The D. Tales with Allison Kahler
- Episodios
- 42
- Se publica
- cada semana
- Último episodio
- 10 Nov 2026
Sobre el podcast
The D. Tales with Allison Kahler blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight—helping you find clarity, feel connected, and courageously move forward on your own terms. For many people, divorce doesn’t start—or end—with a single decision. It unfolds through questions, doubts, and moments of reckoning: Should I stay or leave? Am I doing this “right”? What’s normal? What if I regret this? Whether you’re quietly wondering, deep in the thick of it, or trying to make sense of what just happened, The D. Tales creates space for the questions most people carry alone. Each episode features candid, deeply human stories from people who have faced these same decisions, alongside thoughtful conversations with experts who understand the emotional, legal, and financial realities of divorce. You won’t hear a single “right” answer here. Instead, you’ll hear diverse perspectives—so you can better understand your own. Divorce touches more than 40% of marriages, yet so many people experience it in silence, carrying unnecessary shame and isolation. The D. Tales brings these conversations out of the shadows—normalizing the uncertainty, the back-and-forth, the fear of getting it wrong, and the quiet hope that something better might be possible. Hosted by Allison Kahler—who once stood in that uncertain space herself and created the resource she wished existed—this podcast offers credible insight and real human connection. Not to rush you into a choice, and not to keep you stuck—but to help you make the right decisions for your marriage, navigate what comes next with clarity, and step into a future that may look very different than you imagined—and better than you thought possible. The D. Tales with Allison Kahler is produced by AK Venture Studio LLC.
Episodios 42
Ep. 41: So You Think You Want a Divorce — Where Do You Even Start?
Most divorces don't start with a decision. They start with "where do I even begin?" And from there to the final agreement, there's no instruction manual.Today's conversation with divorce coach and former family …
Notas del episodio
Most divorces don't start with a decision. They start with "where do I even begin?" And from there to the final agreement, there's no instruction manual.
Today's conversation with divorce coach and former family law attorney Molly Saxon explores the confusion of not knowing where to start, the "in-between" when lawyers are talking to lawyers, and why getting a roadmap can feel both reassuring and very, very real.
In this episode:
- What a divorce coach actually does — Molly explains the role as part project manager, part "attorney matchmaker," and how it fits alongside your lawyer.
- Why your best friend's divorce isn't a roadmap for yours — advice that worked for your sister or friend may be wrong for your situation.
- How to start the conversation with your spouse — and why keeping cool heads early on matters when you can't control how they respond.
- Why venting to friends and family can backfire — especially if you end up staying married.
- Why understanding the process doesn't always lead to divorce — some people hold off or reconcile once they see the real cost and timeline.
- How getting a roadmap can bring clarity to the confusion — and why it can also make the decision feel incredibly real.
About Molly Saxon:
Molly Saxon is a divorce coach and the founder of The Saxon Group, which guides people through the complexities of the divorce process. Blending compassionate support with legal expertise, she helps clients navigate divorce confidently and constructively.
As a family law attorney in the DC metro area, Molly saw firsthand the impact divorce has on families and individuals. That inspired her to pivot to divorce consulting, where she could offer more meaningful, holistic support. She works with clients before, during, and after the divorce process begins.
Learn more at thesaxongroup.co
Connect with Molly on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/molly-saxon-555a8680
Episode-Specific Notes:
One caution worth repeating from the episode: conversations with a divorce coach aren't covered by attorney-client privilege. Unlike what you tell your attorney, they may not be protected in your case, so be thoughtful about what you share.
Molly is a CDC Certified Divorce Coach®, an important credential for divorce coaches. Find a certified divorce coach near you at findadivorcecoach.com.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 40: I Let Go of the Marriage. Why Am I Still Holding On to My Dress? (Solo)
If you've kept your wedding dress, engagement ring or wedding photos after divorce, does it mean you haven't let go? Maybe. For me, the honest answer is complicated: the hardest things to release are the ones …
Notas del episodio
If you've kept your wedding dress, engagement ring or wedding photos after divorce, does it mean you haven't let go? Maybe. For me, the honest answer is complicated: the hardest things to release are the ones that really did spark joy.
In this solo episode, I take Marie Kondo's famous question to the keepsakes from my marriage: “Does it spark joy?” I share what I've let go of so far, what I’m still holding on to, and why.
In this episode:
- How my 13th wedding anniversary and a full Marie Kondo purge of my apartment raised a hard question — I'm divorced longer than I was married, so why am I still holding on?
- Why I sold my engagement ring back to the jeweler instead of turning it into "divorce jewelry" — and rushed the check to the bank so it wouldn't stay "divorce money"
- Why deleting our Instagram photos felt like erasure at first — and the letter-burning ritual that finally made it feel like release
- Why my wedding dress, photo album and wedding band are still gathering dust in a box in Cleveland
- Why letting go of the dress and photo album can feel like throwing away a day that really was one of the happiest of my life
- Letting go as a gradual process — first the ring, then the photos, maybe the dress next — and no deadline for the rest
Episode-Specific Notes:
Resources mentioned:
If you're ready to start going through the keepsakes from your marriage, read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 39: Reimagining Retirement After Gray Divorce
Today's conversation with Andrew Hatherley takes us on his journey from seven years of separation and a plan to retire at 60 to launching "The Gray Divorce Podcast" at 59 instead. He shares what those seven …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with Andrew Hatherley takes us on his journey from seven years of separation and a plan to retire at 60 to launching "The Gray Divorce Podcast" at 59 instead. He shares what those seven years cost him, how he rebuilt his life and career — one small decision at a time — and why the question isn't when you can retire, but what you're retiring to.
In this episode:
- Why Andrew’s separation stretched on for years — and how waiting grew both his alimony exposure and the marital estate
- How small steps — working out, quitting smoking, joining Toastmasters — pulled him out of a post-divorce slump
- The holy trinity of legal, financial, and emotional support — and why the lawyer shouldn’t necessarily be your first call
- "Nobody comes out of divorce in better financial shape" — how to rebuild after 50, with less time to do it
- Why a retirement plan should start with what makes you happy, not a target number in the bank
About Andrew Hatherley:
Andrew Hatherley is the founder of Transcend Retirement and Wiser Divorce Solutions, and the host of “The Gray Divorce Podcast.” After his own mid-life divorce, he reoriented a 20-year career in investment management and financial planning toward helping people over 50 avoid the financial and emotional stress so common to the process — earning his Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation, training in mediation and collaborative divorce, and serving as financial chair for the Amicable Divorce Network. He has written a 12-part gray divorce series for Kiplinger, contributed three chapters to Divorce Amicably: Your Roadmap to Resolution, and is co-writing Gray Divorce: Your Roadmap to Resolution, out in April 2027. He is also a longtime student of humanistic and positive psychology, and a believer in the role creativity can play in personal growth after trauma.
Learn more at transcendretirement.net and wiserdivorcesolutions.com
Listen to “The Gray Divorce Podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Andrew on Instagram @andrewrhatherley
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewhatherley
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 38: The High-Achieving Woman's Divorce — Anger, Burnout, and the Way Through
She out-earned, over-functioned, and held everyone together — and somewhere in there, the anger arrived with nowhere to go. Today's conversation with Certified Family Law Specialist Katie Padilla covers what …
Notas del episodio
She out-earned, over-functioned, and held everyone together — and somewhere in there, the anger arrived with nowhere to go. Today's conversation with Certified Family Law Specialist Katie Padilla covers what that anger is actually telling you, how to wield it responsibly, and how collaborative divorce can keep it from boiling over into litigation.
