Dishing on Divorce Podcast

dishingondivorce
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Dishing on Divorce: Sharing Stories and Empowering Lives is a podcast by Deanna Coyle and Mandy Pullen Barr, two best friends and single mothers who have experienced divorce. In this series, they share the ups and downs of rebuilding their lives, offering a mix of personal insights and expert advice. Each episode features a guest who educates listeners on relevant topics or inspires them with powerful personal stories. This podcast is a valuable resource for anyone seeking guidance, inspiration, and a sense of community as they embark on the transformative journey of divorce.

  1. 2d ago

    Divorce Without Borders: Collaborative Divorce & International Custody | Lucia Ramirez Levias

    What if divorce could be approached not as the end of a family, but as the beginning of a healthier way forward? In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna welcome Lucia Ramirez Levias, partner at DuBois Levias Law Group in Washington State, to explore how families can navigate divorce with greater cooperation, transparency, and compassion. With nearly two decades of family law experience, Lucia brings a unique perspective shaped by her work with children and families, her international experience, and her commitment to helping people resolve conflict without unnecessary litigation. Together, they explore the collaborative divorce process, how it differs from mediation and traditional litigation, and why having the right team of professionals can make a meaningful difference, especially when children or complex finances are involved. The conversation also turns to interstate and international custody, parental relocation, immigration challenges, and the legal complexities that can arise when families live across borders. Perhaps most importantly, Lucia shares why the way parents navigate divorce can shape their children's relationships and family experiences for years to come, even when those children are adults. Through personal stories, professional insights, and heartfelt reflections, this episode reminds us that while divorce changes a family's structure, it doesn't have to destroy the relationships within it. Because sometimes the most important outcome isn't simply reaching an agreement. It's creating a foundation for a healthier future. Connect with Our Guest Lucia Ramirez Levias is a partner at DuBois Levias Law Group in Washington State. Her practice includes collaborative divorce, mediation, complex custody matters, and interstate and international family law. She is passionate about helping families navigate difficult transitions while minimizing conflict and protecting the relationships that matter most. Learn more about Lucia: https://duboislaw.net/our-team/lucia-ramirez-levias/

  2. Oct 26

    The Divorced Dadvocate: Are We Really Communicating? | Jude Sandvall

    Are we really communicating our emotions, or just expressing them? Men and women may experience and express emotions differently. As Jude explains, men often learn to bury their feelings, while women may be more inclined to express theirs openly. And here's the powerful realization: Neither mom nor dad may actually be communicating what's really going on beneath the surface. In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, hosts Deanna Coyle and Mandy Pullen Barr welcome Jude Sandvall, founder and host of The Divorced Dadvocate, for a thought-provoking conversation about divorce, fatherhood, emotional regulation, and the communication patterns that shape our relationships with our children. Drawing on his experience navigating a high-conflict divorce and years of coaching fathers, Jude shares how the emotional habits we develop over our lives can shape our relationships, parenting decisions, and ability to navigate conflict. Together, they explore: Why expressing emotions and communicating emotions are two very different things How generational patterns influence the way we handle emotions and conflict Why emotional regulation and self-awareness are essential during divorce How parents can navigate high-conflict situations while keeping their children's needs at the center The importance of fathers remaining present and connected to their children Why decisions made early in divorce can impact family relationships for decades How coaching, community, and a strong support team can help parents move forward with greater clarity and confidence Although Jude specializes in supporting fathers through divorce, the lessons in this conversation are universal. One of the most meaningful takeaways is that we don't have to continue the emotional patterns we inherited. Learning to recognize, regulate, and truly communicate our emotions can help us become better parents, build healthier relationships, and model important life skills for our children. Divorce may change a family's structure, but we still have the opportunity to shape the quality of the relationships within it. Whether you're a mom, dad, co-parent, or looking to strengthen your communication skills, this episode offers valuable insights on building healthier relationships for ourselves and the next generation. Connect with Jude: https://thedivorcedadvocate.com/

  3. Oct 19

    The Hidden Signs of Emotional Abuse: How to Trust Yourself Again with Chel Cartmill

