The D. Tales with Allison Kahler

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 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 [http://www.drbrianparis.com] Follow Brian on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @drbrianparis Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrianparis/ [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/ [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 [https://www.instagram.com/thedtalespodcast/] Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com [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 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 [http://reneelynnfrojo.com] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/renee-lynn-frojo [http://linkedin.com/in/renee-lynn-frojo] * The LinkedIn post that inspired this episode: Read on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/renee-lynn-frojo_my-best-friend-from-college-is-wading-through-activity-7431032244405919745-yWhR] 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 [http://agoodreputation.online] * Newsletter: Subscribe to A Good Reputation [https://agoodreputation.online/profile] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/thedtalespodcast/] Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com [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 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 [https://www.instagram.com/thedtalespodcast/] Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com [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 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 [http://ashleydlogan.com] Follow Ashley on Instagram: @ashleydlogan [https://www.instagram.com/ashleydlogan/] Subscribe to Ashley's Substack: https://ashleydlogan.substack.com/ [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 [https://www.ashleydlogan.com/inner-alchemy-podcast] wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to Allison's guest episode on Inner Alchemy on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-divorce-finding-yourself-on-the-other-side/id1884311596?i=1000762819738] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fZSa698VP4zEo0G9rngS2?si=ea32de58f2184597] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/thedtalespodcast/] Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com [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 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 [https://www.instagram.com/billkaitz] Connect with Billy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billkaitz [http://linkedin.com/in/billkaitz] Find Billy on Facebook: facebook.com/bill.kaitz [http://facebook.com/bill.kaitz] Resources mentioned: * The Hoffman Process [https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/] * Kristin Neff's Self-Compassion [https://self-compassion.org/] * AEDP Therapy [https://aedpinstitute.org/about-aedp-psychotherapy/] (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 [https://www.instagram.com/thedtalespodcast/] Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com [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.