In this episode:
- How today’s high-achieving woman can be carrying both the income and the emotional labor for her family — and the burnout and isolation she feels
- Why women initiate the majority of divorces — and why their husbands often feel blindsided
- "Anger doesn't have a place in society for the polished woman" — how to read anger as a signal that a boundary’s been crossed and what to do with it
- How collaborative divorce actually works — and how it differs from mediation and litigation
- "A life that you create on your terms and nobody else's" — the exercise Katie uses to help clients envision an exciting future on the other side of divorce
About Katie Padilla:
Katie Padilla is a Certified Family Law Specialist, founder of Bloom Family Law, and a collaboratively trained attorney, certified coach, and meditation teacher who has spent her career reimagining what it means to support families through divorce — not just legally, but as whole human beings. She believes that the path through dissolution can be a profound initiation into self-knowledge, and she has built Bloom around that conviction, offering clients legal expertise, emotional grounding, and a team of coaches and practitioners who meet them at every dimension of the experience.
Learn more at https://www.bloomlegalcoach.com/
Follow on Instagram @bloomfamilylaw
Connect with Katie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katie-padilla-bloom
Episode-Specific Notes:
Katie practices in California. Property division rules, waiting periods, and the availability of collaborative divorce vary by state.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 37: Do You Really Need a Divorce Lawyer — Or Can You DIY It?
Today's conversation with family law attorney and Hello Divorce CEO Erin Levine unpacks the three things that make divorce so hard — cost, conflict, and confusion — and why handling parts of it yourself may …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with family law attorney and Hello Divorce CEO Erin Levine unpacks the three things that make divorce so hard — cost, conflict, and confusion — and why handling parts of it yourself may protect you more than lawyering up.
In this episode:
- The 3 problems Erin built Hello Divorce to solve — cost, conflict, and confusion — and why the legal forms themselves set up a fight before anyone's done anything wrong
- Why the win-at-all-costs mentality fails the people it's meant to serve — $10,000 in legal fees to litigate an extra $100 a month, and an amicable relationship ruined to get it
- Why fear is the dominant emotion in divorce — and the question Erin asks instead: what do I need, what would I like, and what can I let go?
- Why roughly 3/4 of divorce cases involve at least one spouse without a lawyer — and how the 3 universal steps (petition, financials, agreement) let you hire a lawyer in pieces instead of handing over the whole thing on retainer
- Where AI falls short on divorce — those conversations aren't privileged, and a general-purpose tool can't keep up with rules that vary county by county and often change without being published
- "We're optimizing for the future, not this moment" — why the urge to grab control and speed things up is usually the thing that costs you control
About Erin Levine:
Erin Levine is a family law attorney turned legal tech founder. She spent 20+ years as an attorney, law firm owner, mediator, and private judge before founding Hello Divorce, the top-rated online platform that blends legal technology, financial guidance, and emotional support so people can divorce with clarity, confidence, and control.
Erin's work has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, The Washington Post, and How I Built This. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, a Fast Company Most Innovative Company honoree (#6, Social Impact), a Super Lawyer (2014 to 2026), and sits on the founding board of the Justice Technology Association.
Connect with Erin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlevine/
About Hello Divorce:
Hello Divorce is the only female lawyer-founded, fully automated divorce platform in its category. Through guided technology and on-demand experts (attorneys, mediators, financial advisors, divorce coaches, and real estate specialists), Hello Divorce serves the missing middle: families who don't qualify for legal aid but can't afford full-service attorneys. The company covers 250,000+ employee lives through direct-to-consumer and employer benefits channels.
Learn more: https://hellodivorce.com/
Book a free 15-minute planning call: https://hellodivorce.com/schedule-call?hsCtaAttrib=205582133787
Follow Hello Divorce on Instagram and TikTok: @HelloDivorce
Episode-Specific Notes:
Erin Levine is a licensed attorney, but nothing in this episode is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship. Divorce rules vary significantly by state and county — confirm anything you plan to act on with a professional licensed in your jurisdiction.
One caution worth repeating from the episode: conversations with ChatGPT and other general AI tools are not privileged. Unlike what you tell your attorney, they can potentially be discovered or subpoenaed in your case. Be thoughtful about what you share.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 36: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby — Sexless Marriages and Mismatched Libido
Most of us have never said out loud what we actually want in bed — not to a partner, not to a friend, not to ourselves. Relationship coach Anna Howerton returns to the show to talk about a topic that often …
Notas del episodio
Most of us have never said out loud what we actually want in bed — not to a partner, not to a friend, not to ourselves. Relationship coach Anna Howerton returns to the show to talk about a topic that often remains unspoken — sex. We’re talking sexless marriages, mismatched libido, sex as grounds for divorce — and what changes when you get to pick again.
In this episode:
- Why sex is the thing that makes a romantic relationship different from every other one
- The question most of us never asked before getting married: what kind of sex do I actually like?
- Mismatched libido, and how a marriage quietly gets to a year, 5 years, 10 years without sex
- What it feels like to be the one always initiating — and why that makes so many women (not just men) feel broken
- Talking about sex like you'd talk about money: early, often, and not in the moment
- Anna's most controversial take — that sex can be a legitimate reason to leave a marriage
About Anna Howerton:
Anna is a relationship coach who splits her time between Raleigh, NC and Southern California. After navigating her own divorce and remarriage, Anna now works with individuals and couples who are seeking more authentic and aligned relationships — whether that means finding love, deepening connection, or thoughtfully ending a relationship that no longer fits. She's also a mother of two and wife to her second husband, Mark. This is Anna's second appearance on the show — she was my very first guest back on Ep. 02, thrilled to have her back on the show.
Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @annahowerton_
Schedule a free strategy call: https://www.annahowerton.com/
Episode-Specific Notes:
Listen / Watch Anna's first appearance on The D. Tales:
Ep. 02: From Unseen to Deeply Chosen — Finding Love Again on Apple | Spotify | YouTube
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 35: "Trust Your Gut" Is Useless If You Can't Hear It (Solo)
If someone has ever asked what your gut is telling you and you had absolutely no idea how to answer — this one's for you. In this solo episode, I share the coaching tool that helped me understand why that inner …
Notas del episodio
If someone has ever asked what your gut is telling you and you had absolutely no idea how to answer — this one's for you. In this solo episode, I share the coaching tool that helped me understand why that inner voice gets so hard to hear, and the voices that were running the show during my divorce.
