Fresh Starts

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Channel • 4 Shows

How To

How To

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Personal Journals

Personal Journals

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Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement

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How To

How To

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01/18/2024

The Divorce Season: How to Get Divorced as a Stay-at-Home-Mom

A Fresh Story, season 6, episode 6 Embark on a transformative journey as we unravel the complexities of divorce in 10 insightful podcast episodes. Delve into crucial topics like contemplating divorce, navigating real estate and custody, deciphering legal jargon, and exploring the emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual facets of divorce. This season also uniquely addresses the challenges faced by stay-at-home parents during divorce. Featuring advice, wisdom, and guidance from over 25 Fresh Starts Experts, each episode offers practical insights and solutions to empower you through this life-changing transition. Learn about the legal intricacies, discover methods to navigate the emotional rollercoaster, and gain a holistic understanding of the divorce process. Produced by Fresh Starts Registry, the pioneer in the divorce industry and a comprehensive platform for everything needed to begin again, A Fresh Story Season 6 is your go-to resource for expert guidance and a supportive community. Join us as we navigate the complexities of divorce together and pave the way for a brighter, more empowered future. How to Get Divorced as a Stay At Home Mom: On this episode, we’re covering everything you need to know in order to get divorced as a stay at home parent. We get a lot of questions from women who aren’t the primary earners, who work as the primary parent, and are seeking a divorce. How can you get divorced as a stay at home mom? We have all the answers. Questions covered in this episode: What legal steps should I take to protect my rights and interests as a stay-at-home mom? How will child custody arrangements work in my situation, and what's the best outcome for my children? Can I seek financial support (alimony) during and after the divorce to support my family? What happens to the family home and other shared assets during the divorce process? How can I ensure I have access to important financial documents and assets? What resources or support systems are available to help me during this transition? Is it possible to continue my education or gain employment while going through a divorce? What role does mediation or collaborative divorce play in my situation, and is it a viable option? How can I take my current skills and add them to a resume for a job? Fresh Starts Experts featured in this episode: Kara Francis, Divorce Attorney, Mediator and Divorce Coach Cynthia Cartier, Divorce Attorney and Mediator, founder of Connecticut Mediation & Arbitration Services, LLC Ann Runkle, founder of Forward With Ann, divorce and career coach Tramelle D. Jones, founder of TDJ Consulting and Career Services, career and resume coach Jolee Vacchi, divorce lawyer and mediator, founder of Foundations Family Law & Mediation Center Janice Berner, CDFA, Financial Advisor, Financial Planner, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst a...

01/18/2024

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1h 32m
1D AGO

Healing After Divorce: Why Community Changes Everything with Oona Metz

In this episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell speaks with therapist and divorce recovery expert Oona Metz about why healing after divorce happens faster—and feels less isolating—when it’s done in community. Drawing on nearly 30 years of clinical experience and 15+ years leading women’s divorce support groups, Oona breaks down what actually happens inside a therapist-led divorce support group, how confidentiality and emotional safety work, and why shared experience helps women rebuild self-trust, boundaries, and a sense of identity after divorce. Oona also shares the heart behind her book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, which focuses on the emotional journey of divorce—including grief, relief, anger, fear, and the identity shift no one prepares you for. If you’re navigating divorce recovery, co-parenting stress, emotional abuse fallout, or starting over as a single mom, this episode offers validation, practical guidance, and a clear message of hope: divorce is hard, but healing is real—and it gets better on the other side. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

1d ago

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16 min
12/18/2025

The Hidden Grief of Divorce: Mourning the Life You Thought You’d Have with Olivia Howell

In this episode, Olivia Howell explores the often-hidden grief of divorce — the grief not only for the marriage you had, but for the future you imagined. Olivia explains the layers of loss that come with separation, from identity shifts to emotional nostalgia to the mourning of long-held dreams. This five-minute episode brings validation, tenderness, and clarity to anyone navigating the emotional landscape of divorce. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

