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The moment a divorcing client looks at us and says, “Just tell me what to do,” it can feel almost cruel not to step in with the answer. But that impulse is exactly where ethics, skill, and real transformation live. We sit down with Andrea Hips, LCSW and certified divorce coach, to talk about power, agency, and why “being the expert” can quietly become the fastest way to take power away from the person we’re trying to help.

We get specific about the difference between power and control, and why divorce makes people chase certainty like it’s oxygen. When a client clings to one outcome, we unpack what they’re really reaching for: safety, stability, and relief from overwhelm. From there we move into practical coaching tools for conflict-informed divorce coaching and alternative dispute resolution minded support, including how to slow down decisions under legal pressure, how to build distress tolerance, and how to help clients act wisely while uncertainty stays right beside them.

We also name the subtle ways coaches can unintentionally influence choices through tone, affirmations, and question framing. Andrea shares a simple North Star: there are many right answers, and hindsight isn’t something you can buy today. Protecting client agency is not a “nice to have” in divorce coaching, it’s the standard that builds capacity, reduces escalation, and helps clients leave coaching stronger than they arrived.

If you care about ethical divorce coaching, client autonomy, and decision making in high-conflict divorce, listen through and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a coach or friend going through divorce, and leave a review with the biggest shift you’re taking from the conversation.

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: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

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We dig beneath “the house,” “the money,” and “Wednesday” to reveal the real drivers of divorce conflict: power, fear, identity, and control. With Allison McFadden, we map skills that shift clients from positional fights to values-based choices they can live with.

• why surface conflict hides deeper fears and identity needs
• moving from positions to interests for better options
• invisible power dynamics in process, timing, and voice
• building perceived psychological power and steady presence
• fear, defensiveness, and how they close doors
• designing protocols and parenting tools to prevent repeat fights
• choosing language that de-escalates and humanizes
• avoiding professional missteps that entrench conflict
• redefining success as durable, client-owned agreements

If you're feeling that poll, whether you're an attorney, mediator, therapist, financial professional, or someone exploring the path to becoming a divorce coach, we have an upcoming certification beginning soon. So we've got a New Zealand cohort beginning in March, and we have both the United States and Canada cohorts beginning in April. These programs are intentionally designed not just to teach you the knowledge required to be a divorce coach within the dispute resolution field, but to give you the experiential hands-on training through mentorship and the practice required actually to be able to do the work because it's one thing to learn about it, it's another thing to do it. And information builds awareness, practice builds competence, and mentorship builds confidence. Our certification programs are grounded inside that ADR framework. And if you are a practicing divorce coach but trained somewhere else and you want to deepen your skill set or operate at a different level within the ADR community, our Elevate program was designed specifically for that purpose.

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: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

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We dig into how clear, consistent messaging helps divorce coaches cut through noise, educate the market, and build real authority without slipping into self‑promotion. Jason Harper joins us to share a practical playbook for clarity of purpose, audience fit, and sustainable cadence.

• messaging as a professional competency, not an optional add‑on
• clarity of purpose across layers: educate, validate, and seed ideas
• defining your audience and where they actually listen
• choosing platforms that match your strengths and voice
• building a breadcrumb trail that validates credibility
• service‑first content vs personal narrative as the lead
• practical examples that show outcomes, not hype
• consistency, cadence, and durability over vanity metrics
• differentiating divorce coaching for the wider public
• ethics, boundaries, and professionalization of the field

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with a colleague or continue these discussions within your professional community

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: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com