In this episode:
- Why the advice to just "trust your gut" can fall flat during divorce — the inner voice is always there, it's just that other voices can be so much louder
- Meeting the Stickler, the Controller, and the Avoider — three of my saboteurs that showed up recently, and what "productive procrastination" actually looks like
- The Pleaser, the Victim, and the Hyper-vigilant — the cast of characters present during my divorce process, and how I can admit in hindsight that I played the martyr card in couples therapy
- Why these voices aren't the enemy — they're protection built from strengths we mis-use or overuse, which is exactly what makes them so hard to put down
- 3 steps I use with coaching clients and on myself — name the voices, actually listen to what they're saying, then invite them to take a back seat
- "I just thought I was totally f***ed up" — what I know now that I didn't have language for then, and why naming these voices is the step that comes before trusting your gut
Episode-Specific Notes:
Resources mentioned:
- Take the Saboteur Assessment from Positive Intelligence: https://positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/
- Read “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp
- Ep. 10: Dear Diary — I Knew. I Just Didn't Trust That I Knew. on Apple | Spotify | YouTube
- Ep. 23: This Is Your Brain on Divorce — What Psychedelics Actually Do (with Dr. Nick Bruss) on Apple | Spotify | YouTube
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 34: Can Mediation Work If Your Divorce Isn't Amicable?
Today's conversation with attorney and certified divorce mediator David Fein makes the case that mediation isn't reserved for couples who still get along — it's for anyone who'd rather shape their own agreement …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with attorney and certified divorce mediator David Fein makes the case that mediation isn't reserved for couples who still get along — it's for anyone who'd rather shape their own agreement than let a judge take the simplest way out. And what you decide in mediation isn't permanent: it's a living document you can renegotiate as your family changes.
In this episode:
- Why you don't have to like your ex — or even agree with them — for mediation to work
- Why a mediator isn't a judge — he/she can't rule or force an outcome, and why that changes what's possible in the room
- How aligning on a goal more specific than "I want the kids to be okay" sets a custody mediation up for success
- What happens to the house — why mediation can get creative in a high interest rate environment, and why litigation tends to end in "sell it and split the proceeds"
- The parenting schedule his own kids asked him to change — and why he now tells clients their divorce agreement is "a living document"
About David Fein:
David Fein is an attorney, certified divorce mediator, and the founder of Fein Legal Solutions, LLC, where he specializes in child-centric family mediation for clients across Illinois. His path to family law wasn't a traditional one — he spent more than 30 years in corporate leadership, energy policy, and high-stakes regulatory advocacy before moving into mediation, and he brings that same structured approach to negotiation to families trying to avoid the adversarial court system. He holds a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law, a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a Certificate in Divorce Mediation from Northwestern University. Having been through his own divorce and built a co-parenting relationship with the mother of his three kids, he helps families restructure their futures with dignity, clarity, and peace of mind.
Learn more about Fein Legal Solutions: www.feinlegalsolutions.com
Book a call with David: https://calendly.com/fein-legal/schedule-1-1-with-david
Call David directly: (312) 446-2882 — he answers his own phone!
Follow David on Instagram: @feindavid312
Connect with Fein Legal Solutions on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fein-legal-solutions-llc-dba-the-law-office-of-david-fein/
Episode-Specific Notes:
Mediation rules and divorce laws vary by state. This conversation references Illinois, where David practices, along with California as a point of contrast — including how a mediated agreement gets formalized and who is permitted to draft it. If you're considering mediation, confirm the requirements that apply where you live.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 33: Surviving a High-Conflict Divorce — and Thriving
This is a story about navigating a high-conflict divorce — and rebuilding your life at the same time. Claire Adamou left her home and moved into her sister's converted garage with her two young children. The …
Notas del episodio
This is a story about navigating a high-conflict divorce — and rebuilding your life at the same time. Claire Adamou left her home and moved into her sister's converted garage with her two young children. The night she hit rock bottom became the turning point where she took her power back. Claire shares how she stopped handing that power to her ex, why she started dating before her divorce was final, and what it really looks like to blend two families after divorce.
In this episode:
- How her rock bottom also became the turning point — from crying on the garage floor in front of her children to realizing no one would ever make her feel like that again
- Why she started dating before the divorce was final — and what she said to the people, including her own father, who questioned “what kind of a man dates a married woman?”
- "The car of truth" — the school-run ritual where her kids can say anything, and mum is never allowed to get angry
- Blending two families, four kids, and four different parenting styles — and why being rock solid as a couple has to come first
- Why you don't have to wait until the divorce is over to start rebuilding — and what she'd tell you to do tomorrow
About Claire Adamou:
Claire Adamou is a transformational coach, speaker, and leadership facilitator who helps women navigate life's biggest transitions with confidence, resilience, and purpose. When her own marriage ended, her identity shattered — and she had to rebuild all of it from the ground up: her confidence, her sense of self, her vision for the future. She wrote "Life After Divorce: From Surviving to Thriving" as the guide she wishes she'd had in those early days, so no woman has to walk it alone. She lives in the UK with her husband and the blended family they built together — her two children and his two.
Learn more at claireadamou.com
Follow Claire on Instagram: @claireadamou
Find her book: Life After Divorce: From Surviving to Thriving
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 32: Reinventing the Life You Were Supposed to Want
Elise Madrick had the high school sweetheart, the Chicago suburb, the literal white picket fence — and had spent 14 years quietly abandoning herself to keep it. Today's conversation with the reinvention coach …
Notas del episodio
Elise Madrick had the high school sweetheart, the Chicago suburb, the literal white picket fence — and had spent 14 years quietly abandoning herself to keep it. Today's conversation with the reinvention coach traces what it actually takes to leave the life you were supposed to want and to rebuild as someone new.
In this episode:
- How one ordinary moment can make it clear a marriage is over — not because of one big thing, but the cumulation of “small nicks that become a gaping wound”
- “What part did you play in this?” — the question a coach asked mid-divorce that challenged Elise to put down the victim card and take 100% responsibility
- Deciding whether to make amends — Elise’s advice to consider whether it would benefit you, the other person, or the relationship, and whether that relationship is worth it
- The collateral damage of ending a marriage — why some friendships can’t come with you, and why learning to say “no” can be both challenging and necessary to move forward
- The “mushy middle” — why the hardest part of reinvention is the liminal space between where the old self is gone and the new one isn’t built yet
About Elise Madrick:
Elise Madrick is the founder and CEO of Cerené, where she works with people in the disorienting space between one chapter and the next — divorce, career change, retirement — to reinvent who they are and what they believe is possible. She began her career in clinical social work, and her background now spans behavioral science and ontological coaching alongside years leading and lecturing in executive education at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, where she built some of the institution’s highest-rated programs. Her work operates at the level of identity: the stories people carry about who they are, what they deserve, and what they believe is actually available to them. Through 1:1 coaching and immersive Cerené Experiences — with upcoming cohorts in Chicago and Portugal — she guides people ready to step beyond what they already know.
Learn more about Cerené: https://www.cerene.life/
Follow Cerené on Instagram: @cerene.life
Follow Elise on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisemadrick/
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 31: What Actually Makes a "Good Divorce"
Today's conversation with Sarah Armstrong — author of “The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce” — unpacks what actually makes a divorce a "good" one: not luck, and not a quiet settlement, but something parents can …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with Sarah Armstrong — author of “The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce” — unpacks what actually makes a divorce a "good" one: not luck, and not a quiet settlement, but something parents can quietly design, one deliberate child-centered choice at a time.