12/18/2025

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5 min
3D AGO

Divorce 101: A to Z - Letter L

In this Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell explains what a legal separation is, how it works, and why some couples choose it instead of divorce. Brought to you by the letter L and the number 6, this episode outlines the six most common reasons couples choose legal separation — from health insurance considerations to religious beliefs to emotional readiness and financial protection. Listeners learn what legal separation does (and doesn’t) accomplish, how it compares to divorce, and why it is available only in certain states. Olivia also explores the emotional complexity of choosing separation and offers a grounding action step to help listeners assess whether this option might support their needs. This episode is perfect for anyone considering separation, evaluating divorce options, or needing clarity on legal choices during major life transitions. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

3d ago

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5 min
12/08/2025

Fresh Reads: From Emotional Abuse to Radical Rebirth: Betsy Cornwell’s Story of Leaving, Healing, and Creating Home in Ring of Salt

There are books that feel like confession and books that feel like prayer—and then there are books like Ring of Salt, which feel like stepping into someone’s storm and finding, somehow, that the wind has shifted in your favor. From the first page, Betsy Cornwell brings listeners into a life carved by longing, survival, and the quiet bravery of beginning again. In this episode, Betsy joins us from the wild coast of Ireland, where she rebuilt her life as a single mother after an emotionally abusive marriage—one she entered with an open heart and left with a baby on her hip and a new truth taking shape inside her. Ring of Salt is her memoir of that unraveling and rebirth. Braided through her story are the landscapes that held her—green cliffs, ancient tides, a historic knitting factory that became her refuge—and the ghosts that tried to follow her from childhood trauma into adulthood. The book reads like a long, lyrical poem: part survival narrative, part love letter to Ireland, part reckoning with the ways emotional abuse distorts a woman’s sense of self. It is a story of leaving, of coming home to one’s own body, and of discovering that single motherhood, though terrifying, can also be expansive and sacred. Betsy writes with a steadiness that tells the truth without flinching, and a tenderness that reminds every survivor to inhale, to rest, to trust that life can love you again. What emerges from our conversation is a portrait of a woman who has turned pain into offering. Betsy talks about the fear of publishing her own wounds, the responsibility of writing for other survivors, and the hope she pours into the residency space she is building for single mothers in Ireland. Ring of Salt matters because it names what so many live but cannot articulate. It matters because it says: you are not imagining it, you are not weak, and you are not alone. And for anyone standing at the edge of a life transition—unsure, afraid, half-dreaming of something freer—this is the book you reach for in the middle of the night. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

12/08/2025

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13 min
4D AGO

Divorce 101: A to Z - Letter K

In today’s Divorce 101 A to Z episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell explains what a kitchen table agreement is and how couples can use this collaborative approach to outline the terms of their divorce without high conflict or litigation. Brought to you by the letter K and the number 2, this episode highlights why kitchen table agreements work best when two people can communicate respectfully and want to shape their own future rather than leave decisions to the courts. Listeners learn which topics are typically covered in a kitchen table agreement, why informal negotiations still need legal review, and when this approach is not appropriate — especially in situations involving abuse, imbalance of power, or limited financial transparency. Olivia also shares the emotional reality of sitting across the table from someone you’re separating from and offers a simple, grounding action step to support clarity and collaboration. This episode is ideal for couples pursuing mediation, amicable separation, or low-conflict divorce. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