    Emotional abuse isn't always obvious. Sometimes it shows up as subtle manipulation, constant self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the feeling that something isn't right, even when you can't explain why. In this powerful episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna welcome Chel Cartmill, Next Chapter Transition Specialist, Certified Trauma-Informed Master Coach, Certified Divorce Coach, and author of Spider on My Neck. Chel shares her deeply personal journey through covert emotional abuse, betrayal, divorce, and the painful process of rebuilding trust in herself. Together, they explore how childhood conditioning, people-pleasing, and the desire to keep the peace can silence our instincts, even when our bodies are telling us something isn't right. The conversation also offers practical tools for healing, including breathwork, journaling, recognizing emotional triggers, setting healthy boundaries, and using your voice with confidence. Whether you're questioning a relationship, navigating divorce, or rediscovering yourself after a difficult chapter, this conversation reminds you that healing is possible, your voice matters, and you can learn to trust yourself again. Learn more about Chel: https://www.chelcartmill.com/ Explore her memoir, Spider on My Neck: https://spideronmyneck.com/

  4. Oct 12

    High-Conflict Divorce and Coercive Control: How to Document the Evidence with Courtney Gilmartin

    When you are living through a high-conflict divorce or custody dispute, it can feel like there is too much to explain. Too many emails, texts, incidents, court documents, and interactions, all while trying to parent, work, and manage the emotional weight of what is happening. In this episode, Mandy and Deanna are joined by Courtney Gilmartin, founder of New Jersey Protective Moms and Strategic Litigation Consultant with Monarch Consulting Group. Courtney brings both personal and professional experience to this conversation. After navigating her own family court challenges, she began using her background in project and program management to organize evidence, identify behavioral patterns, and communicate information more clearly. That approach eventually became the foundation of the work she now does with clients navigating high-conflict custody and divorce matters. Courtney explains why effective documentation is not about collecting every single piece of information or repeatedly calling someone a narcissist or coercive controller. It is about showing patterns through organized, credible evidence. The conversation explores coercive control, post-separation abuse, financial control, difficult co-parenting dynamics, parallel parenting, parenting coordinators, and the importance of thinking ahead when creating divorce and parenting agreements. Courtney also shares practical ways to organize timelines, texts, emails, court documents, and other records so they are easier to use when communicating with attorneys and other professionals. One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation is simple: show the pattern rather than relying on the label. For anyone navigating a high-conflict divorce or custody situation, this episode offers thoughtful, practical guidance to create clarity in circumstances that can otherwise feel chaotic and overwhelming. Learn more about Courtney and her work at MonarchConsultingGrp.com.

  5. Oct 5

    Love Bombing, Gaslighting and Emotional Abuse: Why It’s So Hard to Leave with Dianne Harris

    What happens when the relationship you thought was your happily-ever-after slowly causes you to lose yourself? In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Dianne Harris, author of Love Bomb: He Sold Her a Dream and Delivered a Nightmare, a certified life coach, entrepreneur, and advocate. Dianne shares the deeply personal story behind her memoir, including how a relationship that initially felt like the love she had been waiting for became a nearly decade-long cycle of love bombing, emotional and verbal abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and confusion. Together, they explore why these relationships can be so difficult to recognize and leave, especially when moments of pain are followed by apologies, promises, affection, and hope that things will finally change. Dianne also opens up about the life-threatening health crisis she experienced during the relationship, the role journaling played in helping her understand what was happening, and the realization that while she was working so hard to save someone else, she had slowly abandoned herself. The conversation explores people-pleasing, self-abandonment, blurred boundaries, and how we can lose trust in our instincts over time. From there, Dianne shares what healing has looked like for her, including rebuilding boundaries, reconnecting with her intuition, and learning that self-trust is restored through small choices made over and over again. This is a vulnerable conversation about recognizing unhealthy patterns, listening to your inner voice, and finding your way back to yourself. Learn more about Dianne and her work at https://dianneharris.com/ Get Dianne's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GY5BL3G3

  6. Sep 28

    Finding Your Flock: Connection, Community & Coming Home to Yourself with Hey Birdie

    What happens to your sense of belonging when life changes? In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Jess Lindsley and Heather Bahlmann, co-founders of Hey Birdie. This Colorado-based community helps women build deeper, more meaningful connections. Heather and Jess share how a friendship that began on a playground grew into a mission to create the kind of community so many women are craving: a place to be seen, show up authentically, and build real relationships through every season of life. Jess opens up about experiencing her parents' divorce as a child and remembering how the larger community surrounding her family seemed to disappear. Heather shares how her own community became essential when her daughter became seriously ill. Together, their experiences shaped their belief that we aren't meant to navigate life's biggest transitions alone. The conversation explores divorce, motherhood, menopause, empty nesting, grief, career changes, relocation, people-pleasing, asking for help, learning to honor your own needs, and the difference between simply being social and feeling truly connected. They also talk about Hey Birdie's Flight Clubs, teen flocks, their new membership community, The Roost, and an upcoming cultural immersion in Guatemala exploring how women around the world build community and support one another. This is a warm, funny, vulnerable conversation about finding your people, allowing yourself to be seen, and discovering who you are now, especially when life looks very different than it once did. Learn more about Hey Birdie: https://www.heybirdie.co/ Connect with Heather and Jess: hey@heybirdie.co

