Dishing on Divorce Podcast

Divorce, AI, and the Truth About Confidentiality with Amanda DuBois, Esq.

What you share with AI, your journal, or even a divorce coach may not be as private as you think. In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we sit down with Amanda DuBois, Esq., family law attorney, author, advocate, and founder of DuBois Law Office, one of the longest-standing women-owned law firms in the Pacific Northwest. Amanda’s career has taken her from high-risk labor and delivery nursing to medical malpractice law, family law, fiction writing, and criminal legal reform. Her unique background gives her a powerful lens on the value of human life, the emotional complexity of divorce, and the systems that shape people’s lives. In this conversation, Amanda shares why people going through divorce need to be extremely careful about what they share with tools like ChatGPT, why AI-generated legal strategy can create more work and cost more money, and why not everything shared with a divorce coach, journal, or online tool is protected or confidential. We also explore Amanda’s award-winning Camille Delaney mystery series, including The Complication and Unshackled, as well as her advocacy for formerly incarcerated mothers working to reunite with their children. This is a thoughtful, eye-opening conversation about law, privacy, justice, resilience, and holding onto your vision even when life does not unfold as planned. Connect with Amanda: https://amandadubois.com/ Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Nervous System-Informed Divorce Mediation with Mardi Chadwick-Balcom

Divorce is hard enough. Making life-changing decisions while your body is in survival mode can make it feel almost impossible. In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we welcome Mardi Chadwick-Balcom, a Massachusetts divorce mediator, longtime family law attorney, and founder of Integrative Divorce Mediation, for a powerful conversation about how nervous system regulation can change the way people move through divorce. After nearly 30 years working in family law, much of it in high-conflict and crisis cases, Mardi saw firsthand how the traditional legal system can intensify fear, stress, and emotional overwhelm. Her own divorce experience, combined with her training in mediation, nervous system regulation, somatic healing, yoga, and mindset work, led her to develop a more grounded, human-centered approach to mediation. Mardi’s work is centered around one core belief: people cannot make clear, lasting decisions when they are dysregulated. In this conversation, Mardi shares why court can feel so emotionally draining, how simple tools like breathwork, grounding, tapping, and intentional pauses can help people gain clarity, and what it means to create a meditation environment where difficult conversations can happen with more dignity and care. We also talk about protecting your peace, your children, your financial future, and your sense of self during divorce. This is a thoughtful, hopeful conversation about doing divorce differently.   Connect with Mardi: https://www.integrativedivorcemediation.com/ [https://www.integrativedivorcemediation.com/] Check out her Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-regulated-lawyer/id1890253072 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-regulated-lawyer/id1890253072] Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Financial Red Flags, Hidden Assets, and Divorce Strategy with Lisa Zeiderman, ESQ.

Divorce is not just a legal process. It is a financial, emotional, and life-changing transition, and the right guidance can make all the difference. In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna welcome Lisa Zeiderman, Managing Partner at Miller Zeiderman LLP in New York. Lisa is a matrimonial attorney, Certified Financial Litigator, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who brings a powerful combination of legal, financial, and personal insight to the divorce process in New York State.  Together, they discuss why having the right team matters, how financial literacy can change the divorce experience, and why mediation is most effective when both parties have the information they need before sitting down to negotiate. Lisa also shares red flags that may point to hidden assets, the value of working with financial and mental health professionals, and why prenuptial and postnuptial agreements can create clarity rather than conflict. This conversation is filled with practical guidance, thoughtful perspective, and an empowering reminder that understanding your finances is not just about money. It is about security, confidence, and choice. Connect with Lisa: https://lisazeiderman.com/ [https://lisazeiderman.com/] Learn more about Savvy Ladies: https://www.savvyladies.org/ [https://www.savvyladies.org/] Listen to Lisa's Podcast: https://www.savvyladies.org/podcast-power-of-the-ask/ [https://www.savvyladies.org/podcast-power-of-the-ask/] Connect with Deanna and Mandy: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Divorce Over 40: Rebuilding Confidence, Identity & Dating Again | Heather Theisen-Gandara

What happens when divorce arrives just as your children leave home and everything you thought your future would look like suddenly changes? In this heartfelt and empowering episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Heather Theisen-Gandara, founder of Reignite Collective, certified divorce coach, and author of The Ultimate Glow Up Guide for Women Over 40. Heather shares her deeply personal story of navigating divorce after 24 years of marriage, rebuilding her confidence, rediscovering her identity, and creating a life filled with purpose, wellness, and self-trust. Together, they explore: • Rebuilding your identity after divorce • Why many women lose themselves in motherhood and marriage • Dating after divorce and recognizing unhealthy patterns • The difference between loneliness and readiness • Boundaries, self-respect, and trusting yourself again • Empty nesting and rediscovering purpose • Style, wellness, and the emotional side of a “glow up” • The importance of therapy, coaching, and support during transition This conversation is honest, vulnerable, inspiring, and full of wisdom for anyone navigating life after divorce or major personal transformation. Connect with Heather: https://www.reignitecollective.com/  [https://www.reignitecollective.com/] Sign up for her masterclass: https://www.reignitecollective.com/returntoselfmasterclass [https://www.reignitecollective.com/returntoselfmasterclass] Connect with Mandy and Deanna: concierge@vestadivorce.com

Narcissistic Abuse, Divorce & Healing: Rya Hazelwood on Relentless Optimism

What happens when the life you fought so hard to build falls apart? In this deeply powerful episode of Dishing on Divorce, author and speaker Rya Hazelwood shares her journey through narcissistic abuse, divorce, emotional manipulation, grief, heartbreak, and ultimately healing. Through the pain of betrayal and rebuilding her life as a single mother, Rya discovered what she calls “relentless optimism” — the choice to keep believing in hope, even when life feels impossible. From love bombing and gaslighting to parenting through heartbreak and learning to trust herself again, this conversation is filled with raw honesty, wisdom, healing, laughter, and practical tools for anyone navigating life after loss. Topics include: • Narcissistic abuse and emotional manipulation • Love bombing and gaslighting • Divorce recovery and rebuilding after heartbreak • Parenting while healing • The difference between optimism and magical thinking • Anxiety vs intuition • Learning to trust yourself again • Healing through vulnerability and community Rya Hazelwood is the author of Relentless Optimism and Other Life Goals, a moving blend of memoir, mindset, and hope that reminds readers they are not alone and that healing is possible, even after life’s hardest chapters. Connect with Rya - https://www.ryahazelwood.com/ [https://www.ryahazelwood.com/] Connect with Deanna and Mandy- concierge@vestadivorce.com [concierge@vestadivorce.com]