Mandatory phone calls are often framed as “good co-parenting.” But in high-conflict divorce and custody situations, they can do more harm than good.

In this episode of Divorce with Sam & Leah, we break down why mandatory phone calls don’t belong in high-conflict parenting plans—and why so many moms feel more anxious, powerless, and dysregulated because of them.

We cover:

• How phone calls turn into investigative tools instead of connection
  

• Why mandatory calls often become a harassment or control mechanism
  

• The emotional impact on children before and after high-conflict calls
  

• Why you’re unlikely to get honest answers—and why that keeps you stuck
  

• The hard but necessary truth about accepting limits after divorce
  

If you’re co-parenting with a high-conflict ex and trying to reduce chaos, protect your child’s emotional well-being, and reclaim your peace, this conversation is for you.

💙 Want deeper support, tools, and strategy? Inside The Next Chapter, we help divorced moms heal, set boundaries, and navigate high-conflict co-parenting with clarity and confidence—without burning out or constantly second-guessing themselves.

👉 Join The Next Chapter: https://www.samandleah.com/services

Divorce isn’t just emotionally painful — it can be deeply traumatic.

In this episode, we’re talking about the real trauma that comes with divorce and why so many women feel stuck, triggered, exhausted, or like they “should be further along by now.”

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why am I still so reactive?
  

• Why does one text from my ex send me into a spiral?
  

• Why does healing feel so slow and messy?
  

This conversation is for you.

We break down how divorce impacts your nervous system, why betrayal and high-conflict co-parenting can keep wounds open, and how losing your marriage can create an identity rupture that no one prepares you for. We also talk about the secondary trauma women experience — judgment, shame, and pressure to “move on” before their body feels safe.

This episode isn’t about pushing through or pretending you’re fine. It’s about understanding what’s actually happening in your body and brain — and why healing requires more than willpower.

✨ Inside this episode, we cover:

• How divorce dysregulates the nervous system
  

• Why betrayal trauma cuts so deep
  

• The identity loss no one warns you about
  

• Why high-conflict co-parenting can feel re-traumatizing
  

• How shame and isolation slow healing
  

If this conversation resonates, this is exactly why we created The Next Chapter — our membership for divorced moms who want real tools, support, and relief.

Inside The Next Chapter, you’ll find trauma-informed workshops that help you:

• Regulate your nervous system during triggers
  

• Release stored emotional trauma
  

• Understand why you react the way you do
  

• Heal without spiritual bypassing or toxic positivity
  

• Feel grounded and emotionally safe again
  

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through healing. You don’t have to do this alone.

👉 Join The Next Chapter today and access our trauma workshops, live support, replays, and a community of women who get it: https://www.samandleah.com/services

💙 Your healing matters. Your nervous system matters. And support changes everything.

Divorce can feel isolating, overwhelming, and emotionally exhausting—especially for moms navigating healing, co-parenting, boundaries, and high-conflict dynamics. In this episode of Divorce with Sam & Leah, we pull back the curtain on The Next Chapter, our private membership created specifically for divorced and divorcing moms who are ready to stop surviving and start rebuilding.

We break down what The Next Chapter actually is, who it’s for, and why traditional support systems often fall short for women going through divorce. From live weekly workshops and expert-led trainings to real-life tools for emotional regulation, boundary setting, and confident co-parenting, this episode gives you a clear picture of how healing can feel supported instead of lonely.

You’ll hear about the specialists and experts we’ve brought inside the membership—including family law attorneys, trauma-informed therapists, financial professionals, nervous system educators, and co-parenting strategists—and how these conversations help moms feel more empowered, informed, and regulated during one of the hardest seasons of their lives.

If you’re a divorced mom feeling stuck in survival mode, constantly second-guessing yourself, or exhausted by high-conflict co-parenting, this episode is for you. You don’t need to do this alone—and you don’t need to figure it out the hard way.

✨ The Next Chapter is where healing becomes actionable, boundaries become confident, and support becomes consistent.