  7. Sep 21

    Marriage, Divorce, and Fatherhood: Becoming a Terrific Dad with Dr. Binyomin Rothstein

    How can men become better husbands, fathers, and partners, and what happens when a marriage reaches a breaking point? Mandy and Deanna welcome Dr. Binyomin "Dr. Ben" Rothstein, men's coach, author of A Real Man's Guide to Becoming a Terrific Dad, and founder of Terrific Dads, for a wide-ranging conversation about marriage, divorce, fatherhood, personal responsibility, and growth. Dr. Ben shares how his journey from medicine into coaching led him to recognize the profound impact fathers can have on their children simply by being present, affectionate, engaged, and emotionally available. Together, they explore the dynamics that can affect a marriage long before divorce, including appreciation, communication, resentment, intimacy, forgiveness, and accountability. They also discuss what men may be experiencing beneath the surface when a relationship struggles and why meaningful change often begins with the courage to examine your own behavior. The conversation then turns to divorce and fatherhood, with an important reminder that the end of a marriage does not mean the end of being an engaged and intentional dad. Whether a father is married, separated, divorced, or rebuilding after a major life transition, Dr. Ben's message is centered on courage, connection, growth, and taking responsibility for how you show up in the relationships that matter most. Learn more at https://beaterrificdad.com/ or schedule a discovery call at https://beaterrificdad.com/schedule-your-discovery-call

  8. Sep 14

    Radical Acceptance in Divorce: Reclaiming Your Power

    Acceptance can be one of the hardest parts of divorce. How do you accept a reality you never wanted without feeling like you are giving up? In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna welcome Lindy Yoshida and Erin Siegel for a thoughtful conversation about grief, radical acceptance, accountability, and finding your power during one of life's most difficult transitions. Lindy brings together her experience as a divorce financial professional, certified life coach, and grief educator to help people understand both the numbers and the emotions influencing their decisions. Erin is a professional certified coach and high-conflict divorce coach whose work focuses on coercive control, family court navigation, complex custody litigation, and post-separation abuse. Together, they discuss why acceptance is not the same as approval, why two seemingly opposing truths can exist at the same time, and how focusing on what we can control can help us move forward. The conversation also explores the profound grief that can accompany divorce, the temptation to stay focused on what a former partner should have done differently, the importance of accountability without victim-blaming, and the question that can change the way we move through difficult seasons: Who do I want to be when life gets hard? Lindy and Erin remind us that the pain of loss deserves to be felt and witnessed. We don't have to compound that pain by endlessly replaying what we should have known or done differently. Lindy and Erin are also hosting The Rebuild Retreat, a 4-day in-person retreat for women navigating divorce, October 16 through 19 at Freebird Valley Collective in Colorado. They are offering one scholarship covering $1,500 of the retreat experience, including workshops, guided practices, group coaching, and healing sessions. The recipient is responsible for the $1,500 cost of room and board. The Rebuild Retreat: https://lindyyoshida.com/retreat Scholarship application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKLB1ezSlropDG76jGxZJNYU2EPpCI-VrLUbsss7oyI5EFhA/viewform?usp=header A compassionate, honest conversation about accepting what is, honoring what hurts, and creating space for what comes next. Connect with Erin: https://www.hcdivorcecoach.com/divorce-coach-erin-m-siegel Connect with Lindy: https://lindyyoshida.com/

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About

Dishing on Divorce: Sharing Stories and Empowering Lives is a podcast by Deanna Coyle and Mandy Pullen Barr, two best friends and single mothers who have experienced divorce. In this series, they share the ups and downs of rebuilding their lives, offering a mix of personal insights and expert advice. Each episode features a guest who educates listeners on relevant topics or inspires them with powerful personal stories. This podcast is a valuable resource for anyone seeking guidance, inspiration, and a sense of community as they embark on the transformative journey of divorce.

Information

  • Creator
    dishingondivorce
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Dishing on Divorce Podcast

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