If you enjoyed the Kelly Sundberg interview, take a listen to our debrief episode where Nicole and I discuss our favorite and most meaningful parts of her story. I read her Goodbye, Sweet Girl memoir and Nicole read her latest book that just came out a couple weeks ago, The Answer is in the Wound. We discuss both books and what stood out to us the most in each story. Her story is truly a story of healing and inspiration and we hope you all feel that too when you listen! Trigger Warning for all listeners, Kelly's story is one of Domestic Violence. She does discuss what that looked like for her and what ultimately happened for her to leave. I know this will be one of our top favorite episodes for both of us forever.

This episode is so important, we couldn't wait a month to post it. Kelly Sundberg is an author and survivor of Domestic Abuse. Her memoir, Goodbye, Sweet Girl, broke our hearts and her newest book, The Answer is in the Wound, sewed it back together. Kelly is such a powerful writer and survivor. She tells her story of her marriage and divorce and doesn't hold back. We strongly suggest reading BOTH of her books. Her first one takes you on a journey of meeting her now ex-husband, dating, pregnancy, marriage, and ultimately ending with physical abuse and divorce. Her second book takes you on a journey of healing after divorce through various essays about how she healed and what that looked like for her. Kelly has been divorced for 12 years and is now remarried to a loving and caring man. She gets honest about the mental struggles she has from years of abuse that sticks with her even in her current marriage that's filled with love, and how she handles that. Her story truly touched us and this interview will go down as one of the best interviews for our podcast. We recorded this episode before the release of her second book, but it is officially out now and we hope you all feel the love and strength in her story like we did. Look for our Nik + Nat Chat episode where we discuss this interview and take a deep dive into what we thought and what we read in her books.

Nik & Nat Chat about our latest episode, Laura Richards: Surviving & Thriving After Narcissistic Abuse. Make sure you listen to her interview first then come back here to take a deep dive into the episode and the lessons we learned!

Narcissism. A buzz word that swarms social media and is the topic of many funny reels, but in reality, it's a form of abuse that so many people live with. Whether it's your partner, your parent, or another family member or loved one, it's very real and very painful. In this episode, Nicole interviews Laura Richards. She is the host of That's Where I'm At Podcast, author of Married to a Nice Guy: Getting Over Narcissistic Abuse and There is Hope: 52 Keys to Healing After Divorce, and Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Expert. Laura has this incredible power inside of her. She speaks out against the abuse she faced for 33 years in marriage without hesitation and with strength and courage. We were in awe of her. She tells us that when she started her podcast her abuser reached out and said I hear you're talking about me all over the internet and telling people I'm a narcissist and she had one single word in response, "yup." chills. Nicole and I wish for that kind of strength and empowerment on every survivor we meet. This episode is so important for so many to hear. I've been telling so many people, just wait for this episode, it'll really speak to you! I've been counting down the days to post it so you all can hear this story of strength and healing and be inspired right along with us! If you've been a victim of narcissistic abuse, in any form, in your life, we hope this episode brings you peace and starts you on a journey of healing! Follow Laura Richards on social media and listen to her podcast. I hope for her courage to be passed on to you as you begin healing and thriving!

What is Collaborative Divorce and how is it different from Litigation? Nik & Nat spent some time chatting the other day about what Collaborative Law is and what it is they do all day at Two Families Law with their clients! Collaborative is a great option for people who want to have a more peaceful divorce, focus on their kids well-being, save money, and many other things.

Not all divorce comes from a big trauma. Sometimes divorce comes from one or both spouses saying, “hey, I’m not happy/satisfied/fulfilled, and I want a divorce.” Anna’s story is just that. She thought her spouse was great and a good person, but their marriage didn’t fulfill her needs. They were two different people with different goals and love languages, and she needed to feel prioritized and loved.   She grew up as a Minister’s kid with a strong Christian value system that drove her in making all her decisions as a young adult and ultimately getting married. She, like many of us, was sucked into that Happily Ever After, perfect rom-com love story, life. She wanted that Princess Di wedding and was in a rush to find it all, all while meeting her Christian values of staying pure until marriage. She quickly learned that the Happily Ever After doesn’t comes from rushing down the aisle or staying pure. Like we hear so many times from our clients and friends, she told her spouse she wasn’t happy. She gave the warning signs. She asked for more, but he couldn’t give it. She stayed true to herself and instead of sticking in a marriage that didn’t fulfill her needs, she put herself first and decided to look for someone who can be everything she needs. Spoiler alert, she found it after her divorce! Anna took her story and turned it into a thriving business as a Relationship Coach. She’s your bestie that you need to text to say “ugh, my spouse is angering me, and I want to tell him off” and then she talks you through whether that’s the best decision. She helps both individuals and couples from trying to save the marriage or rebuild after divorce. Divorced People Podcast is a podcast for all humans in a relationship, yes especially for Divorced People, but also for all people in a marriage or committed relationship. This episode is a great episode to listen to for anyone in any kind of relationship. It discusses the warning signs that one person sends out and how important it is to listen to those signs. We hear it all the time at work, one party says I’ve been saying this for years and the other party is shocked and hasn’t HEARD what the they were being told for years.