👉 Ready to stop doing divorce alone? Check out The Next Chapter membership and join a community of moms who are healing, rebuilding their confidence, and creating calmer, more grounded lives after divorce: https://www.samandleah.com/services

#DivorceRecovery #DivorcedMoms #HealingAfterDivorce #HighConflictCoparenting #SingleMomSupport #DivorceSupport #CoParentingHelp #LifeAfterDivorce #EmotionalHealing #WomenSupportingWomen #BoundariesAfterDivorce #DivorcePodcast #TheNextChapter #DivorceWithSamAndLeah

If you’re facing a high-conflict divorce or co-parenting situation and wondering how to do things smarter, not harder, this episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation, Sam breaks down the top 5 things she would do differently if she were divorcing a high-conflict person in 2026—with today’s realities in mind: narcissistic behavior, manipulation, custody conflict, legal overwhelm, emotional burnout, and the long game of protecting your peace and your kids.

This isn’t theory. These are real-world, hard-earned strategies for women divorcing a high-conflict or narcissistic ex who want to stop reacting, start planning, and avoid the most common (and costly) mistakes.

If you’re divorcing, recently divorced, or stuck co-parenting with a high-conflict ex, this episode will help you feel more grounded, empowered, and clear on your next steps.

✨ Want ongoing support, tools, and real guidance from women who get it? Check out The Next Chapter membership—a private community for divorced moms navigating high-conflict divorce and co-parenting. Inside, you’ll find weekly workshops, expert guidance, live support, and practical tools to help you heal, rebuild confidence, and move forward without losing yourself.

👉 Learn more and join us inside The Next Chapter https://www.samandleah.com/services

Disney didn’t just entertain us — it conditioned us.

From princess stories to cultural messaging, many women were taught at a young age what to expect, tolerate, and sacrifice in the name of “love.” Self-abandonment was romanticized. Emotional labor was normalized. Endurance was praised. And choosing yourself? Rarely modeled.

In this episode, we unpack how early conditioning—from Disney movies, family dynamics, religion, and society—shapes the partners we choose and the unhealthy beliefs we carry into adult relationships.

We explore:

• Why so many women confuse self-sacrifice with love

• How trauma, attachment styles, and nervous system dysregulation affect attraction

• Why intensity gets mistaken for chemistry

• How being “chosen” became a measure of worth

• Why staying too long is often praised more than leaving when something is no longer healthy
  

  This conversation is especially for divorced or divorcing women who are realizing: “I didn’t choose wrong because I was broken — I chose based on what I was taught.”

If you’ve ever wondered why you tolerated less than you deserved, why safe love felt boring, or why leaving felt harder than staying — this episode will help you connect the dots and start rewriting your relationship blueprint.

✨ Healing starts with unlearning. And you don’t have to do it alone.

If this episode resonates, check out The Next Chapter membership — a supportive space for divorced moms who are ready to heal, rebuild confidence, set boundaries, and stop repeating the same relationship patterns. 👉 https://www.samandleah.com/services

You’re smart. You’re self-aware. You’ve done the work. So why does dating after divorce still feel so hard?

In this episode, we unpack the top 5 reasons smart, emotionally aware women still settle in dating after divorce — even when they know better.

This isn’t about low standards or bad choices. It’s about subconscious patterns, nervous system wiring, and the quiet ways fear and self-protection influence who we choose.

We explore:

• Why loneliness gets mistaken for compatibility

• How trauma bonds masquerade as chemistry

• The fear of starting over again — and how it drives compromise

• Over-intellectualizing emotions instead of trusting intuition

• Why lowering standards often comes from fear, not lack of self-worth

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve done the work… so why does this keep happening?” — this conversation will feel deeply validating.

To go deeper, we’re hosting a powerful workshop inside The Next Chapter with relationship coach and certified hypnotherapist Mina Yang: High Standards, Soft Heart: The New Rules for Empowered Dating.

This workshop isn’t about dating tactics. It’s about healing the subconscious patterns that drive attraction and attachment — so you can stay open to love without shrinking, settling, or losing yourself.

👉 Join The Next Chapter to access the workshop and ongoing support: https://www.samandleah.com/services

#DatingAfterDivorce #DivorceRecovery #EmpoweredDating #HighStandardsSoftHeart #HealingAfterDivorce #WomenHealing #SelfWorth #DivorcedWomen #TheNextChapter #DivorcePodcast #EmotionalHealing

High-conflict co-parenting has a way of slowly draining your power—especially when you don’t yet have the tools, boundaries, or support.

In this episode, Sam opens up about her personal story and shares the top 5 ways she unknowingly gave her power away while co-parenting with a high-conflict ex. These are the patterns so many moms fall into when they’re just trying to keep the peace, protect their kids, and survive the chaos.

