Divorce doesn’t unfold in a straight line it comes in waves. In this episode Tracy Callahan is joined by Tamara Arnold family law attorney mediator DCA certified ADR divorce coach and creator of DivorceWave to explore what really happens between sessions when clients are triggered overwhelmed and at risk of escalating conflict.

They discuss the gap between when conflict happens and when support is available how emotional dis-regulation impacts decision making and communication and why creating pause awareness and simple tools is essential for better outcomes. Tamara shares how DivorceWave can help clients regulate process emotions and respond more intentionally in real time while supporting the work coaches are already doing.

Timecodes
00:00 Welcome and introduction to conflict in divorce
02:00 Why divorce unfolds in emotional waves
04:20 The disconnect between support and real life moments
06:20 Common reactive decisions that escalate conflict
09:15 The importance of pause and emotional regulation
11:40 Limits of attorneys mediators and therapists in real time
14:20 Recognizing and interrupting conflict patterns
18:20 Introducing the DivorceWave app
25:15 How coaches can use DivorceWave with clients
28:20 Rethinking support between sessions

Key Takeaways
Conflict in divorce happens between sessions not during them
Emotional triggers override logic and lead to reactive decisions
Creating space before responding is one of the most powerful tools
Pattern awareness is the first step to breaking conflict cycles
Clients need real time tools not just scheduled support
DivorceWave helps extend support beyond sessions in practical accessible ways

Divorce coaching conflict resolution emotional regulation during divorce co parenting conflict divorce mediation support divorce coaching tools managing divorce stress high conflict divorce help mindfulness divorce divorce coach resources

DivorceWave is an on demand digital divorce coach designed to support your clients between sessions when they need it most. Whether they are triggered by an angry text from their Ex spiraling at 2 AM or heading into a tough conversation DivorceWave gives them tools to regulate strategize and move forward in the moment when it counts.
Get started DivorceWave.com and click the link to "Try Divorce Wave for Free"

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Struggling with communication during divorce? You're not alone and it's not just about what’s being said.

In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy podcast, Debra Doak explains why communication breaks down during divorce conflict and what’s really happening beneath the surface when conversations escalate. From emotional flooding and mismatched conflict styles to defensive listening and unspoken expectations, this episode breaks down the five key reasons communication fails—and how to fix it.

Whether you're a divorce coach, mediator, or navigating divorce yourself, you’ll gain practical tools to improve communication, reduce conflict, and make better decisions during one of life’s most challenging transitions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How emotional triggers impact communication in divorce
• Why conflict styles (pursuer vs. avoider) create tension
• The importance of active listening in high-conflict conversations
• How assumptions and expectations fuel misunderstandings
• Strategies divorce coaches use to help clients communicate effectively

If you're looking to reduce conflict, improve co-parenting communication, or support clients through divorce, this episode is a must-listen.

Keywords: divorce communication, conflict resolution in divorce, divorce coaching, co-parenting communication, high conflict divorce, emotional flooding, communication breakdown, divorce support, divorce coach training, managing conflict in relationships

In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy Podcast, Tracy Callahan is joined by Jacinta Gallant to explore how curiosity can be used as a conflict intervention in divorce. Together, they discuss why certainty, blame, and defensiveness often escalate conflict, and how targeted curiosity can help individuals make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and move through divorce with greater self-awareness.

This conversation is especially valuable for divorce coaches, mediators, family law professionals, and anyone navigating divorce conflict. If you want a deeper understanding of conflict resolution in divorce, divorce coaching, and curiosity in mediation, this episode offers practical insight into a more thoughtful and effective approach.

Key Takeaways

• Curiosity can interrupt defensiveness and reduce conflict escalation.
• Certainty about being right or fair often blocks productive communication.
• Divorce is not just a legal process. It is a conflict process.
• Many traditional divorce and mediation models overlook the relational dynamics driving conflict.
• Divorce coaches play an important role in helping clients build self-awareness and engage more effectively in difficult conversations.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Role of Curiosity in Conflict Resolution
• 06:32 Insight Approach to Conflict
• 19:17 Limits of Professional Roles in Developing Curiosity
• 28:26 Development of Resources for Self-Discovery and Conflict Engagement

This episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast explores one of the most overlooked dimensions of divorce: a child’s lived experience inside the conflict process.

While parents navigate legal decisions, emotional strain, and uncertainty, there is often a well-intended instinct to protect children by minimizing what they see or feel. But what happens when that protection becomes silence—and a child’s experience goes unacknowledged?

Tracy is joined by Carolyn Jacobs—certified divorce and co-parenting coach, parenting plan mediator, and DCA® Certified ADR Divorce Coach—to examine the critical distinction between shielding children from conflict and unintentionally disconnecting from their reality. Together, they unpack how children process what they sense versus what they’re told, the risks of “holding it together,” and how parents can model emotional honesty without placing emotional weight on the child.

