Dishing on Divorce Podcast

Starting Over After Divorce: A Conversation with Amanda Da Silva

What happens when the life you carefully planned falls apart and you’re left asking, “What now?” This episode is a powerful reminder that even in the midst of chaos, you can rebuild something stronger, clearer, and more aligned than ever before.
Today, we are joined by Amanda Da Silva, founder of Right Step Solutions, a transition-focused coach who helps individuals navigate life’s most pivotal moments with clarity and confidence. After experiencing her own deeply challenging divorce, Amanda shares what it truly looks like to rebuild when your identity, career, and sense of stability have been shaken.
This conversation goes far beyond career coaching. Amanda opens up about losing her confidence, her income, and even her ability to function as she once could, and how she slowly found her way back. Through her work, she now helps others do the same, blending practical strategy with emotional support in a way that meets people exactly where they are.
In this episode, we explore:• What divorce can do to your confidence, identity, and ability to move forward• Why clarity is the first step when everything feels uncertain• The connection between mindset and real-world decisions, like job searching• How to rebuild financially and professionally after stepping away from work• Why taking a step back can sometimes be the most powerful move forward
Amanda’s story is honest, raw, and deeply inspiring. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to have everything figured out; you need the right support and the willingness to take the next step.
Connect with Amanda: amanda@rightstepsolutions.co
Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Why You Feel Stuck After Divorce and How to Move Forward with Caryn Gottlieb

Divorce can break your identity or become the moment you rebuild it stronger than ever. Therapist and author Caryn Gottlieb shares how to heal, move forward, and truly thrive after divorce.
Summary:In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we sit down with Caryn Gottlieb, licensed clinical therapist, life coach, and author of Beauty Within Divorce: A No BS Guide to Healing, Reinventing, and Loving Life Again.
Caryn shares her deeply personal journey through divorce and how it shaped the work she does today, helping women move from surviving to truly thriving. Drawing from both her clinical background and lived experience, she offers powerful insight into the emotional challenges of divorce, including loss of identity, navigating triggers, and breaking generational patterns.
We explore the difference between therapy, coaching, and counseling, and why having the right kind of support matters at different stages of the process. Caryn also introduces a refreshing perspective on divorce, one rooted in growth, resilience, and the opportunity to create something new.
This conversation is filled with practical tools, mindset shifts, and honest reflections for anyone navigating divorce or life after it.
Connect with Caryn: https://caryngottlieb.com/
Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

When Trust Is Gone: Navigating High Conflict Divorce and Hidden Money with Keri Gwynne and Ryan Finley

When trust is gone, how do you move forward and protect yourself financially? A raw look at high conflict divorce, hidden money, and finding clarity.
What happens when you can no longer trust the person you once built a life with, and the finances don’t seem to make sense?
In this powerful episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with a dynamic duo who bring both emotional grounding and financial clarity to even the most complex divorces.
Keri Gwynne, a high-conflict divorce coach and mediator, shares her deeply personal journey through abuse, trauma, and a high-stakes legal battle, and how it led her to help hundreds of families move from chaos to clarity.
Ryan Finley, CPA, CDFA, and forensic accountant, breaks down what really happens behind the financial scenes of divorce, including hidden money, dissipation of assets, and the subtle signs that something isn’t adding up.
Together, they explore:• How to navigate divorce when trust is completely broken• Why structure and boundaries matter more than emotion• What hidden money can look like and how it’s uncovered• When to bring in a forensic accountant• How to stay grounded when everything feels overwhelming
This conversation is honest, eye-opening, and deeply empowering for anyone navigating divorce, especially in high-conflict situations.
Because even in the most overwhelming moments, clarity is possible.
Connect with Keri: https://www.startingpointfreedom.com/
Connect with Ryan: https://www.freedomfsg.com/

Financial Abuse in Divorce: Signs of Coercive Financial Control with Janice Berner