If you’re exhausted, second-guessing yourself, or feeling like co-parenting is running your life, this episode will help you feel seen—and show you what’s possible on the other side of survival mode.

💙 Ready to stop giving your power away? Join The Next Chapter, our monthly membership for divorced moms navigating high-conflict co-parenting. Inside, you’ll get practical tools, weekly support, expert guidance, and a community that truly understands what you’re dealing with—so you can respond with confidence instead of reacting from fear.

👉 Join here: https://www.samandleah.com/services

#HighConflictCoparenting #DivorceSupport #CoparentingWithANarcissist #DivorcedMoms #DivorceRecovery #SingleMomSupport #BoundariesAfterDivorce #HealingAfterDivorce

Divorce is hard, and parenting through it while you’re still healing can feel overwhelming, especially in high-conflict or narcissistic co-parenting situations.

In this episode, we talk about what actually helps kids thrive after divorce — without asking moms to suppress their emotions, fake happiness, or be “perfect” for everyone else’s comfort.

You’ll learn:

• Why emotional honesty matters more than pretending everything is fine

• How to support your kids while you’re still processing your own grief and anger

• What builds true emotional resilience in children — especially during high-conflict divorce

• How to model healthy coping skills without oversharing or emotional dumping

• Why supporting yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do for your kids

If you’re navigating divorce or co-parenting with a narcissist and feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells, this episode will help you shift from survival mode into grounded, confident parenting — for both you and your kids.

💙 Ready for real support? Inside The Next Chapter, you’ll find tools, coaching, and a community of moms who understand high-conflict divorce and narcissistic co-parenting — and who are committed to healing, setting boundaries, and moving forward with confidence.

👉 Join The Next Chapter: https://www.samandleah.com/services

No one prepares you for what the first year after divorce really feels like.

The paperwork might be done, but the emotional aftermath is just beginning — the grief that comes in waves, the unexpected loneliness, the identity loss, the guilt that follows relief, and the quiet moments where you wonder if what you’re feeling is normal.

In this episode, we’re talking about the 10 things no one warns you about in the first year after divorce — and why struggling during this time doesn’t mean you’re failing… it means you’re healing.

We cover:

• Why grief can hit even when the divorce was your choice

• The identity shift that leaves many women feeling lost

• The loneliness that surprises even strong, independent moms

• Why relief can come with guilt — and how to release it

• How your nervous system stays in survival mode long after the divorce is final

• What real healing actually looks like (and why it’s quieter than you expect)

If you’re in year one and wondering “Why is this still so hard?” — this episode will help you feel seen, validated, and less alone.

✨ Ready for more support? If you’re navigating divorce, healing after a high-conflict relationship, or trying to rebuild your confidence as a mom, The Next Chapter was created for you.

Inside the membership, you’ll find:

• Weekly live workshops and coaching

• A private, supportive community of divorced moms

• Practical tools for emotional regulation, boundaries, and co-parenting

• Replays you can access anytime — even on the hard days

👉 Click the link below to join The Next Chapter and get the support you don’t have to carry alone: https://www.samandleah.com/services

If you’re facing a high-conflict divorce or co-parenting situation and wondering how to do things smarter, not harder, this episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation, Sam breaks down the top 5 things she would do differently if she were divorcing a high-conflict person in 2026—with today’s realities in mind: narcissistic behavior, manipulation, custody conflict, legal overwhelm, emotional burnout, and the long game of protecting your peace and your kids.

This isn’t theory. These are real-world, hard-earned strategies for women divorcing a high-conflict or narcissistic ex who want to stop reacting, start planning, and avoid the most common (and costly) mistakes.

If you’re divorcing, recently divorced, or stuck co-parenting with a high-conflict ex, this episode will help you feel more grounded, empowered, and clear on your next steps.

✨ Want ongoing support, tools, and real guidance from women who get it? Check out The Next Chapter membership—a private community for divorced moms navigating high-conflict divorce and co-parenting. Inside, you’ll find weekly workshops, expert guidance, live support, and practical tools to help you heal, rebuild confidence, and move forward without losing yourself.

👉 Learn more and join us inside The Next Chapter https://www.samandleah.com/services

#HighConflictDivorce #NarcissisticEx #DivorcePodcast #DivorceSupport #CoParentingWithANarcissist #DivorcedMoms #DivorceRecovery #CustodyBattle #DivorceAdviceForWomen #HealingAfterDivorce #TheNextChapter