What happens when the future you've always planned for suddenly disappears? After divorce, many women find themselves trapped in a pit of despair, believing their chance at happiness vanished along with their marriage. But what if this challenging transition actually offers an unexpected gift – the freedom to design a future that truly resonates with who you are?

In this episode I’ll explore how society's prescribed notions of family, happiness, and success have shaped our expectations. Those perfect retirement scenes in medication commercials? The idyllic nuclear family portrayed in media? These aren't universal truths – they're social constructs that have evolved (and continue to evolve) throughout human history. You'll discover how challenging these inherited beliefs creates space for authentic growth and self-discovery.

The episode offers practical guidance for creating a new vision that aligns with your values and current reality. Through targeted questions – about your guiding principles, bold dreams, and how you'll view this chapter in hindsight – you'll learn to craft a future outlook that serves and inspires you. Because if we're going to "make up" our futures anyway (as we all do), why not create visions that genuinely support who we are and who we're becoming?

To download your FREE GUIDE: "What to Expect When Divorcing: The Ultimate Guide to Dealing with the Emotional Rollercoaster of Divorce" click here.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep219

When the emotional waves of divorce hit unexpectedly, leaving you wondering if you've somehow failed at healing, know this: you're experiencing grief in its most natural form. Grief during divorce isn't a linear journey with neat stages and timelines—it's an unpredictable rollercoaster that can send you soaring one day and plummeting the next.

The profound disconnect between what you thought your life would be and what it has become creates the perfect conditions for grief to emerge. Yet unlike the grief that follows death, divorce grief often hides in plain sight, unacknowledged by both ourselves and society. You might hear that you have no right to feel sad if you initiated the divorce, or that you should feel only relief if your marriage was difficult. These judgments only compound the pain.

What you're feeling is valid. Every time you feel like you've finally found solid ground, only to be blindsided by sadness while shopping at Target or driving to work, you're not moving backward in your healing—you're moving through it exactly as you need to. There's no "right way" to grieve the end of a marriage.

Understanding the predictable triggers that launch you back onto this emotional rollercoaster gives you power. Knowing what situations commonly spark these feelings—and having practical tools ready to support yourself through them—transforms your experience from overwhelming to manageable.

To help you navigate this challenging terrain with more confidence, I've created a free guide; What To Expect When Divorcing: The Ultimate Guide to Dealing with the Emotional Rollercoaster of Divorce. This guide explains the science behind your experiences, identifies the five most common scenarios that set off emotional responses, and provides concrete tools to help you find your footing faster. Available as both a PDF and audio recording, it's my free gift to you. Download it today through the link in the below, and remember: your healing journey is uniquely yours, and you're doing it exactly right.

To download your FREE GUIDE: "What to Expect When Divorcing: The Ultimate Guide to Dealing with the Emotional Rollercoaster of Divorce" click here.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep218

Have you ever noticed how society teaches women to shrink, stay small, and remain quiet? From childhood, we're conditioned to take up less space physically and emotionally, to soften our opinions, and to prioritize everyone else's comfort above our own. After divorce, this pattern often intensifies as uncertainty looms large.

But what if divorce actually offers something revolutionary? What if, instead of further contraction, divorce presents the perfect opportunity for expansion?

This episode dives deep into why I proudly declare myself "pro-divorce" – not because I think everyone should end their marriage, but because I've witnessed how divorce can catalyze profound personal growth for women who've spent years diminishing themselves. We explore our tendency to stay small, examining how the amygdala (our brain's fear center) works overtime to "protect" us from the perceived dangers of speaking up, taking space, and trusting ourselves.

Through personal stories and practical insights, I share my own journey of expansion after divorce, including a recent situation where I refused to shrink myself to make my current partner more comfortable. You'll discover the power that comes from recognizing when fear is protecting you from genuine danger versus when it's simply limiting your growth. Most importantly, you'll learn how to trust that you're already handling uncertainty every single day – you're just not giving yourself credit for it.

Ready to step outside the small box society has placed you in? Ready to expand into your fullest self? This episode offers both the permission and practical guidance to bloom unapologetically after divorce. Because you deserve to live without constantly apologizing for being who you are.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep217

Communication patterns can make or break relationships, and understanding the destructive "Four Horsemen" identified by relationship expert John Gottman can help you build healthier connections after divorce. Being able to recognize these patterns in yourself gives you the power to change your communication style for all future relationships.

Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling—these patterns create a cascade of disconnection that, once established, become increasingly difficult to break. In this episode I walk you through each destructive pattern and how to recognize when you're falling into these traps. Rather than approaching this knowledge with self-judgment, I invite you to view your communication habits through the lens of curiosity, opening the door to genuine transformation.

Whether you're co-parenting with your ex, building new friendships, navigating workplace dynamics, or considering future romantic relationships, these communication insights will serve you well. By supporting yourself first and creating space for intentional communication, you can break free from destructive patterns and build the authentic connections you deserve.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep216

We've all been there—those moments during divorce when our minds spiral with thoughts that feel absolutely true: "I wasn't good enough," "I've ruined my children's lives," or "I'll never recover from this." But what if these certainties are simply stories your brain has constructed, not objective facts?