Grounded in DCA®’s framing of divorce as a conflict and communication process, this conversation highlights how parent-child communication during divorce shapes a child’s long-term ability to navigate relationships, conflict, and self-expression. The episode also offers practical insight for professionals supporting parents who may be unintentionally minimizing their child’s experience—and how to begin repairing that dynamic.

The conversation extends into a broader lens on civil discourse, exploring how what happens inside the home directly influences a child’s ability to engage with difference and disagreement outside of it.

Carolyn also shares more about her upcoming Conversations that Contribute Series event: Fostering Civil Discourse Among Youth: A Conversation with Dr. Michael Saini. This 60-minute virtual event will take place on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 4 PM ET (1 PM PT / 3 PM CT), with tickets available for $10. Hosted by Ally in Divorce, the conversation supports Kids Managing Conflict, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening peer mediation programs in schools. Register Here

This is a nuanced and highly relevant conversation for divorce professionals, parents, and anyone invested in how the next generation learns to navigate conflict—with clarity, empathy, and integrity.

Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:

Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com

Instagram: www.divorcecoachesacademy/divorcecoachesacademy

LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy

Email: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

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, LBSW 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

The conversation delves into the foundational principles of dispute resolution, emphasizing the importance of self-actualization and the role of divorce coaches in supporting growth and development. It highlights the value of presence and process, the need to tolerate slower progress for alignment, and the challenge of recognizing and managing personal discomfort in the process.

Takeaways

• Self-actualization is essential in dispute resolution
• The value of presence and process in supporting growth and development

Chapters

• 00:00 Foundational Principles of Dispute Resolution
• 06:09 Recognizing the Need for Self-Actualization
• 12:11 Value of Presence and Process
• 17:52 Recognizing and Managing Personal Discomfort

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Compassion fatigue silently affects countless divorce coaches—many don't even realize they're experiencing it until they're deep in burnout territory. Tracy and Debra tackle this critical topic by explaining how the very empathy that makes coaches effective can become their downfall without proper boundaries.

The conversation dives into what compassion fatigue actually looks like in real coaching scenarios—that emotional exhaustion when you can't stop thinking about a client's problems, the way you might feel angry on behalf of a client, or how certain sessions leave you completely drained. These aren't just normal professional challenges; they're warning signs that your professional container needs reinforcement.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is the practical framework Tracy and Debra provide for maintaining a sustainable coaching practice. They introduce the concept of the "professional container"—both external (how you structure your practice) and internal (how you manage your mindset and emotional responses). This container isn't about distancing yourself from clients' pain but rather creating boundaries that allow you to provide consistent, clear-headed support without absorbing their trauma.

The most powerful insight comes when they assert: "Empathy without containment becomes contagion." This perspective shift alone could transform how coaches approach their work. Rather than seeing boundaries as limitations on caring, Tracy and Debra reframe them as the essential infrastructure that makes deep, sustainable compassion possible.

Whether you're new to divorce coaching or a seasoned professional who's feeling the weight of client struggles, this episode offers concrete strategies to strengthen your practice—from establishing rituals of release between sessions to engaging in regular peer support and continuing education. These aren't just self-care luxuries; they're professional necessities for anyone committed to this emotionally demanding field.

Curious about strengthening your professional container? Visit divorcecoachesacademy.com to explore our training programs, case consultation groups, and professional development opportunities designed specifically for divorce coaches who want to bring their best selves to this important work.

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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Cracking the code on client acquisition is perhaps the most common challenge facing divorce coaches at every stage of their careers. In this candid, strategy-packed episode, Debra and Tracy tackle the question they hear most frequently: "How do I find clients?" Drawing from years of experience building successful practices and mentoring coaches, they reveal seven powerful, field-tested strategies that go far beyond superficial marketing tactics.

At the heart of their approach lies a fundamental truth—successful client acquisition in divorce coaching depends on authentic relationship-building rather than flashy marketing schemes. Tracy and Debra emphasize the importance of defining your ideal client avatar with precision, explaining that "specificity is your superpower" in connecting meaningfully with potential clients. They share that approximately 70-80% of successful coaches find clients through strategic referral partnerships with professionals ranging from attorneys and therapists to hairstylists and personal trainers—essentially anyone your ideal client might confide in during their divorce journey.

The conversation flows through practical digital marketing approaches (including website essentials and content creation), community involvement strategies, directory listings, testimonial gathering, and follow-up systems. Throughout, Debra and Tracy punctuate their advice with real-world examples from their own experiences and those of coaches in their community. Their guidance is refreshingly honest, acknowledging that building a coaching practice takes patience and persistence, especially in a field where clients need to trust you with such vulnerable aspects of their lives.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow an established practice, this episode provides a roadmap for connecting with the clients who need your services most. Join the Divorce Coaches Academy community for ongoing support, case consultation, and practice-building guidance from coaches who've successfully navigated the path you're on.

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