Divorce Happens

In this episode, Olivia Howell explores the often-hidden grief of divorce — the grief not only for the marriage you had, but for the future you imagined. Olivia explains the layers of loss that come with separation, from identity shifts to emotional nostalgia to the mourning of long-held dreams.

This five-minute episode brings validation, tenderness, and clarity to anyone navigating the emotional landscape of divorce.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this episode, Olivia Howell explains how to set your very first boundary during divorce — the small, critical limit that helps protect your peace and emotional wellbeing. She breaks down what boundaries actually are, how to choose one, and how to hold it when others resist.

This five-minute episode is essential for anyone feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or unsure how to advocate for themselves during divorce.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

There’s a very specific ache that surfaces around the holidays during divorce—the moment you look around and realize the traditions you counted on, the rituals you built, or the family shape you once imagined no longer match the reality in front of you. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia sits down with certified divorce and co-parenting coach Lisa Lisser, whose background as a lawyer, nonprofit leader, educator, and deeply empathic guide makes her uniquely equipped to help people navigate the tender chaos of divorce recovery. With warmth and candor, Lisa talks about what it means to meet yourself on the days that unsteady you: the holidays you wake up alone, the gatherings where your kids aren’t with you, the moments when grief sneaks up in the middle of a celebration.

Throughout the conversation, Lisa brings her expertise as a divorce coach to life through real stories—both from her clients and her own experience—illustrating how grief, loneliness, co-parenting stress, and emotional triggers can collide during milestone days. She offers grounding practices for emotional resilience, scripts for handling intrusive family questions, and compassionate reframes for the guilt and self-judgment so many people carry into the holiday season. Her reminders are both practical and deeply human: shared custody doesn’t end your family, comparison is corrosive, and asking for support—whether from friends or from a professional divorce coach—is not a failure but a lifeline.

This episode is a steady hand on the shoulder for anyone experiencing holiday overwhelm, co-parenting stress, or the invisible grief of starting over after divorce. Lisa shares actionable tools—like creating a “pocket people” list, setting truth-filled boundaries, breaking up with social media for the day, and practicing simple grounding exercises—that can transform a painful holiday into a more manageable, even meaningful one. Listeners will walk away with clarity, compassion for themselves, and the reminder that emotional healing, even on the hardest days, is possible.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this compassionate episode, Olivia Howell explores why so many people feel guilty for putting themselves first during divorce — and why prioritizing your own wellbeing is not selfish, but essential. She breaks down the conditioning that keeps people over-functioning and explains how choosing yourself is an act of emotional survival.

This five-minute episode offers grounding and permission for anyone struggling with the idea of putting their needs first.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this episode, Olivia Howell explains why guilt is one of the most common emotions during divorce — even when the marriage has been painful or unfulfilling. She breaks down the sources of guilt, including social conditioning, emotional caregiving, anticipatory guilt, and the discomfort of choosing yourself after years of self-sacrifice.

This five-minute episode offers compassion, clarity, and validation for anyone struggling with guilt in the early stages of divorce.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

Most people imagine divorce like a courtroom drama: two lawyers, a judge, and a battle that leaves everyone bruised. But in this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell pulls back the curtain on what actually happens in the vast majority of divorces—and why a calmer, smarter path is often hiding in plain sight. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the divorce process, afraid of the costs, or desperate to protect your future co-parenting relationship, this conversation offers a deep exhale and a clear next step.

Olivia is joined by Fresh Starts expert Allison McFadden, a family law attorney turned mediator who left traditional legal practice specifically to help people reach agreements outside of court—before things hit that “impossible phase.” Allison breaks down divorce mediation in plain language: a structured, guided process led by a neutral third party who keeps the conversation on track, focuses on the decisions the court needs, and helps couples avoid rehashing old arguments. She also tackles the most common fear head-on—“What if I get taken advantage of?”—explaining how knowledge, preparation, and support from the right professionals (including attorneys and financial planning experts) can help you negotiate from a place of clarity instead of panic.

