Divorce Coaches Academy

Why do clients keep reacting in ways they regret, even when they know better?
In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Tracy Callahan speaks with conflict expert, mediator, DCA® Certified ADR Divorce Coach, and author Masha Rusanov about the unconscious patterns that keep people trapped in recurring divorce and co-parenting conflict.
Masha introduces the Exhale, Explore, Engage® framework from her book, Repatterned: How to Transform Your Conflict Defaults and Reclaim Your Life. Together, they explore why familiar reactions become automatic under stress, how nervous system activation limits access to communication skills, and why waiting for the other person to change gives away personal agency.
They also discuss how divorce coaches can help clients recognize their contribution to a conflict dynamic without assigning blame or stepping outside the scope of coaching. High conflict does not mean a resolution-focused approach will not work. It means clients may first need the awareness and capacity to interrupt old patterns and choose a different response.

Lasting change does not begin when conflict disappears. It begins when we recognize the pattern and realize we have another choice.

Learn more about Masha:

Masha Rusanov is a conflict expert, DCA® Certified ADR Divorce Coach, ICF Certified Coach, and a mediator with a Master's in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding. She works with individuals and organizations navigating conflict and high-stakes relationship dynamics. Before building her divorce coaching and conflict resolution practice, she spent over two decades in tech at companies like Google and Intuit. "Repatterned" is her latest book. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, with her blended family.

https://www.masharusanov.com/
Purchase Repatterned:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1957917911

What makes divorce coaching a profession worthy of public trust?

Inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, Tracy Callahan reflects on the founding principles that can guide divorce coaching as it grows around the world. She explores why the profession must be grounded in self determination, ethical practice, informed decision making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and respect for the limits of the divorce coaching role.

This episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast invites divorce coaches and other family law professionals to look beyond titles and services and consider the profession we are building together. The future of divorce coaching will not be defined by personalities. It will be defined by the principles each generation chooses to uphold.

Learn more about professional divorce coach training and the ADR Divorce Coach Certification program at Divorce Coaches Academy®.

What happens when a mental health professional finds herself navigating betrayal, manipulation, and a high conflict breakup?

In this powerful episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Debra Doak sits down with licensed professional counselor, behavioral health executive, speaker, and author Connie Crowe to discuss the realities of recovering from a relationship with a high conflict, manipulative partner. Connie shares why traditional therapy alone wasn't enough, how working with an ADR Divorce Coach transformed her healing journey, and what it took to rebuild trust in herself after betrayal.
Together, they explore betrayal trauma, decision fatigue, psychological safety, values based decision making, healthy boundaries, and why highly empathetic, conscientious people can become vulnerable to unhealthy relationship dynamics. Whether you're a divorce professional supporting clients or someone navigating your own separation or breakup, this conversation offers practical insight, hope, and a powerful reminder that healing begins when you reclaim your own agency.
In this episode you'll learn:
Why betrayal trauma often requires support beyond traditional therapy
How an ADR Divorce Coach helps clients navigate complex decisions with confidence
The power of values based decision making during major life transitions
Why psychological safety is essential for healing
How to recognize unhealthy relationship patterns without losing yourself
About Connie Crowe
Connie Crowe, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, behavioral health executive, speaker, and author of Wired to Glow: The New Psychology of Super Traits. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, she helps women understand trauma, recognize unhealthy relationship dynamics, trust their intuition, and reclaim their power.

Connect with Connie
🌐 www.wiredtoglow.com
📸 Instagram: @wiredtoglow
Learn More About Divorce Coaches Academy®
Divorce Coaches Academy® trains and certifies professionals as ADR Divorce Coaches, equipping them with specialized skills in conflict resolution, decision making, communication, and client centered coaching. Whether you're looking for a qualified divorce coach or interested in becoming one, learn more at:
🌐 https://www.divorcecoachesacademy.com

Who Are You Beyond the Divorce? Finding Identity, Purpose, and Peace with Susan Filan

Divorce changes more than legal status. It challenges identity, disrupts certainty, and forces people to ask one of life's hardest questions: Who am I now?

In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Tracy Callahan sits down with attorney, ADR Divorce Coach®, and Heroic Divorce founder Susan Filan. After surviving a life-changing accident that transformed her perspective on success, purpose, and identity, Susan now helps clients navigate divorce as an opportunity for personal growth rather than simply a legal ending.

Together, they explore why divorce coaching fills a critical gap in the divorce process, how conflict informed coaching helps clients make better decisions, and why lasting transformation begins by reconnecting with who we are beneath the roles, titles, and relationships that often define us.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Why divorce is an identity transition, not just a legal process
The difference between external validation and internal values
How conflict informed divorce coaching helps clients make clearer decisions
Why moving from victim to hero changes the divorce experience
The role of purpose, choice, and self leadership in creating life after divorce
How divorce coaching supports clients beyond the courtroom

Whether you're a divorce professional or navigating your own transition, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that healing begins when we reconnect with who we truly are and discover that divorce can become the beginning of a more intentional life.

Connect with Susan Filan:
Learn more about Susan’s work and connect with her at https://susanfilan.com/

Ready to take the next step in your divorce coaching practice?
Apply for the DCA Divorce Coach Certification Program here>>>

In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Debra Doak is joined by her former client, Dianne Harris, relationship coach, speaker, and author of her memoir, "Love Bomb: He Sold Her a Dream and Delivered a Nightmare."

Dianne shares her personal experience navigating an emotionally abusive relationship, high-conflict divorce, and the confusion, overwhelm, and emotional whiplash that often come with divorcing a difficult personality. She also discusses how working with a DCA® Divorce Coach helped her gain clarity, stay grounded, understand her options, and move through the divorce process with more confidence and support.

After rebuilding her life, Dianne now helps purpose-driven women heal, reclaim their identity, and create healthy, emotionally safe relationships. Through her coaching, writing, and content, she empowers women to choose themselves, find their voice, and become the version of themselves who no longer settles for less than they deserve.

Connect with Dianne:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannepatriciaharris
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianneharriscoach
Love Bomb on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GY5BL3G3

Learn more about Divorce Coaches Academy® and find a DCA® Certified Divorce Coach:
https://divorcecoachesacademy.com