In this episode:
- What a "good divorce" really is — a phrase Sarah's seven-year-old daughter Grace coined — and why it's a posture you choose, not luck you're handed
- Why you can only ever control your own reactions, never your co-parent's — and how a "compartmentalization muscle" keeps kids out of the emotional crossfire
- The "professional traveler" reframe — how stocking the basics at both homes meant Grace never had to pack a bag between two households
- Why a "good divorce" isn't about you — and yet how protecting your kids and rebuilding your own life, through the "year of firsts," turn out to be the same work
- Where a "good divorce" meets the working-parent "juggling act" — why the newly single working mom's real move isn't doing it all, but preparing early, ditching the guilt, and learning to ask for help
About Sarah Armstrong:
Sarah Madden Armstrong is the author of “The Mom's Guide to a Good Divorce” — practical, bite-sized guidance on what to think through when children are involved — and, more recently, “The Art of the Juggling Act: A Bite-Sized Guide for Working Parents.” A leading proponent of the "good divorce," she has appeared on nearly 100 podcasts and in more than a dozen media outlets to help shift the perception of divorce — making the case that a good divorce isn't just possible, but something parents can design. By day, Sarah is Vice President of Global Marketing Operations at Google, following a career that included partnership at McKinsey & Co. and two decades in global marketing at The Coca-Cola Company. A Georgetown graduate and former scholarship volleyball player, she's the proud mom of Grace — now a college graduate — and lives in San Francisco.
Learn more about Sarah's books: momsguidetogooddivorce.com and thejugglingact.com
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: sarah-madden-armstrong
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 30: Two Days Apart — My 41st Birthday and 8 Years Divorced (Solo)
In this solo episode, I'm celebrating my 41st birthday — which falls just two days before the 8th anniversary of my divorce. I reflect on a life that looks nothing like I once planned, and why this year I'm …
Notas del episodio
In this solo episode, I'm celebrating my 41st birthday — which falls just two days before the 8th anniversary of my divorce. I reflect on a life that looks nothing like I once planned, and why this year I'm trading goal-setting and resolutions for presence, self-appreciation, and simply settling in.
In this episode:
- Why the timing of my birthday and divorce anniversary feels bigger this year — I'm coming up on almost as much time apart from my ex as we spent together
- The psychology of "temporal landmarks" and the “fresh start effect” — why birthdays, like New Year's and Mondays, pull us into reflection and reset
- Why I'm skipping the birthday goal-setting this year — trading the pressure to achieve for presence and settling in
- The Hoffman practice that pairs appreciation with gratitude — learning to appreciate myself, not just be grateful for the blessings in my life
- How my life at 41 looks different from what I expected and nothing like the one we were sold as millennials — and why so many friends my age feel that same disconnect
- The wish I'm making at 41 as I blow out my birthday candles — wanting an aligned partner, but choosing to love myself first instead of pinning my happiness on finding one
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 29: Rewilding the Woman a Marriage Tried to Tame
Today's conversation with Nicole Marrè — women's empowerment coach and founder of Goddess Rewilding™ — traces her path out of a controlling marriage and into the work of helping women awaken to their wisest …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with Nicole Marrè — women's empowerment coach and founder of Goddess Rewilding™ — traces her path out of a controlling marriage and into the work of helping women awaken to their wisest, wildest, and wholly feminine selves.
In this episode:
- How a controlling marriage kept Nicole in constant fight-or-flight — and the neuroscience that explains why willpower alone couldn't free her
- The night she heard a voice say "you deserve more than this" — and the year of EFT tapping and other spiritual practices that allowed her to reclaim her self-worth
- What "rewilding" really means — coming back to the fullest, wildest version of your feminine self after years of being contained
- Why the drive women are so often told is "too masculine" is really their feminine warrior-ess energy
- How to move rage through the body — drumming, screaming, burning letters — before it calcifies into resentment
About Nicole Marrè:
Nicole Marrè is a women's empowerment coach, certified somatic neuroscience guide, and founder of Goddess Rewilding™. She trained under one of the country's leading programs in feminine liberation and trauma-informed transformation, and now teaches her own feminine leadership program to women ready to reclaim their bodies, power, and identity after major life transitions — including divorce. A Certified Reiki Master Teacher and creator of SoulSensual Reiki™, she hosts international retreats, speaks, and leads ceremony for women rebuilding their lives on their own terms.
Learn more about Nicole's work: https://www.nikimarre.com/ (prior) or https://www.nicolemarre.com/ (new)
Follow Nicole on Instagram and TikTok: @nicole_rewild
Episode-Specific Notes:
The practices Nicole shares reflect her personal experience and coaching approach, not clinical treatment — please consult a licensed professional for mental health care specific to your situation.
Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of emotional hardship. If you or someone you know needs support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers free, confidential help 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 (call) or text START to 88788.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 28: Custody Battles: Legal Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Kids and Your Sanity
Today's conversation with matrimonial attorney Mia Poppe blends hard-won legal wisdom with her own divorce experience to show that surviving a custody battle is as much about steadying your mind as building …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with matrimonial attorney Mia Poppe blends hard-won legal wisdom with her own divorce experience to show that surviving a custody battle is as much about steadying your mind as building your case.
In this episode:
- What "custody at issue" really means — and why mitigating the impact on your kids matters more than "winning"
- The documentation do's and don'ts — keep any journal at your attorney's direction, keep teachers and pediatricians out of the fight, and beware of what you post on social media
- What's actually discoverable — WhatsApp messages, ChatGPT searches, even a private handwritten journal — and why what feels private often isn't
- "Divorce psychosis" — how the pressure of a custody fight can distort judgment and why you need a "tribe" to walk you back from the ledge
- How her own custody litigation made Mia a fiercely empathetic advocate for her clients
- Detachment as daily practice — acknowledging, thanking, and releasing the emotions that don't serve you, so you move through custody without losing yourself
About Mia Poppe:
Mia Poppe, Esq. is a New York-based matrimonial attorney known for her work on complex custody cases, with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Westchester County. A South Carolina native and the granddaughter of a sharecropper, she brings pragmatism, honesty, and hard-won empathy to a practice shaped in part by her own experience of divorce. Before turning to law, she spent over a decade in leadership roles at Citicorp, GE Capital, and Bank of America — financial acumen she now pairs with legal strategy for her clients. She is also the author of two books, “The Empowered Woman's Guide” and “Un-Breaking Wonder Woman,” and is building MC2 Coaching Community, launching in 2026 to help women achieve whole-life success.
Learn more about Mia's practice: https://www.miapoppe.com/
Follow her on Instagram: @miapoppe.esq
Connect with Mia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miapoppe/
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nylawsa
Episode-Specific Notes:
Listener offer: Mia is gifting a complimentary copy of her book “The Empowered Woman's Guide” to the first 25 listeners who request one by emailing [email protected].
Mia's comments in this episode reflect her general perspective on custody and family law, not personalized legal advice — laws vary by state, so please consult a qualified attorney about your specific situation.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 27: Indestructible — Becoming the Hero of My Own Story
When her life came apart, Ally Fallon did the only thing she knew how: she wrote it down. This is the story of how losing everything taught her she was indestructible.In this episode:The day everything became …
Notas del episodio
When her life came apart, Ally Fallon did the only thing she knew how: she wrote it down. This is the story of how losing everything taught her she was indestructible.