4d ago

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5 min
3D AGO

Divorce Reads: Unhitched - The Essential Divorce Guide for Women by Oona Metz

Divorce doesn’t usually arrive all at once. It creeps in through sleepless nights, quiet dread, and the feeling that the life you’re living no longer fits the person you’ve become. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell sits down with therapist and Fresh Starts Expert Oona Metz, whose decades of clinical experience—and lived experience—offer rare clarity in the fog of divorce. Oona is the author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, a book written for women navigating the emotional, psychological, and identity-shifting realities of divorce, not just the logistics. Oona brings over 30 years as a therapist and more than 15 years running divorce support groups for women, alongside her own experience being divorced twice. In this conversation, she shares what she’s witnessed in hundreds of clients: the grief that mirrors death but isn’t acknowledged as such, the shame many women carry—especially those who “should have known better”—and the profound identity rupture that comes when marriage ends. Together, Olivia and Oona unpack why divorce recovery is not linear, why emotional validation matters as much as legal strategy, and how boundaries, self-trust, and support systems become survival tools during this transition. What makes this episode transformative is its permission-giving. Permission to gather information without making immediate decisions. Permission to grieve without explanation. Permission to start over without apologizing. Listeners will walk away with practical mindset shifts—like reframing divorce as a life transition rather than a failure—and actionable insights on assembling a support team, protecting emotional safety, and honoring the slow work of healing. This episode is a steady hand on your back for anyone navigating divorce recovery, emotional abuse fallout, co-parenting transitions, or single mom life—and a reminder that divorce happens, but so does healing. GRAB UNHITCHED HERE: https://amzn.to/4pBQvG9 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

3d ago

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16 min
4D AGO

Wake Up Fresh With Olivia Howell: You’re Not Lost — You’re Listening

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Olivia Howell reframes uncertainty as a meaningful and necessary part of personal growth. Rather than treating not knowing as failure, this daily morning reflection invites listeners to see uncertainty as a sign of listening, recalibration, and self-trust. Designed as part of a short daily ritual, this episode supports emotional wellness, intuitive decision-making, and patience during periods of transition. Olivia offers reassurance for anyone feeling unsure about next steps, reminding listeners that clarity often arrives after — not before — a pause. Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on helping listeners start their mornings with compassion, clarity, and emotional steadiness. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

4d ago

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4 min
10/01/2023

Maddie Eisenhart & the Heartbreak of Friend Breakups

A Fresh Story, season 3, episode 19 Why are friendship breakups so heartbreaking and hard to untangle? We talked to our dear, wonderful, and witchy friend Maddie Eisenhart about her fresh starts in life, including getting married young, parenthood, career changes, and untangling herself from a co-dependent work relationship. We laughed, we may have even barfed, and a good time was had by all! If you have ever had to break up with a friend, you will understand the pain and heartbreak of putting up boundaries, and moving through life in the aftermath. Check out more from Maddie on Instagram.

10/01/2023

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1h 31m
5D AGO

Wake Up Fresh With Jenny Dreizen: You Are Not Responsible for Other People’s Feelings

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Jenny explores emotional responsibility and the difference between kindness and over-functioning for others’ feelings. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection supports listeners in setting boundaries without guilt or self-blame. Designed for anyone who struggles with people-pleasing or emotional over-responsibility, this episode helps listeners practice respectful communication while releasing the pressure to manage others’ reactions. Jenny offers reassurance that honesty and compassion can coexist. Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on emotional wellness, boundaries, and beginning each day with clarity and self-trust. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

5d ago

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3 min

A Fresh Start begins with brave decisions, bold moves, and brand new linens. We believe in celebrating Fresh Starts, new beginnings, and brave choices. It’s time to re-think the registry for when you really need it most.

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Fresh Starts

Top Shows

The Divorce Season: How to Get Divorced as a Stay-at-Home-Mom

Healing After Divorce: Why Community Changes Everything with Oona Metz

The Hidden Grief of Divorce: Mourning the Life You Thought You’d Have with Olivia Howell

Divorce 101: A to Z - Letter L

Fresh Reads: From Emotional Abuse to Radical Rebirth: Betsy Cornwell’s Story of Leaving, Healing, and Creating Home in Ring of Salt

Divorce 101: A to Z - Letter K

Divorce Reads: Unhitched - The Essential Divorce Guide for Women by Oona Metz

Wake Up Fresh With Olivia Howell: You’re Not Lost — You’re Listening

Maddie Eisenhart & the Heartbreak of Friend Breakups

Wake Up Fresh With Jenny Dreizen: You Are Not Responsible for Other People’s Feelings

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Fresh Starts

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