divorce and they have hired other professionals (or asked others for input) as part of their decision-making process, but not in place of it.

When clients are able to make informed, intentional choices, they walk away from divorce feeling empowered, not victimized. And that leads to a faster and fuller recovery. After all, divorce isn't just an ending - it's also a new beginning.

Listen in as Tracy and Debra talk about the advantages of supporting clients to be the captain of their own ship.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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)

On today's episode, Debra and Tracy discuss the who's who of individuals that are entering the field of divorce coaching and why they believe it is becoming so popular and important in the landscape of divorce.

Divorce coaching is a relatively new profession, but a quick Google search on the term "divorce coach" yields more than 450 million hits. Results include everything from training programs to articles to individual coach websites. More people are entering the field every day, but why is the profession growing so quickly?

We've noticed an increasing number of experienced divorce professionals such as family law attorneys, mediators, parenting coordinators, paralegals and more that are adding divorce coach training to their skill set and their services.

In this episode, we talk about the transition to alternative dispute resolution practices and the positive impact professionally trained divorce coaches are having on not just the divorce process, but on families.

You can learn more about DCA™ or find out about 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]