In this episode:
- The day everything became clear — how a discovery on her husband's iPad set off 48 hours of decisive action
- Why "you can be in love or in control, but not both" named what her marriage really was
- How confusion became the tell — the way she learned to recognize manipulation and trust her own body again
- Losing everything at once — marriage, business, faith, career — and the apartment-floor collapse that became fertile ground for rebuilding
- Why writing her memoir became a life raft — how putting the story on the page is what actually saved her
- The reframe that changed everything — a plot doesn't move until the hero acts, and how she wrote herself as its protagonist
About Allison Fallon:
Allison Fallon is an award winning author, accomplished ghostwriter, and expert writing coach. She has coached thousands of authors and aspiring authors to outline, compose, edit and publish their books. Her most recent book, "Write Your Story," helps everyday people turn their life experiences into stories that heal and inspire. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and two young kids.
Learn more at allisonfallon.com
Follow Allison on Instagram: @allyfallon
Allison's Books:
- "Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage"
- "Indestructible: Leveraging Your Broken Heart to Become a Force of Love and Change"
- "The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life"
- "Write Your Story: A Simple Framework to Understand Yourself, Your Story, and Your Purpose in the World"
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 26: How to Tell People You're Getting Divorced — Without Regrets
You can always tell — but you can never untell. Today's conversation with therapist and author Oona Metz is a guide to talking about your divorce with intention: who to confide in while you're still deciding …
Notas del episodio
You can always tell — but you can never untell. Today's conversation with therapist and author Oona Metz is a guide to talking about your divorce with intention: who to confide in while you're still deciding, how to tell the adults and kids in your life once you have, and how to signal it to the world without saying a word.
In this episode:
- Why the two most common mistakes are opposite extremes — telling everyone too much too soon and regretting it, or white-knuckling the whole thing alone
- How the calculus shifts once you've actually decided — and why telling someone while you're still contemplating is often really about admitting it to yourself
- Why you don't owe everyone the same story — the concentric-circles model for who gets the whole truth, who gets part of it, and who gets a practiced one-liner
- How to handle the responses that miss — including the nosy gossip fishing for details and the friend who trashes your ex
- What to actually say to your kids — the only two promises worth making, why the first conversation stays short, and how timing changes with a child's age
- The wordless ways you tell the world after divorce — removing your ring, changing your last name, and wiping your social media
About Oona Metz:
Oona Metz is the author of Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, which has been featured on CBS Mornings, in Time magazine, and on NPR's Morning Edition. A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Certified Group Psychotherapist, and Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, she has 30 years of clinical experience and has spent the past 15 years specializing in treating women navigating divorce. Oona leads three weekly divorce support groups for women and is the founder of the Beacon Group Fellowship, which trains mental health professionals across the country to lead divorce groups.
Learn more at oonametz.com
Follow Oona on Instagram: @oonametz
Follow Women Navigating Divorce on Facebook: facebook.com/womennavigatingdivorce
Connect with Oona on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/oona-metz-licsw-cgp
Subscribe on YouTube: @OonaMetz
Read Oona on Substack: substack.com/@oonametz
Episode-Specific Notes:
This conversation offers general perspective on navigating divorce and is not personalized medical, mental health, or therapeutic advice. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Resources mentioned: Oona Metz's essay on what to say when someone you love is getting divorced — "Congratulations or Condolences: What to Say When Your Friend Gets Divorced" (WBUR Cognoscenti).
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 25: Dear Diary — Getting Lost in France and Finding Myself
In this Dear Diary episode, I read back through the journals from a month I spent traveling France alone in 2017 — deep in the divorce contemplation season — and trace how a trip I took looking for answers …
Notas del episodio
In this Dear Diary episode, I read back through the journals from a month I spent traveling France alone in 2017 — deep in the divorce contemplation season — and trace how a trip I took looking for answers became the one where I finally found myself.
In this episode:
- The Art Institute afternoon that started it all — how a Jackson Pollock and Monet's haystacks cracked open the difference between seeing life and truly observing it
- The mindset shift that changed the whole trip — treating every stranger as a teacher and every encounter as a clue worth paying attention to
- The couple married 50 years who helped me name the "emptiness" I'd been avoiding in my own marriage
- Giverny in the morning fog — the turning point where I stopped checking off a bucket list and let myself be fully present
- Arriving in Provence "like a drowned rat," then navigating buses alone — and discovering how capable and independent I really was
- The journal entry I wrote on the plane home — *"*she is not the same person… but changed" — and how I went looking for answers and found myself instead
Episode-Specific Notes:
Allison's Paris favorites mentioned in this episode:
- Chez Janou — Provençal bistro in the Marais: chezjanou.com
- Du Pain et des Idées — artisan boulangerie near the Canal Saint-Martin: dupainetdesidees.com
- Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris — legendary cocktail bar on Place Vendôme: ritzparis.com
Want more of Allison's Paris and France recommendations? DM @thedtalespodcast on Instagram to request the full list.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 24: Co-Parenting as a "Mommune" — Can Divorce Be Good for Kids?
When Bella, Sue, and Julia's marriages ended, they didn't just survive divorce — they built a "mommune": a chosen family of moms who show up at each other's doors, raise their kids as a team, and discovered the …
Notas del episodio
When Bella, Sue, and Julia's marriages ended, they didn't just survive divorce — they built a "mommune": a chosen family of moms who show up at each other's doors, raise their kids as a team, and discovered the best thing to come out of their divorces was each other.
In this episode:
- How three Long Island moms met in the middle of their own divorces and built My Two Homes — the support community that became a found family
- Why their kids insist they're the real founders of My Two Homes — 'you're just holding onto it for when we're older'
- Bella on the rock-bottom mornings — 'I'd wake up with my chest tight' — and the slow realization that trying harder wasn't going to save her marriage
- Sue on losing herself inside the marriage — and how this group of women helped her get her footing back and learn to trust again
- Julia on what a "mommune" actually looks like — co-parenting each other's kids, swapping pickups, and showing up at each other's doors without hesitation
- The biggest surprise of divorce — that the best thing to come out of it was each other
About My Two Homes:
My Two Homes is a community founded by three Port Washington, New York moms — Bella Barbosa Akhtar, Sue Cleva, and Julia Trinko — who met in the middle of their own divorces and turned that shared experience into support for other families. Through a trusted local network, community events, and child-focused programming, they help normalize what it means to grow up across two households — so that no one has to navigate divorce or co-parenting alone. Their mission is to create a supportive community where parents navigating divorce can find trusted resources, practical guidance, and shared experiences from others on a similar journey.
Meet the founders: My Two Homes — Our Team
Learn more about My Two Homes: mytwohomescommunity.com
Follow My Two Homes on Instagram: @mytwo_homes
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 23: This Is Your Brain on Divorce — What Psychedelics Actually Do
Today's conversation with psychedelic-assisted therapist Dr. Nick Brüss explores why divorce activates our most protective parts — rage, blame, the inner critic — and how healing comes from turning toward them …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with psychedelic-assisted therapist Dr. Nick Brüss explores why divorce activates our most protective parts — rage, blame, the inner critic — and how healing comes from turning toward them rather than numbing them, with or without psychedelics.
In this episode:
- Why "this is your brain on drugs" gets psychedelics backwards — what psychedelic-assisted therapy really does is help you see and feel what you've been avoiding
- How Internal Family Systems (IFS) explains the "parts" that take over in divorce — the managers, firefighters, and exiles driving your reactions
- The most popular "part" of all? The Inner Critic — if it had an IG account, it'd have a billion followers, and Nick explains how to stop taking its voice as gospel
- Why divorce lands like an "attachment rupture" — a nervous-system event your body lives through, not just a legal one
- What it means to meet your most wounded parts with self-compassion instead of judgment — the real healing, with or without psychedelics
About Dr. Nick Brüss:
Dr. Nick Brüss is a psychedelic-assisted therapist, researcher, and trainer who helps people heal and live more freely — with or without psychedelic medicine. A leader in psychedelic-assisted Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, he has practiced IFS since 2013 and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy since 2017, and served as a therapist and clinical supervisor on the MAPS Phase III trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. His work pairs clinical rigor with a deep grounding in mindfulness and self-compassion. His book, “The Psychedelic Mindset: Liberate Yourself With or Without Psychedelics,” is forthcoming from HarperCollins.
Learn more at A Practice of Freedom: apracticeoffreedom.com
Follow Nick on Instagram: @drnickbruss
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicholas-bruss
Episode-Specific Notes:
This conversation offers general perspective on psychedelic-assisted therapy, Internal Family Systems, and emotional healing — it is not personalized medical, mental health, or therapeutic advice. Psychedelics are not appropriate for everyone and can be unsafe or destabilizing; please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 22: Starting Fresh When Divorce Happens — with Olivia Howell
Today's conversation with Olivia Howell, CEO and co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry, is about what it actually takes to begin again after divorce, why the hardest part isn't replacing what you lost, and why no …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with Olivia Howell, CEO and co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry, is about what it actually takes to begin again after divorce, why the hardest part isn't replacing what you lost, and why no one should have to start fresh alone.
In this episode:
- The toothbrush holder that changed everything — how one small, ordinary object became Olivia's permission to claim a new life: "this is my new life, I can have this"
- Why Olivia didn't recognize the coercive control in her own marriage until she was out — and how invisible it can be from the inside
- The thinking behind a "divorce registry" — reframing the messy logistics of starting over as something worthy of support, not shame
- "Get Your Pink Back" — reclaiming the color, the joy, and the parts of yourself that quietly went missing inside the marriage
- Why rebuilding after divorce is rarely about the stuff — and how changing the things around you slowly changes who you become
- Why no one should have to start fresh alone — and how a "hype team" becomes the difference between surviving a divorce and rebuilding from it
About Olivia Howell:
Olivia is the CEO and co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry. A clinical hypnotherapist, certified divorce and life coach, and award-winning podcast producer — including the top-rated Divorce Happens — she built Fresh Starts with her sister Genevieve Dreizen after her own 2019 divorce, when she realized there was no real system to help people rebuild. She's also the author of the forthcoming Divorce Happens: A Compassionate Guide to Starting Fresh (Sheldon Press, 2027). Her writing has appeared in New York Magazine, Newsweek, and Business Insider, and her work has been shared by Monica Lewinsky, Shannon Watts, and Eve Rodsky.
Follow Olivia on Instagram: @oliviahowell
Follow Olivia on Threads: @oliviahowell
Connect with Olivia on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/oliviadreizenhowell
About Fresh Starts Registry:
Fresh Starts Registry is the first divorce registry of its kind — recognized as exactly that by Forbes, and credited by New York Magazine with "destigmatizing divorce." Founded by Olivia and her sister Genevieve Dreizen, it gives people a real system for starting over, and has supported millions worldwide through free resources, 150+ vetted experts, free 1:1 Zoom consults, and Divorce Guide Magazine — the only divorce magazine in America.
Learn more about Fresh Starts Registry: freshstartsregistry.com
Follow Fresh Starts Registry on Instagram: @freshstartsregistry
Follow Fresh Starts Registry on Threads: @freshstartsregistry
Connect with Fresh Starts Registry on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/freshstartsregistry
Like Fresh Starts Registry on Facebook: facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry
Episode-Specific Notes:
Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of emotional abuse and coercive control. If you or someone you know needs support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.
This conversation offers general perspective on healing and starting over after divorce and is not personalized therapeutic, medical, or legal advice. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Want to be a Registry Fairy? You can help someone else start fresh — Fresh Starts Registry lets you support people rebuilding after divorce by contributing to their registries. Learn how at https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/becomearegistryfairy.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 21: Prenups & Postnups — Does True Love Need Them?
Sparked by the cultural firestorm around Belle Burden's “Strangers,” today's conversation with matrimonial attorney and CDFA Lisa Zeiderman opens up the talk we avoid: prenups, postnups, and why the most loving …
Notas del episodio
Sparked by the cultural firestorm around Belle Burden's “Strangers,” today's conversation with matrimonial attorney and CDFA Lisa Zeiderman opens up the talk we avoid: prenups, postnups, and why the most loving move is having the hard money conversation before you need it.
In this episode:
- What Belle Burden's “Strangers” teaches about financial blindness — and the choices we make out of love
- Who actually needs a prenup — and why it's not just for the wealthy
- What a postnup really is — and the life moments that make it worth putting in place
- Why prenups and postnups are becoming far more common — and less taboo
- How to bring up the conversation without killing the romance — and why timing matters
About Lisa Zeiderman:
Lisa is Managing Partner at Miller Zeiderman LLP in New York — a matrimonial attorney, CFL, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who handles complex, high-net-worth divorce and custody matters, along with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. A contributor to Psychology Today, Board Chair of Savvy Ladies, and VP of the Board of Family Legal Care, she has been recognized as a New York Super Lawyer and named to Crain's New York lists of Notable Woman Attorneys and Notable Diverse Lawyers. She brings a practical, forward-looking approach to high-conflict dynamics, helping clients move through divorce with structure, informed decision-making, and a clear path toward independence.
Website: lisazeiderman.com
Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisazeiderman
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 20: My Adventures in Dating After Divorce — So Far (Solo)
In this solo episode, I'm spilling the tea on my own adventures in dating after divorce — approximately 27 first dates, 3 pseudo-relationships, 1 situationship, and the 5 lessons it's taught me so far.In this …
Notas del episodio
In this solo episode, I'm spilling the tea on my own adventures in dating after divorce — approximately 27 first dates, 3 pseudo-relationships, 1 situationship, and the 5 lessons it's taught me so far.
In this episode:
- Why this episode felt scarier to record than my divorce stories — recording from the "messy middle" while I'm still living it
- The early days: electric first kisses, my 3-date curse, getting stood up, and the questions no one prepares you for after divorce
- From dating "vanilla" in Chicago to taste-testing my way though 31 flavors in LA — the actor, the vegan paleontologist, the crypto finance bro, and more
- Why knowing what you want in a relationship isn’t just a checklist (I’m looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6’5”, blue eyes) — but also how it makes you feel
- My honest take on the dating apps — and the 3 reasons I'm stepping away, maybe for good
- Where my dating life stands today — and what I'm really looking for in an aligned partner and relationship
Episode-Specific Notes:
Email [email protected] to share your post-divorce dating stories — stay tuned for a potential compilation episode of others’ adventures in dating!
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 19: "My Body Woke Up" — Coming Out and Coming Home to Myself
After 25 years of marriage, Lisa Madsen's body "woke up" — and everything she thought she knew about love, marriage, and who she was came up for question.This is a story about coming out later in life, choosing …
Notas del episodio
After 25 years of marriage, Lisa Madsen's body "woke up" — and everything she thought she knew about love, marriage, and who she was came up for question.