In this episode, I reveal how the thoughts dominating your divorce experience have been shaped by forces largely outside your control—biology, family conditioning, and societal expectations. Your brain, constantly seeking patterns and explanations, often manufactures meaning that aligns with these influences rather than reflecting reality.

When I faced my own divorce, society told me it would devastate my children and destroy my future. Instead of accepting this narrative, I consciously chose to define divorce differently—as growth, new beginnings, and ultimately a path to greater happiness. Years later, that decision has proven transformative not just for me, but for my entire family.

The power lies in recognizing that when we're stressed and emotionally overwhelmed, our primitive brain hijacks our reasoning abilities. Through a simple 3-5 minute writing practice I teach my clients, you can learn to distinguish between objective facts and subjective interpretations. This distinction creates space for choice—the choice to interpret your divorce and future differently.

This isn't about toxic positivity or ignoring genuine feelings. It's about recognizing that most thoughts causing your suffering aren't unassailable truths but interpretations you can question and replace. When you separate fact from story, you reclaim your power to chart your own course through divorce and beyond.

Ready to stop believing everything your brain tells you about your divorce? Try the practice outlined in this episode, or schedule a free 30-minute call with me to experience how liberating it feels to distinguish between what's happening and what it means.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep215

Ever notice how fear seems to drive every decision during divorce? That gnawing feeling in your stomach that whispers you're ruining everything—your future, your children's lives, your finances—even when you know leaving is the right choice. This invisible force keeps you frozen, making decisions from a place of survival rather than authentic wisdom.

What if there was another way? What if you could acknowledge your fear without letting it control your choices?

When our nervous system remains in a constant state of high alert during divorce, we operate from our primitive brain, interpreting change as a threat to survival. This "functional freeze" makes us appear put-together on the outside while we're drowning inside, unable to access our deeper wisdom. The result? A life guided by fear rather than intention.

The secret lies in reconnecting with your intuition—that quiet voice within that knows exactly what you need, even when everyone else has an opinion. Courage isn't making fearless decisions; it's feeling terrified and moving forward anyway, trusting that inner compass to guide you home.

Self-trust develops through practicing self-compassion, getting curious about who you are at your core, and accepting all parts of yourself. When your brain, body, and intuition align, you physically feel the difference between decisions that are right for you and those that aren't. This knowing creates a foundation of peace that exists alongside fear rather than being consumed by it.

Ready to stop letting fear drive your life? Book your free 30-minute consultation today and learn how to reconnect with your intuition during divorce. Your deepest wisdom is waiting—you just need to remember how to listen. To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep214

The power to feel emotionally safe, even when life feels uncertain, might be the greatest gift you can give yourself after divorce. But our brains make this challenging in ways you might not realize.

Have you ever wondered why leaving an unhappy marriage feels so terrifying, even when you know it's the right choice? The answer lies in how your brain processes certainty versus uncertainty. Your amygdala—the primitive part of your brain responsible for survival—doesn't distinguish between physical threats and emotional ones. When divorce disrupts your predictable patterns, your brain interprets this uncertainty as danger, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses that can leave you feeling constantly anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck.

What's fascinating is how we can mistake familiarity for safety. Even in disconnected or toxic relationships, the predictability creates a false sense of security. Your brain says: "I know what to expect here, therefore I'm safe"—even when you're deeply unfulfilled.

The transformative truth? Uncertainty itself isn't dangerous. We live with it constantly! The key is learning to create emotional safety for yourself without requiring external certainty. In this episode you’ll learn the first steps to dismantle false safety mechanisms and build true emotional security.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep213

Feeling powerless in your divorce? That's exactly when you need this simple yet profound somatic practice for reclaiming ownership of your body and presence.

During the most challenging times of divorce, we often feel like everything's spiraling beyond our control – legal proceedings, relationship dynamics, and major life transitions can leave us disconnected from our own sense of agency. But what if there was a practice so simple you could do it anywhere to remind yourself of what you DO control?

This episode teaches a powerful bodily ownership exercise that anchors you in the present moment. Through deliberate touch and verbal affirmation, you'll learn to create an immediate shift in your nervous system and reconnect with your physical presence. I guide you through each step – from shaking out tension to orienting yourself in your environment to methodically reclaiming ownership of your entire body.

As we move through the practice together, I share why present-moment awareness is the only genuine pathway to healing. Your healing doesn't happen when you're worrying about future what-ifs or replaying past mistakes – it happens right now, in this moment, when you choose to reconnect with yourself and remember your inherent wholeness.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by divorce proceedings, struggling with co-parenting challenges, or simply needing to ground yourself during emotional turbulence, this practice offers an immediate pathway back to yourself. Try it whenever you need that reminder: in this moment, you are safe, and your body is your own.

If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.

To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.

For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep212