Women's Divorce Academy

Sarah has a framework for this that I think is worth writing down.

Step 1: get honest with yourself. Not out loud, not to anyone else – just acknowledge what you actually feel. That's the first hurdle.

Step 2: say it out loud in some way. Journal it, voice note it to yourself, tell a friend. Get it out of your head and into the world.

Step 3: work out who needs to hear it. Who in your life needs to know what you've been carrying?

"No matter what, it's gonna be good because you said your piece. Even if it leads to the ending of a relationship – at least you said the thing you needed to say."

Full episode is on Divorce With Carolyn now. Available on all your favourite poddie platforms, or go to https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

Sarah made a distinction in this episode that I wish someone had said to me years ago.

It's not that women don't have a voice. We have it. We've always had it. The problem is we've been so thoroughly taught to doubt it – through gaslighting, through being told we're too sensitive, through watching our feelings get minimised over and over – that trusting it feels like another huge hill to climb.

And she said this:

"If you have unscreamed screams inside of you, it will manifest in chronic illness, in mental health. If you keep it in, it's keeping all of that."

So many of us grew up with gaslighting being completely normal. We were taught to doubt ourselves before we even got started.

Your voice is already there. The work is learning to trust it.

Full episode is on Divorce With Carolyn now. Available on all your favourite pod platforms, or at https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

Sarah says she held onto a Beyoncé lyric through the worst of her separation and divorce.

"Me and my baby are gonna be alright. We're gonna live a good life."

And she was right.

Sarah said something that I think we can all learn from: the faster you leave a situation that's unhealthy, the faster your life starts becoming something beautiful. Not eventually. Fast.

If you're in the thick of it right now, hold onto that and know your path is leading to something better.

Full episode is on Divorce With Carolyn now. Available on all your favourite pod platforms, or at https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

Your body was trying to tell you something.

Maybe it still is.

Sarah said something in our conversation this week that I keep coming back to – she didn't even bring it up with him. Not because she didn't feel it. But because she already knew, deep down, that it wasn't safe to.

And she's right that it might not have changed anything. But it might have shown her what she needed to see a lot sooner.

If something feels off – even quietly, even in a way you can't name yet – that's worth paying attention to.

Full episode with Sarah is on Divorce With Carolyn now. Available on all your favourite poddie platforms, or go to https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

The Trojan horse effect. If you have children and your ex has visitation, this is something you need to know about.

Anthony Macklin has seen devices hidden inside teddy bears. Kids' iPads hacked. USB drives with 60 hours of voice-activated recording tucked into backpacks.
Hidden cameras built into smoke detectors, phone chargers, clocks.

You can even buy DIY pinhole camera kits now – designed to blend into whatever environment you choose.

Many people don't check their home for devices until they've already noticed something is wrong. By then, it's been going on for a while.

Know the signs. Listen on your favourite podcast app or at https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

🎙️ Anthony Macklin – Is Your Ex Tracking You? Surveillance, Stalking and Safety When Leaving.

"Never marry someone you wouldn't want to divorce."

That's advice I wish more women heard earlier. Because how someone handles conflict, how they treat people they're no longer happy with – that tells you everything about who they really are.

Anthony Macklin agrees. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Many women walk out assuming everything will be fine. Then things change fast, and they're on the back foot from the beginning.

You deserve to be prepared.

Listen on your favourite podcast app or at https://www.womensdivorceacademy.com/podcast

🎙️ Anthony Macklin – Is Your Ex Tracking You? Surveillance, Stalking and Safety When Leaving.