This is a story about coming out later in life, choosing to stay married while building a life with someone new, and discovering that when it comes to marriage, divorce, and family, there are no rules — you get to make them up.
In this episode:
- The phone call from her college girlfriend that made her body "wake up" — and the question she couldn't stop asking: "What does this even mean?"
- Coming out in her twenties, "un-coming out" when she fell in love with her husband, and coming out again later in life — and what it meant to finally come home to herself
- How Lisa told her husband the truth — and the response that surprised everyone
- "Husband not husband": why she and her husband never divorced — and stayed close enough to share regular Wednesday dinners
- Building a blended family across two states — and why she decided there are no rules except the ones you make
About Lisa Madsen:
Lisa is a certified life coach and licensed clinical social worker who works with people navigating big relationship transitions — including women coming out later in life — and helps them move forward with clarity and self-trust. After 25 years of marriage, her own life became one of the most unconventional, and loving, answers to the question of what "family" can look like.
Learn more at www.lisamadsencoaching.com
Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lifecoachforcaregivers
Find Lisa on Psychology Today: Lisa Madsen, LCSW
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 18: Overcoming Financial Anxiety in Divorce with the 6 Pillars of Intentional Money
Today's conversation with financial advisor and CDFA® Leah Hadley explores what it looks like to rebuild a relationship with money that supports the life you actually want — especially during divorce, when …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with financial advisor and CDFA® Leah Hadley explores what it looks like to rebuild a relationship with money that supports the life you actually want — especially during divorce, when financial anxiety and avoidance can take over.
In this episode:
- Why divorce creates a real cash-flow shock at every income level — the same income suddenly has to support two households
- The 6 pillars of the Intentional Money Method™ — clarity, values, mindset, strategy, action, and support — and how they work together
- What “clarity” actually looks like in practice — getting honest about what’s coming in, what’s going out, what you own, and what you owe
- Why mindset is often the biggest blocker — the limiting beliefs and old stories running in the background that can shape how we negotiate, earn, save, and spend our money
- Why we often have to take action before we feel ready — and how small, intentional steps build confidence over time
- Pro tip: How to check your state’s unclaimed property database — and potentially reclaim hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
About Leah Hadley:
Leah Hadley, AFC®, CDFA®, MAFF®, is the Founder and Senior Wealth Advisor of Intentional Wealth Partners and Intentional Divorce Solutions. With nearly two decades of experience in financial services and her own lived experience of divorce, she specializes in helping women navigate divorce and major life transitions with clarity and confidence. Her new book, Intentional Money, is a practical guide designed to help women take control of their finances and build lasting independence. She is also the author of When It's Just Not Working: A Practical Divorce Guide for Stay-At-Home Moms.
Learn more about Intentional Divorce Solutions: https://www.greatlakesdfs.com/
Follow Leah on Instagram: @watchherthrive
Connect with Leah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahahadley/
Get Leah’s book Intentional Money: https://a.co/d/0ftSboBC
Episode-Specific Notes:
This conversation offers general perspective on divorce-related financial planning and is not personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 17: Loneliness Isn’t Being Alone — It’s Being Disconnected From Yourself
Today’s conversation with holistic performance coach Dr. Brian Paris explores why loneliness isn’t the same thing as being alone — and how coming back to yourself changes everything about how you move through …
Notas del episodio
Today’s conversation with holistic performance coach Dr. Brian Paris explores why loneliness isn’t the same thing as being alone — and how coming back to yourself changes everything about how you move through divorce, co-parenting, and love.
In this episode:
- How Brian’s post-divorce loneliness revealed a deeper fear — “will I be alone forever?” — and what it showed him about self-connection
- “I mastered the science of achievement, but I really dropped on the art of fulfillment” — and what it looks like to rebuild from the inside out
- Brian’s four-part “human operating system” for coming home to yourself: awareness, embodiment, connection, and flow
- What a 10-day silent meditation retreat taught Brian about identity, presence, and creating space between your thoughts and your reactions
- A practical reframe for co-parenting and post-divorce communication: empathy, “graceful expression,” and not handing someone a brick when they’re drowning
About Dr. Brian Paris:
Dr. Brian Paris is a holistic performance coach, speaker, and former chiropractor who helps high-achieving people navigate challenging transitions, including divorce, identity loss, and starting over. After building and leading a successful multidisciplinary healthcare practice for over two decades, Brian’s own experience of burnout, disconnection, and divorce became the catalyst for his deepest work — helping others rebuild from the inside out through neuroscience, somatic awareness, and ancient healing traditions.
Learn more at www.drbrianparis.com
Follow Brian on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @drbrianparis
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrianparis/
About ManRebuild:
ManRebuild is Brian’s program designed to help men rebuild from the inside out during and after divorce — grounding in awareness, embodiment, connection, and purpose.
Learn more about ManRebuild: https://drbrianparis.com/manrebuild/
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 16: The Stories We Hide Behind — and the Ones That Set Us Free
This is a story about… stories. The stories we hide behind. The stories we get stuck in. The stories we tell to justify the other stories. And the honest ones that set us free — the kind that allow us to feel …
Notas del episodio
This is a story about… stories. The stories we hide behind. The stories we get stuck in. The stories we tell to justify the other stories. And the honest ones that set us free — the kind that allow us to feel seen, connect with others, and unlock true intimacy.
In this episode:
- Why the "resilience" Renee built at 6 was actually a shield — and how it shaped a marriage where neither she nor her then-husband could be truly seen
- The post-divorce dating reckoning — including catching a boyfriend who had lied about everything — that forced her to stop blaming and start questioning "why is my picker so broken?"
- "Into-me-you-see" — why the intimacy Renee had been hiding from her whole life was the thing she'd been searching for
- What happens when a brand storyteller turns her craft on her own life — and why more honest stories became the throughline of everything that came next
- How radical honesty with strangers — Uber drivers, gardeners, first dates — became the unlikely training ground for real intimacy
- Why divorce doesn't have to be a tragedy — and the reframe Renee offers anyone going through it: "I'm so sorry and congratulations."
About Renee Lynn Frojo:
Renee Frojo is a former journalist turned brand storytelling and content strategist who helps founders and solo business owners build brands people actually trust, believe in, and buy from. She works with founders, consultants, and creative entrepreneurs to clarify their message, develop compelling narratives, and turn their ideas into content that attracts the right opportunities. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and human connection — helping people not just get seen, but truly understood.
- Website: reneelynnfrojo.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/renee-lynn-frojo
- The LinkedIn post that inspired this episode: Read on LinkedIn
About A Good Reputation:
A Good Reputation is Renee's platform dedicated to teaching how stories shape trust, visibility, and ultimately who gets chosen.
- Website: agoodreputation.online
- Newsletter: Subscribe to A Good Reputation
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 15: Dear Diary — The Day I Became Allison Kahler Again
D-Day — your divorce day — can be years in the making and over in minutes. In this second "Dear Diary" solo episode, I revisit my own D-Day through the journal entries I wrote in the days before, during, and …
Notas del episodio
D-Day — your divorce day — can be years in the making and over in minutes. In this second "Dear Diary" solo episode, I revisit my own D-Day through the journal entries I wrote in the days before, during, and after — one of the most life-changing, yet surprisingly anticlimactic, moments of my life.