Lauren Stevens is a single mom, business owner, survivor, and badass. She took a huge leap of faith and quit her job, divorced her abuser, sold her home, and put everything she had into building Joy Worthy Co. Joy Worthy is an event rental space and creative workshop where she hosts paint pours, cooking classes, charcuterie making, holiday themed events, birthday parties, and more! She wanted a place where people can come together to feel JOY and express their artistic side. In a world filled with so much hate, she wanted people to know there is still joy to be found. Lauren’s story is one that many of you may relate to. She grew up in a small Southern town, deep in a rigid Christianity, moved away from home, fell in love looking for that romcom love story, only to find that the pink flags she thought she saw were red and she needed to get away. She got married fast to fill a court obligation to be able to take in two young girls who needed a home. She put aside her voice in her head telling her he may not be the one and leaped into what she hoped was her fairytale. The red flags appeared, the abuse started, until one day it went too far and her inner beast woke up and she took her child and left and never looked back. You’ll hear more about what happened, how religion played a role in her story and her abuse, and how she became the Boss Babe that she is now! We hope you enjoy this story as much as we did. It’s a unique experience to watch your friend’s story unfold and then get to hear her tell it years later. I had the unique experience of hearing her open up about what she wanted from her friends during her journey and realizing I spent my time as a cheerleader instead of a honest friend who sees the flags and doesn’t speak up. Just like in her romcoms, there’s always the friend that supports no matter what and doesn’t learn to speak up and share her thoughts until it’s too late! My bestie and I have a phrase we use whenever the other one is sharing, and we have an opinion to chime in or if we are the one sharing and want that opinion ourselves- BBH- Brutal Bestie Honesty. We ask each other, are you here for BBH or not? Are you ready to hear something you probably don’t want to hear, but NEED to hear? Not everyone is, so asking if they want BBH first, gives them the chance to say no and just vent without fear of reality being thrown in their face. Let us know what you think of Lauren’s story! Can you relate to the romcom love gone bad that so many Millennials and Gen X have been programmed to find?

Olivia Dreizen Howell is the joyful and dynamic CEO of Fresh Starts Registry and the host of the Divorce Happens Podcast. She is a powerful single mother and a survivor of emotional and psychological violence during her marriage. In this episode, Olivia shares what it was like growing up as a child of divorce and into her own divorce story. She has a beautiful village supporting her and her two small children every step of the way. Olivia has turned the struggle and learning of her own divorce into the Fresh Starts Registry as a way for divorcing people to create a registry for items they need and love to start their new life! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. 

In this episode, child psychologist, Dr. Brian Mackey, discusses the cultures that shaped his own marriage and divorce, how to love your kids through family change, what he learns from kiddos whose parents are in the process, and the not so secret perks of leaving an unhealthy marriage and co-parenting like a pro.

Jen Berlingo is a coach, a writer, an artist, a mother, a trained therapist, and an intuitive being. Her story is so intricate and beautiful.  As she writes about in her book, Midlife Emergence, Jen reached her 40s, married to a man that she loved, and felt an undeniable call to end her marriage to further pursue her queer identity and love with a woman. The way that Jen is able to hold love and truth in so many ways that might seem to oppose one another is magical, and skilled. Please enjoy this episode and share with a friend ＜3. https://jenberlingo.com/

Sarah Armstrong has remained dedicated to having a "good divorce," for the sake of her daughter and her own peace. Her book, "The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce" is a brilliantly organized and digestible handbook of the mantras, tips, and focus points that have helped her to co-parent her child to young adulthood with peace, stability, and care.   Please enjoy this final episode of the inaugural season of the Divorced People Podcast!! Look out for a bright new season starting soon.

Laura Phoenix is a treasured friend, practitioner, teacher, and role model for our host, NQ. This episode just begins to scratch the surface of the wisdom that Laura has gained through her abusive marriage, merciful divorce, healing journey, and through her current work as a somatic experiencing practitioner (and much more, of course).  Please enjoy the conversation, share widely, and reach out with questions, kvells, or the like!

