Most relationships don’t end in one dramatic explosion; they slowly erode in all the tiny moments we stay quiet. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia sits down with author, psychotherapist, and relationship expert Colette Jane Fehr to talk about the real cost of silence in marriage, divorce, and dating after divorce. Drawing from her new book, The Cost of Quiet: How to Have the Hard Conversations That Create Secure, Lasting Love, Colette shares how her own divorce pushed her back to graduate school and into couples therapy work, where she’s spent years watching how communication, emotional intelligence, and self-advocacy can either nurture connection or quietly destroy it.

Together, Olivia and Colette unpack why avoiding hard conversations is the number one relationship killer, and how emotional disconnection—not just big fights—often leads to divorce. Colette breaks down her “bad communication report card” (distancing, defensiveness, dismissiveness, and fixing), explains why so many emotionally intelligent women stop speaking up when their partner reacts poorly, and offers a powerful reframe: your responsibility is to use your voice, no matter how someone responds. They also explore dating after divorce, the green flag of emotional responsiveness, and how learning to name your emotional needs and ask for reassurance can transform relationships of all kinds.

This conversation is both tender and deeply practical. Colette reminds listeners that divorce can be a profound season of personal growth, especially for women taught to stay small and selfless. She shares how to practice self-advocacy in tiny, doable steps, what to look for in a responsive partner, and why the most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself. If you’re navigating divorce, rethinking your relationships, or learning to self-nurture after years of self-silencing, this episode will give you hope, language, and a roadmap to create the emotionally connected love you actually deserve.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

Divorce can make even the most capable, high-achieving woman feel like she’s suddenly failing at the one thing she was supposed to get “right.” In this episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with certified divorce coach Kristina St. Cyr to talk honestly about divorce grief, isolation, and what it really takes to build a support system when your life is coming apart. Together, they unpack why divorce feels so lonely, how shame keeps so many people quiet, and why creating a divorce “village” can change everything for your divorce recovery journey.

Kristina works virtually with professional women who are juggling demanding careers, parenting, and the emotional toll of separation and divorce. She explains what a divorce coach actually does and how she supports clients through the “business side of divorce” and the emotional storm at the same time. From organizing financial paperwork and preparing for meetings with your lawyer, to co-parenting communication tips and planning for your post-divorce future, Kristina shares the four pillars of her work: getting organized, managing emotions, communicating effectively, and focusing on the life you’re building after divorce. She also talks about her new women’s divorce support group, designed to be a village where you don’t have to explain yourself—you can just show up and be understood.

Throughout the conversation, Kristina returns to one mantra: progress over perfection. Listeners will hear practical mindset shifts for navigating divorce—like giving yourself credit for tiny steps, understanding that you can repair and course-correct, and remembering that divorce is just one (huge) chapter in a much bigger life. If you’re craving community, curious about whether working with a divorce coach could help you, or simply desperate to feel less alone in this process, this episode offers both clarity and hope, with tangible takeaways you can use right away as you start over after divorce.

Learn more about Kristina on Fresh Starts: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/resourceguide/kristina-st-cyr-coaching

Check out Your Divorce Village: https://www.kristinastcyrcoaching.com/your-divorce-village

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

Divorce can feel like standing in the middle of a house you used to know—same walls, different air—while your brain tries to do math it never studied for: custody, money, paperwork, grief, sleep. In this episode of Divorce Happens, we ask: How do I navigate the divorce process without getting swallowed by it?

Enter Shari Joseph and Tamara Frankfort Odinec, co-founders of My Next Chapter, a divorce support platform built for people who want clarity before things implode. Together, they bring both lived experience and a practical, organized approach to divorce education—offering proprietary resources that cover the legal aspects of divorce, the financial realities of divorce, and the emotional recovery after divorce, all in one place. They talk about what changes when you stop treating divorce like a private shame-spiral and start treating it like a transition you deserve support through—especially when you’re trying to make decisions while dysregulated, exhausted, and still parenting.

What lingers after this conversation is the relief of a new frame: you don’t need to “figure out your whole life,” you just need your next right step—and a community that helps you take it. Shari and Tamara share why divorce community support is not a luxury, but a stabilizer, and how proactive guidance can reduce overwhelm and prevent avoidable mistakes. Expect a mindset shift (divorce is a chapter, not a verdict) and actionable takeaways like: choose one category—legal, financial, or emotional—and get one clear answer this week; build your “divorce support team” early; and let structure hold you when your feelings can’t. If you’re starting over after divorce, this episode offers hope with handles.

My Next Chapter is an expert-led, confidential content + community platform designed to support people through every stage of divorce—whether you’re divorce-curious, actively in the process, newly divorced, or years out and still navigating co-parenting, finances, or rebuilding. The platform is structured to help members feel informed, make confident choices, and take the next right step—without having to search the internet at 2 a.m. or piece together advice from a dozen places.

My Next Chapter supports divorce recovery in a genuinely 360 way, with guidance across:

1. Legal (understanding rights, legal jargon, custody dynamics)
2. Finance (budgeting, assets, rebuilding independence)
3. Family + Co-parenting (kids’ wellbeing, boundaries, high-conflict tools)
4. Mindfulness + Wellness (regulation, balance, strength)
5. Dating + Relationships (when/if to date, confidence, online dating support)
6. Lifestyle + Life after divorce (redefining who you are and what’s next)

The site also frames support by stage:

1. Get Informed & Ready (for the divorce-curious / quietly preparing)