In this episode:
- The quote I journaled on my 33rd birthday — 2 days before my divorce was finalized — that still holds 8 years later: "You can miss something and not want it back"
- What D-Day actually looked like — a 6am spin class, almost getting stood up by my own lawyer, and the tears that flowed once the judge made it final
- The 10 minutes in a courtroom that reduced years of emotional turmoil to a string of yes-or-no questions — and the surprising simplicity of the moment that changes everything
- How an unplanned trip to the Art Institute after leaving the courthouse helped me reconnect with my authentic self and the woman I was becoming
- The last page of my journal — and the future I dared to imagine through Mary Oliver's words: "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
- Three things I'd tell anyone preparing for their own D-Day — expect nothing and everything, build yourself a plan, and allow yourself to dream what might be possible on the other side
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 14: Dismantling the Life You Built to Find the One That Fits
This is the story of a woman who spent years shrinking into boxes that weren't built for her — and turned the ending of nearly everything into the beginning of a life that's finally hers.In this episode:The …
Notas del episodio
This is the story of a woman who spent years shrinking into boxes that weren't built for her — and turned the ending of nearly everything into the beginning of a life that's finally hers.
In this episode:
- The unbelievable synchronicity of endings — finalizing her divorce, selling her business, and parting with her longtime nanny all in a single day — and the beautiful new beginning it opened up on the other side
- The "Jumanji drum" that kept getting louder inside her — and the reckoning it forced with how disconnected she'd become from her own body and inner knowing
- Ashley's devastating miscarriage — and why the strongest people are often the ones who most need someone to grab them by the shoulders and say "bitch, you ain't okay right now"
- How a 4-day retreat in Tulum — breathwork, gateless writing, sound healing — cracked her open and became the blueprint for the work she now does with her coaching clients
- Why she got sober 6 months before saying the word "divorce" out loud — and what staying fully awake through the hardest conversations of her life made possible
- The North Star that steadied every hard decision: family stays family — rewriting the template of her own parents' divorce for her kids
About Ashley Logan:
Ashley Logan is a transformational coach and somatic guide based in Chicago. She works with women through coaching, retreats, and workshops to move beyond burnout and live with more authenticity, purpose, and joy — blending practical tools with a grounded, bottom-up approach that helps clients reconnect with the most aligned versions of themselves. A self-described "people-pleaser and entrepreneur in recovery," Ashley is committed to making the world a little more loving for everyone. She's also a loving mother of three.
Learn more: ashleydlogan.com
Follow Ashley on Instagram: @ashleydlogan
Subscribe to Ashley's Substack: https://ashleydlogan.substack.com/
About “Inner Alchemy with Ashley Logan”:
Ashley is also the host of Inner Alchemy with Ashley Logan, a podcast for the dreamers, doers, and changemakers navigating burnout, big questions, and the pull to come back to what truly matters. Inner Alchemy covers everything from nervous system regulation and somatic healing, to practical, embodied tools that help women reconnect with their bodies, intuition and sense of worth.
Listen to Inner Alchemy with Ashley Logan wherever you listen to podcasts.
Listen to Allison's guest episode on Inner Alchemy on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Episode-Specific Notes:
Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and miscarriage. Please take care while listening.
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 13: Healing Isn't Feeling Better — It's Feeling Everything
This is a story about a self-described "recovering nice guy" who spent decades outsourcing his self-worth — and how he learned that healing isn't feeling better, it's feeling everything.In this episode:How the …
Notas del episodio
This is a story about a self-described "recovering nice guy" who spent decades outsourcing his self-worth — and how he learned that healing isn't feeling better, it's feeling everything.
In this episode:
- How the sensitive kid underneath armored up behind toxic masculinity — and why that armor "doesn't discriminate" between what it keeps out and what it keeps in
- How a first separation, a cancer diagnosis, and a decade of "should I stay or should I go?" surfaced a quieter, harder question — "maybe I’m the problem?"
- How a transformative experience at The Hoffman Process taught Billy that "forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past"
- How Jack Kornfield's challenge to "die of boredom on the meditation mat" taught Billy he could sit with anxiety — and survive it
- What months on the living room floor processing delayed grief taught Billy about inviting grief to "come have a seat" instead of running from it
- Why healing isn't about feeling better — it's about feeling everything, and why finally trusting "I can handle it" changed everything
About Billy Kaitz:
Billy is a recovering perfectionist and lifelong overthinker who spent years trying to be everything for everyone — while quietly leaving himself out of the equation. He built the life he thought would finally make him feel whole, only to discover that nothing was missing except his connection to himself. What followed was a messy, humbling journey through loss, therapy, and real human connection — learning that the most meaningful parts of life often sit behind the doors we spend years avoiding. Today, Billy is still doing that work in real time, choosing honesty over performance, and showing up as a devoted girl dad grounded in something far more real than perfection.
Follow Billy on Instagram: @billkaitz
Connect with Billy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billkaitz
Find Billy on Facebook: facebook.com/bill.kaitz
Resources mentioned:
- The Hoffman Process
- Kristin Neff's Self-Compassion
- AEDP Therapy (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
Ep. 12: "Will I Be Okay?" — The Real Money Question in Divorce
Today's conversation with CFP® and CDFA® Bridget Borel unpacks what divorce money fears are really about — and why it's not "how much?" but "will I be okay?"In this episode:Why a financial professional …
Notas del episodio
Today's conversation with CFP® and CDFA® Bridget Borel unpacks what divorce money fears are really about — and why it's not "how much?" but "will I be okay?"
In this episode:
- Why a financial professional experienced helplessness and shame around the money side of her own divorce — compounded by losing her mother at the same time
- "Money isn't math, and math isn't money" — how this reframe changes everything about the financial side of divorce
- Accumulation vs. decumulation — why dividing a financial life you built together is fundamentally different from building it, especially in gray divorce
- "Show me your calendar and your checkbook, and I'll tell you what you value" — how money quietly reveals what matters most
- Divorce as one of the single biggest financial transactions of your life — yes, it will be terrible, yes, it will take longer than you want, and no, it won't last forever
About Bridget Borel:
Bridget Borel is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® and the founder of Clairwell Financial Planning, a practice focused on gray divorcées. In addition to her technical expertise, she brings her own lived experience of divorce when serving her clients — her mission is to be the advisor she wishes she'd had when she went through her own. Bridget lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is a lover of live music, good food, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Learn more about Clairwell Financial Planning: https://clairwellfp.com/
Subscribe to Clairwell Conversations on Substack: https://substack.com/@clairwellconversations
Follow Clairwell on Instagram: @clairwellfp
Connect with Bridget on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-borel-44177240/
Episode-Specific Notes:
This conversation offers general perspective on divorce-related financial planning and is not personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Resources mentioned: For more on the "gray divorce" phenomenon, listen to The Oprah Podcast episode featuring Dr. Susan L. Brown, the sociologist who helped coin the term: Gray Divorce (after 50) & Adult Children: The Fallout for the Family
About "The D. Tales with Allison Kahler":
The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.
Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.
Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast
Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, mental health, or financial advice.
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