Rebecca Feinglos is bringing grief guidance to the masses. After losing her father and her marriage in the early days of COVID, Rebecca boldly took a year off of her work in NC government and policy, declaring the time her much-needed and deserved "grieve leave." And she's been thinking, writing, and sharing about the topic of grief ever since. I have been hearing the word grief more and more each day, both in just mainstream conversation and in my divorce work. It's not a new experience, but it does seem to be having a new kind of attention and increased clarity. It feels so lucky and serendipitous that Rebecca is also here in Durham, NC and that we got to have this conversation. Listen in to hear about Rebecca's intense stories of loss and emotion, transformation, and a dogged pursuit of peace and meaning. 

Kamara Thomas is a wise wise woman. A true artist and mother, tarot reader and playright, Virgo queen and now, a divorced person. This episode is spiritual sustenance and food for your faith muscles. Faith in yourself, faith in a healing spirit, and faith in humanity. Kamara shares the story of knowing it was time to end her toxic marriage, working through a cancer diagnosis during her separation, and finding meaning in it all in very short order.  Please enjoy the generosity, love, tenderness, and wisdom of this episode.    Join our Patreon to support this art and support work! https://www.patreon.com/divorcedpeople

Samantha Falk is a divorced person, co-parent, and communications professional. Sam's divorce began about 7 years ago, with an acute incident you'll hear about in the episode. An instinct to protect her children from verbal violence led Sam to divorce, and it was not a short or easy process. These days Sam is still working to protect her teenage sons, enjoying a happy and new second marriage, and writing a book about divorce with her divorce lawyer, Rain Henderson. Rain Henderson is in the process of winding down her 30 year career as a divorce litigator in Vancouver, BC. She is not a divorced person herself, but she has seen thousands of divorces go through the Canadian court system. Rain describes her reputation as being the attorney folks seek when all other less aggressive avenues for divorce have failed. A "baracuda" she says. She guided Sam through her rough divorce, and is now working with Sam on a book that helps prepare folks for legal divorce both emotionally and logistically. Her take on the behind-the-scenes of litigation and her career is fascinating. Take in tips about self-care during divorce and beyond, peek behind the curtain of divorce litigation, and witness the renaissance of Sam as she claims her health and happiness and walks through "hellfires" to do it.   Join our Patreon to support this art and support work! https://www.patreon.com/divorcedpeople   You can find Sam here: https://www.samfalk.com/ You can find Rain here: https://www.hhlaw.ca/our-lawyers/rain-henderson/ You can find Nicole here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolequallen/ 

Heather Gray is about 6 years past her divorce. She has brilliant clarity on why it was the right call, how to do better in her second marriage, and the worst part of it all (not seeing her kids all the time). There was no wild infidelity, no dramatic addiction, none of the storylines we like to see as ’excuses’ for divorce, but for Heather the math just didn’t add up anymore for what the marriage took versus what it gave.

Poet, and now memoirist, Maggie Smith has made the messy middle of her divorce into a stunning and captivating piece of art: You Could Make This Place Beautiful, her newest book. Maggie's marriage began its formal ending in 2018, and she has been processing the experience in so many ways, including some of my favorite writings on the topic. (I give her book "Keep Moving" to loads of new clients who are in the roughest starts of their journeys and her Modern Love column took my breath away in the earliest days of my own separation) Listen as Maggie and I discuss marriage culture, wedding culture, small town culture, and why she is suspicious of the "before and after" transformation narrative. Maggie inspires the hell out of me when it comes to "the messy middle" of divorce, before there is a shiny new healed version of life, and also about just being radically, beautifully honest about... everything. This conversation just scratches the surface of what Maggie shares in her stunning book, so please get your hands on a copy of it. It's truly a gift and so are you, Maggie Smith!   New book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/You-Could-Make-This-Place-Beautiful/Maggie-Smith/9781982185855  The gorgeous poem, Good Bones, that took Maggie's work viral: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89897/good-bones Modern Love piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/style/modern-love-end-of-marriage-google-maps.html 

Karen McMahon is the founder of Journey Beyond Divorce, a podcast and divorce coaching practice, and Karen has seen some sh%t! Karen is wise and kind and fun and funny and we had a blast sharing her long, incredibly difficult, and ultimately triumphant story. Karen began her divorce process 20 years ago, and is just now sharing her story for the first time in such detail. We talk about what it looked like to raise her children from elementary school-age through their early adulthood, how to make the big big leap to leave, mantras for the times of self-doubt, and lots about the transformative power of tough times.    You can find Karen and her podcast at: https://www.jbddivorcesupport.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/journey-beyond-divorce-podcast/id1261400624  https://www.instagram.com/journey_beyond_divorce/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwBFif3L2M_Zn3lxl8AU8og

Welcome to the Divorced People podcast. A story-telling podcast about what really happens in marriage and divorce, featuring the actual bravest and wisest people. Full episodes coming soon.