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

As divorce coaching continues to grow across Canada, more professionals from adjacent fields—including family law, mediation, financial services, mental health, and life coaching—are incorporating divorce coaching into their practices. But as the profession expands, important questions are emerging:
What is divorce coaching? What competencies should clients expect? How do we distinguish education from certification? And what role should dispute resolution play in preparing professionals to support people through divorce?
In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Tracy Callahan is joined by Dori Braddell, DCA's Director of Education and Development for Canada, to explore the evolving landscape of divorce coaching and introduce Elevate Canada, a new educational pathway designed for experienced professionals seeking to deepen and formalize their divorce coach training.
Together, Tracy and Dori discuss:
The rapid growth of divorce coaching in Canada
Why professional standards, competency, and consumer trust matter
The difference between supporting divorcing families and being trained as a divorce coach
Why divorce coaching is a distinct profession—not simply an extension of law, mediation, mental health, or life coaching
The critical role of dispute resolution and conflict awareness in effective divorce coaching
The risks of unintentionally crossing from coaching into advising or directing clients
Why experience and formal education are complementary, not interchangeable
The importance of competency-based certification
How Elevate Canada helps experienced professionals strengthen their skills, credentials, and professional standing
Dori shares insights from her own journey into divorce coaching and explains why many experienced lawyers, mediators, and mental health professionals are surprised by how different divorce coaching is from their existing professional work.
Whether you're already practicing as a divorce coach, supporting families through divorce in another professional capacity, or exploring how to expand your services, this episode offers valuable perspective on the future of the profession and the importance of specialized training.
About Elevate Canada
Elevate Canada was created for professionals who are already working in the divorce space—or in related professions—and want to deepen their education through DCA's ADR-based divorce coaching framework.
Participants complete the full educational curriculum of the DCA® Divorce Coach Certification Program through a flexible, self-paced learning model, while receiving ongoing support through twice-monthly office hours with DCA's Director of Education and Development for Canada.
Completion of the educational curriculum does not automatically result in certification. Those pursuing certification must successfully demonstrate competency through the DCA® certification examination process.
Learn More
To learn more about Elevate Canada, visit:
https://www.divorcecoachesacademy.com/elevate
To apply to ELEVATE, go to:
https://form.jotform.com/261663154806156
For questions about the program, contact:
DCA.CA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

In this thought-provoking episode, Tracy Callahan explores a question that surfaces repeatedly in divorce coaching but is rarely asked directly: What are people really seeking when they want an apology, acknowledgement, or explanation from their former partner?
Inspired by the public conversation surrounding a bestselling memoir about marriage and betrayal, Tracy examines why so many people become stuck waiting for validation from someone else before allowing themselves to move forward. Through the lens of divorce coaching, she uncovers the deeper needs often hidden beneath the desire for an apology—self-trust, certainty, permission, understanding, and meaning.
Listeners will learn why acknowledgment from another person may not provide the relief they expect, how divorce can trigger profound identity uncertainty, and what becomes possible when people stop organizing their healing around someone else's capacity to reflect, repair, or take responsibility.
This episode offers valuable insights for divorce coaches, helping professionals, and anyone navigating the emotional complexity of relationship transitions.
In this episode, Tracy discusses:
Why people often seek explanations long after a relationship ends
The difference between wanting acknowledgment and needing permission
How divorce challenges self-trust and personal identity
Why apologies don't always create closure
The role of divorce coaching in helping clients reconnect with their own capacity and decision-making
Moving forward without waiting for validation from someone else
Whether you're supporting clients through divorce or navigating your own life transition, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: healing often begins when we stop waiting for someone else to unlock the next chapter.