11. Grieving the Divorce You Chose: Why the Right Decision Can Still Hurt

11. Grieving the Divorce You Chose: Why the Right Decision Can Still Hurt

Ending a marriage can be the right decision and still break your heart. This episode is about one of the most misunderstood parts of divorce: the grief that comes even when you're the one who decided to leave. Because choosing divorce doesn't protect you from mourning the life, identity, and future you thought you were building. Raquel explores the layers of loss that many women aren't prepared for—from grieving the imagined future and the version of yourself that existed within the marriage to navigating the disruption of routines, traditions, and family dreams. She also breaks down how the five stages of grief can show up during divorce, why healing is never linear, and the powerful truth that relief and grief can coexist. If you've ever found yourself asking, "If this was the right decision, why does it hurt so much?" this episode is for you. In This Episode, We Cover: * Why choosing divorce doesn't eliminate grief * The hidden losses women experience beyond the end of the relationship * How divorce can impact your identity, routines, and sense of future * The five stages of grief and how they appear during divorce * Why healing isn't a straight line * The difference between grief and regret * How to hold both relief and sadness at the same time * Practical ways to move through grief with self-compassion You can book a Free 60-minute Divorce Consultation Call:  https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call Have a question? Ask here! HerdivorceacademyDivorce Hotline Connect with Raquell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/ Have a Dear Raquell question you want answered on the podcast? 📩 Email your anonymous story to raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com

10. The #1 Reason Women Feel Unprepared During Divorce

This episode is for the woman who keeps thinking, “I should have handled this better by now.” In this solo episode of When the Fairy Tale Ends, I’m talking about one of the most common feelings women experience during divorce: feeling completely unprepared. Not just emotionally, but financially, mentally, and strategically. And the truth is, most women are trying to make life-changing decisions while overwhelmed, grieving, parenting, working, and surviving all at the same time. I’m breaking down why feeling “lost” during divorce is not a personal failure, how emotional overload impacts decision-making, and why having endless information without a strategy only creates more confusion. We also talk about the difference between emotional support and strategic support — and why clarity matters more than perfection during this process. If you’ve been second-guessing yourself, spiraling through worst-case scenarios, or feeling ashamed that you don’t have everything figured out, this episode will help you breathe a little deeper and focus on your next right step. Topics covered in this episode: * Why divorce creates emotional and mental overload * The difference between information and clarity * How survival mode impacts decision-making * Fear vs. fact during divorce * What strategic support actually looks like * How to stop reacting and start making grounded decisions * Simple ways to create more clarity during the divorce process You can book a Free 60-minute Divorce Consultation Call:  https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call [https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call] Have a question? Ask here! HerdivorceacademyDivorce Hotline Connect with Raquell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/] Have a Dear Raquell question you want answered on the podcast? 📩 Email your anonymous story to raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com

9. How to Break the Patterns Before Your Next Relationship

How do you stop repeating the same relationship patterns after divorce? In this episode of When the Fairy Tale Ends, Raquell gets honest about the lessons she learned from two marriages, the red flags she ignored, and what finally helped her build healthier relationship habits moving forward. This conversation is all about self-awareness, boundaries, emotional responsibility, and learning how to date differently after heartbreak. Raquell shares why so many women settle for “potential,” how to stop over-investing too quickly, and the importance of collecting data before making major life decisions in a new relationship. She also opens up about communication, standards, and why peace has become non-negotiable in this season of her life. If you’ve ever wondered how to trust yourself again after divorce or heartbreak, this episode will leave you thinking differently about what healthy love actually looks like. In this episode, we discuss: * The red flags Raquell wishes she hadn’t ignored * Why self-awareness matters more than blame * How to define what you truly want in a relationship * The difference between standards and unrealistic expectations * Why observing someone over time changes everything * The importance of boundaries, communication, and emotional responsibility * How to stop sending your “representative” in relationships You can book a Free 60-minute Divorce Consultation Call:  https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call Have a question? Ask here!HerdivorceacademyDivorce Hotline Connect with Raquell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/ Have a Dear Raquell question you want answered on the podcast?📩 Email your anonymous story to raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com

8. Why You Stayed Longer Than You Should Have (It’s Not Your Fault)

Why did I stay so long? It’s a question so many women ask themselves… and almost always with shame attached to it. In this episode, we’re having a different kind of conversation—one that challenges the way you’ve been taught to look at your past. Because staying isn’t as simple as people make it seem. And the reasons behind it run deeper than most people are willing to admit. If you’ve ever questioned your decisions, second-guessed yourself, or felt stuck in guilt… this episode will shift the way you see it. Not by giving you all the answers— but by helping you start asking better questions. In this episode: * Why leaving isn’t always the obvious choice * The emotions that keep you tied to something longer than you expected * What most people don’t understand about staying * The quiet factors that influence your decisions more than you think You can book a Free 60-minute Divorce Consultation Call:  https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call [https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call] Have a question? Ask here!HerdivorceacademyDivorce Hotline [https://herdivorceacademy.com/divorce-hotline] Connect with Raquell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/] Have a Dear Raquell question you want answered on the podcast?📩 Email your anonymous story to raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com [raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com]

7. The Fairytale Lies That Taught You to Lose Yourself in Love

What if the love stories you grew up on weren’t romantic… they were conditioning? In this episode, I’m taking you deeper into something most women have never stopped to question—how fairytales didn’t just shape what we expected from love, they shaped how we show up in it. And not in a way that serves us. Because the truth is, you didn’t just believe the story… you became it. I’m breaking down the patterns so many of us have lived out without even realizing it. The over-functioning. The fixing. The self-abandoning. The waiting. And how those behaviors quietly lead to burnout, resentment, and relationships where you slowly lose yourself. This isn’t about blaming you. It’s about helping you see clearly—so you can finally move differently. Because once you understand the script, you stop repeating it. In this episode: * How fairy tales subtly taught women to ignore intuition and endure discomfort * Why stories like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid conditioned women to normalize self-sacrifice * The belief that love requires suffering — and how that shows up in modern relationships * How women are socialized to wait, hope, and “be chosen” instead of choosing themselves * Why many women stay in unhealthy marriages longer than they should * The connection between fairy tale conditioning and divorce shame * How recognizing these patterns creates clarity instead of self-blame Key Takeaway: You didn’t fail in your relationships—you followed a script you were taught. And now that you see it, you get to choose something different. You can book a Free 60-minute Divorce Consultation Call:  https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call [https://herdivorceacademy.com/program/book-a-coaching-fit-call] Have a question? Ask here! https://herdivorceacademy.com/divorce-hotline [https://herdivorceacademy.com/divorce-hotline] Connect with Raquell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/ [https://www.instagram.com/herdivorceacademy/] Have a Dear Raquell question you want answered on the podcast? 📩 Email your anonymous story to raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com [raquell@raquellbartoncoaching.com]