Financial abuse in divorce is often invisible, but its impact is profound. This episode uncovers the signs of coercive financial control and how it can leave individuals feeling trapped, fearful, and financially powerless.
Janice breaks down how financial manipulation can quietly strip individuals of independence, leaving them feeling isolated and unable to move forward. She shares the most common red flags, from restricted access to money and accounts to hidden assets and financial intimidation, and explains why many people don’t recognize what’s happening until they’re already in crisis.
The conversation highlights how financial control can complicate the divorce process, creating confusion and paralysis at a time when clear decision-making is critical. Janice emphasizes the importance of building a strong support team, including legal, financial, and emotional professionals, to help individuals regain clarity and confidence.
Listeners will walk away with practical steps to protect themselves, insights into evolving legal recognition of financial abuse, and a powerful reminder that financial independence is possible, even after years of control.
This episode is both eye-opening and empowering, offering hope and guidance for anyone navigating divorce or supporting someone who is.
Connect with Janice: jberner@baystatefinancial.com
Janice Berner is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services LLC., Member SIPC. Supervisory office: One Marina Park Drive, Suite 1600 Boston MA 02210. 617-585-4500. The views and opinions expressed are those of the program participants and are not necessarily those of MML Investors Services LLC. Neither MML Investors Services, LLC nor any of its subsidiaries, employees or representatives are authorized to give legal or tax advice. The material is not intended as recommendations appropriate for you and should not be construed as legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified legal, tax and accounting advisors on specific legal and tax matters.
Janice Berner is a Licensed CPA, but not practicing. 

College Planning During Divorce: Financial Aid, FAFSA, and Avoiding Costly Mistakes with Jack Wang

College planning becomes even more complex during divorce. College planning strategist and Smart College Buyer podcast host Jack Wang explains how financial aid rules, FAFSA changes, and scholarships impact divorced families and what parents can do to avoid overpaying for college.
In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Jack to unpack the often-confusing intersection of divorce, financial aid, and higher-education planning. Drawing from both professional expertise and his own experience navigating divorce while raising two sons, Jack shares practical guidance to help families make thoughtful, financially sound decisions about college.
The conversation explores common misconceptions about financial aid, including who actually fills out the FAFSA in divorced families, how remarriage and stepparent income can affect aid eligibility, and why timing major financial decisions during high school years can make a significant difference in the aid a student receives.
Jack also explains the additional complexity of CSS Profile schools, the role of institutional scholarships, and how families can think more strategically about choosing colleges based on financial fit rather than just academic reputation.
For divorced parents, the discussion highlights the importance of early planning and communication. Mandy and Deanna explore how parents can align expectations about what it means to “pay for college,” how divorce agreements can influence future college costs, and why understanding the financial aid process earlier than most families expect can make a meaningful difference.
The episode also covers recent legislative changes affecting federal student loans and what those changes may mean for families planning for college in the coming years.
Whether you are newly divorced, navigating co-parenting, or simply trying to make wise financial decisions for your family, this episode offers valuable insight into one of the largest financial investments many parents will ever face.
Connect with Jack: jack@innovativewealth.com
Check out his Podcast: smartcollegebuyer.podbean.com/ 
Connect with Mandy and Deanna: concierge@vestadivorce.com 

Divorce and Autism: Planning for Children with Special Needs with Michael Pereira

On this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy Barr is joined by Michael Pereira, founder of The Autism Voyage, to explore the complex intersection of divorce, parenting, and raising a neurodivergent child.
Michael shares both professional expertise and personal insight as the father of a son with autism. After his son’s diagnosis, Michael’s life shifted dramatically, leading him to leave corporate America and build a platform dedicated to helping families navigate the emotional, financial, and logistical realities of raising children with special needs.
Together, Mandy and Michael discuss:
• The emotional journey parents experience after an autism diagnosis• How neurodivergence can impact marriages and sometimes lead couples to the brink of divorce• Why routines and stability are critical for children on the spectrum during separation• The importance of financial planning, insurance, estate planning, and long-term care strategies• How parents can shift from fear and isolation to clarity and intentional planning
Michael also shares how The Autism Voyage was created to provide education, resources, and community for families who often feel alone as they navigate neurodiversity.
This conversation offers compassionate guidance for parents facing difficult transitions as they plan a stable future for their children.
Connect with Michael: https://theautismvoyage.com/
Email Michael: michael@theautismvoyage.com
Connect with Mandy and Deanna: concierge@vestadivorce.com 

Considering Divorce? Why Couples Mediation May Be the First Step with Jennifer Hawthorne Kelsey, Esq.