What makes this episode land is the emotional truth underneath the legal logistics: divorce is overwhelming for almost everyone, and feeling confused doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re human. Allison shares the mindset shift that changes everything: zoom out, hold your end goal, and give yourself grace as you move through conflict resolution one decision at a time. Listeners will walk away with practical co-parenting-aware guidance (including how to handle a skeptical spouse), plus an empowering takeaway: you can choose neutral ground, preserve resources, and design a more livable outcome—because divorce happens, and then you start fresh.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this episode, Olivia Howell shares how to open up to a trusted friend about what’s happening in your marriage — without feeling pressured or judged. Learn how to choose the right person, how to begin the conversation, and what to say when you're not ready for advice or decisions.

This five-minute episode provides emotional safety and practical scripts for anyone navigating marriage uncertainty.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

Divorce 101: A to Z is a 26-episode educational mini-series from the Divorce Happens podcast, created to make divorce easier to understand, less overwhelming, and far more human. Hosted by Olivia Howell—founder of Fresh Starts Registry and a leading voice in modern divorce education—the series breaks down divorce terms, concepts, and processes one letter at a time, from A to Z.

Each episode is short and approachable, designed to explain one divorce-related topic in clear, plain language. There is no legal jargon, no fear-based messaging, and no assumption that listeners already know how divorce works. Instead, Divorce 101 offers straightforward explanations meant for real people who are navigating divorce for the first time—or supporting someone who is.

Whether you are considering divorce, in the middle of the process, adjusting to life after divorce, or simply trying to understand what a loved one is going through, Divorce 101 provides clarity, context, and reassurance. The goal of the series is not to turn listeners into legal experts, but to help them feel informed enough to ask better questions, make more confident decisions, and feel less alone in a process most people are never taught how to navigate.

Divorce 101 is part of the broader Divorce Happens mission to support people before, during, and after divorce with education, inspiration, and a little bit of laughter. Because divorce happens—and then, you start fresh. One letter at a time.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this episode, Olivia Howell explains why practical planning is one of the most grounding and empowering tools during divorce. She shares simple, doable steps — from seven-day lists to emotional check-ins — that help you feel steadier during an overwhelming time.

This five-minute episode is perfect for anyone who feels lost, chaotic, or stuck in survival mode.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

The holidays have a way of revealing the cracks and the tenderness inside us, especially when divorce is part of our lives. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia sits down with divorce coach and co-parenting expert Lisa Lisser, who brings more than a decade of lived experience, legal training, and specialized coaching insight into what it really takes to survive the holiday season during or after divorce. From her own story of unexpected separation to the countless clients she now supports, Lisa reminds us that holiday grief, holiday overwhelm, and holiday loneliness after divorce are deeply human — and deeply normal.

As a certified divorce coach who helps women regain clarity, emotional steadiness, and confidence through divorce, Lisa shares her Holiday Survival Checklist, a framework that blends emotional resilience with practical co-parenting strategies. She walks listeners through the power of choosing core values as emotional armor, why new rituals can anchor families navigating divorce, and how to set boundaries — including what you will not do this year. She offers compassionate stories about clients who struggled through their first Christmas morning without their children and others who learned to rebuild joy in small, meaningful ways. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes reducing pressure, releasing perfectionism, and understanding that co-parenting dynamics during the holidays rarely transform overnight.

By the end of the episode, listeners are left with two grounded takeaways: you deserve grace, and your holidays do not have to look like the past to be meaningful. Whether you’re in the early stages of divorce, a decade post-separation, or navigating the holidays as an adult child of divorce, this episode offers tools, validation, and mindset shifts that make the season feel more survivable — and maybe, eventually, more peaceful. This is a must-listen for anyone searching Google for divorce holiday tips, co-parenting during the holidays, surviving Christmas after divorce, or simply how to start over with intention.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/