As divorce coaching continues to grow across Canada, more professionals from adjacent fields—including family law, mediation, financial services, mental health, and life coaching—are incorporating divorce coaching into their practices. But as the profession expands, important questions are emerging:

What is divorce coaching? What competencies should clients expect? How do we distinguish education from certification? And what role should dispute resolution play in preparing professionals to support people through divorce?

In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast, Tracy Callahan is joined by Dori Braddell, DCA's Director of Education and Development for Canada, to explore the evolving landscape of divorce coaching and introduce Elevate Canada, a new educational pathway designed for experienced professionals seeking to deepen and formalize their divorce coach training.

Together, Tracy and Dori discuss:

• The rapid growth of divorce coaching in Canada
• Why professional standards, competency, and consumer trust matter
• The difference between supporting divorcing families and being trained as a divorce coach
• Why divorce coaching is a distinct profession—not simply an extension of law, mediation, mental health, or life coaching
• The critical role of dispute resolution and conflict awareness in effective divorce coaching
• The risks of unintentionally crossing from coaching into advising or directing clients
• Why experience and formal education are complementary, not interchangeable
• The importance of competency-based certification
• How Elevate Canada helps experienced professionals strengthen their skills, credentials, and professional standing

Dori shares insights from her own journey into divorce coaching and explains why many experienced lawyers, mediators, and mental health professionals are surprised by how different divorce coaching is from their existing professional work.

Whether you're already practicing as a divorce coach, supporting families through divorce in another professional capacity, or exploring how to expand your services, this episode offers valuable perspective on the future of the profession and the importance of specialized training.

Elevate Canada was created for professionals who are already working in the divorce space—or in related professions—and want to deepen their education through DCA's ADR-based divorce coaching framework.

Participants complete the full educational curriculum of the DCA® Divorce Coach Certification Program through a flexible, self-paced learning model, while receiving ongoing support through twice-monthly office hours with DCA's Director of Education and Development for Canada.

Completion of the educational curriculum does not automatically result in certification. Those pursuing certification must successfully demonstrate competency through the DCA® certification examination process.

To learn more about Elevate Canada, visit:
https://www.divorcecoachesacademy.com/elevate

To apply to ELEVATE, go to:

https://form.jotform.com/261663154806156

For questions about the program, contact:
DCA.CA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

In this thought-provoking episode, Tracy Callahan explores a question that surfaces repeatedly in divorce coaching but is rarely asked directly: What are people really seeking when they want an apology, acknowledgement, or explanation from their former partner?

Inspired by the public conversation surrounding a bestselling memoir about marriage and betrayal, Tracy examines why so many people become stuck waiting for validation from someone else before allowing themselves to move forward. Through the lens of divorce coaching, she uncovers the deeper needs often hidden beneath the desire for an apology—self-trust, certainty, permission, understanding, and meaning.

Listeners will learn why acknowledgment from another person may not provide the relief they expect, how divorce can trigger profound identity uncertainty, and what becomes possible when people stop organizing their healing around someone else's capacity to reflect, repair, or take responsibility.

This episode offers valuable insights for divorce coaches, helping professionals, and anyone navigating the emotional complexity of relationship transitions.

In this episode, Tracy discusses:

• Why people often seek explanations long after a relationship ends
• The difference between wanting acknowledgment and needing permission
• How divorce challenges self-trust and personal identity
• Why apologies don't always create closure
• The role of divorce coaching in helping clients reconnect with their own capacity and decision-making
• Moving forward without waiting for validation from someone else

Whether you're supporting clients through divorce or navigating your own life transition, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: healing often begins when we stop waiting for someone else to unlock the next chapter.

When clients ask, "What should I do?" they are often seeking more than answers—they are seeking relief from uncertainty, fear, and overwhelm. In this episode of the Divorce Coaches Academy Podcast, Tracy Callahan is joined by family law attorney, mediator, and divorce coach Lauren Fair to explore one of the most common and ethically nuanced questions divorce professionals encounter.

Together, they discuss the critical distinction between providing education and giving advice, why decision-making can feel so difficult during divorce, and how divorce coaches help clients build clarity, confidence, and self-trust without making decisions for them. Lauren shares insights from both her legal and coaching perspectives, highlighting the importance of understanding options, navigating conflict, and supporting clients in making values-based decisions that align with their goals.

The conversation also explores professional boundaries, the role of coaching within interdisciplinary divorce teams, and why ethical standards, competency, and staying within scope are essential to the continued growth and credibility of the divorce coaching profession.

Whether you're a divorce coach, attorney, mediator, financial professional, mental health practitioner, or someone navigating divorce yourself, this episode offers valuable insights into helping clients move from confusion to clarity—without telling them what to do.

Topics discussed:
• Why clients ask professionals, "What should I do?"
• The connection between fear, uncertainty, and decision-making
• Education versus advice in divorce coaching
• Rebuilding self-trust after divorce and betrayal
• Values-based decision-making during conflict
• Ethical boundaries and scope of practice
• The evolving role of divorce coaches on professional teams
• Building client capacity and confidence for long-term success

Learn more about Lauren Fair, Certified Family Law Specialist, Mediator, and Divorce Coach, Dedicated to Resolving Family Law Problems Outside of Court at Fair Cadora https://faircadora.com/legal-team/lauren-m-fair

Divorce Coaches Academy® and upcoming certification programs at divorcecoachesacademy.com