Considering divorce? In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we explore how couples mediation, also known as marriage mediation, can help strengthen a marriage before making the final decision to separate.
Jennifer Hawthorne Kelsey, a Massachusetts mediator and collaborative attorney at Skylark Law and Mediation in Southborough, explains how mediation provides clarity, structure, and practical problem-solving for couples navigating conflict. For some couples, this process helps repair communication patterns, reduce tension, and create new agreements that support staying together.
Instead of immediately lawyering up and heading into litigation, couples mediation offers a structured, neutral space to work through parenting schedules, financial responsibilities, household roles, communication breakdowns, and future planning.
We discuss:• The difference between couples mediation and divorce mediation• How mediation differs from therapy• How structured problem solving can help preserve and strengthen a marriage• When mediation may clarify that separation is the healthiest path• Co-parenting, parenting plans, and conflict de-escalation• Situations where mediation may not be appropriate, including coercive control and intimate partner violence
Jennifer also shares her personal journey through divorce and co-parenting, and how curiosity, communication, and emotional maturity can reshape even high-conflict dynamics.
If you are considering divorce and want to explore every option before making a life-changing decision, this conversation offers grounded guidance, perspective, and hope.
Connect with Jennifer: https://skylarklaw.com/jenniferhawthorne/
Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

The Co-Parenting Code: Moving from Conflict to Cooperation with Teresa Luse

Dishing on Divorce welcomes Teresa Luse, co-parenting coach, family mediator, and author of Combative to Collaborative: The Co-Parenting Code. Teresa shares how she and her former spouse intentionally designed a collaborative co-parenting relationship after divorcing when their son was six, creating a stable, supportive childhood that their now adult son describes as happy.
Mandy and Deanna explore practical ways parents can move from conflict to cooperation, including Teresa’s Golden Rule approach, how to stop assigning motives and start seeking clarity, and why you do not have to like your co-parent to co-parent well. Teresa breaks down common co-parenting breakdowns, such as punishing for past hurt and positional bargaining, then offers tools to get unstuck, including interest-based problem-solving, paraphrasing for better communication, and her three-list framework for what parents must align on versus what can differ across households.
They also dive into Teresa’s Three Cs for healthier relationships: civility, caring, and communication, and discuss why communication often needs to increase, not decrease, as children grow and the stakes get higher. The episode is a hopeful reminder that collaborative co-parenting is built by intention, not perfection, and that even one parent choosing a different approach can begin to shift the entire dynamic for the better.
Connect with Teresa Luse: https://teresaluse.com/
Get Teresa's Book: Combative to Collaborative: The Co-parenting Code
Connect with Mandy and Deanna: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Divorce After 50: Retirement, Social Security, and Splitting Assets

On this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Lis Davies, CDFA®, and Jeff Matthews, CFP®, CDFA®, from the Arlington Group Investment Consulting in Columbus, Ohio, to explore the growing trend of divorce after 50.
With decades of experience and personal connections to divorce, Lis and Jeff bring both professional insight and lived understanding to this important conversation. They unpack the unique financial complexities that arise later in life, when couples may be nearing retirement, managing significant accumulated assets, and reimagining a future they once assumed would look very different.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why divorce after 50 is on the rise• The emotional and financial realities of dividing assets after decades of marriage• Social Security rules every divorcing spouse over 50 should understand• Spousal support expectations today• The real cost of keeping the family home• Lifestyle shifts and spending patterns after divorce• Why financial planning early in the process matters
Lis and Jeff also share how they collaborate with attorneys, therapists, CPAs, and estate planners to support clients holistically during this life transition.
Connect with Lis and Jeff: https://fa.wellsfargoadvisors.com/The-Arlington-Group/index.html
Connect with the concierge team: concierge@vestadivorce.com 

Colorado Family Law Attorney Jessica Breckenridge on Divorce and Reducing Conflict

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we sit down with Jessica Breckenridge, Family Law Attorney and Co-Founder of Empower Family Law in Colorado, and a vetted Vesta professional in Vesta’s new Colorado Hub. Jessica shares how her early life in the foster care system and an adoption experience that went wrong shaped her passion for helping children and families. She also shares her experience of divorce during her first semester of law school, including a painful attorney intake call that strengthened her commitment to ensure clients feel informed, supported, and respected.
We discuss common misconceptions about hiring a divorce attorney, including the belief that lawyers automatically make divorce more adversarial, and explain why, in Colorado, good legal guidance can reduce conflict. Jessica breaks down full scope versus limited scope representation, why preparation matters, and how the right divorce team, including coaches, therapists, financial experts, and real estate professionals, can protect your peace and your future.
Jessica was recognized by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys as one of Colorado’s Top 10 Under 40 for 2025.
Connect with Jessica
Email: info@empowerfamilylegal.com
Website: https://www.empowerfamilylegal.com/
Connect with Vesta's Concierge
Email: concierge@vestadivorce.com
Note: This episode is for education only and is not legal advice. If you are experiencing domestic violence, coercive control, threats, or feel unsafe, please prioritize safety and reach out to local emergency services, a domestic violence hotline, or a trusted professional in your area.