Starting Over Stronger Divorce Concierge

01/05/2026

MEDIATED DIVORCE is how smart people "consciously uncouple" to avoid family court drama and legal expenses.

I am a trauma-informed Certified Divorce Coach and Family Mediator and I work with couples who may have conflict (most do) and there could even be some level of emotional or verbal abuse, but both parties are motivated to avoid the legal expense and drama of family court and are willing to sit down with a mediator as step one in the divorce process.

These smart people understand that by choosing to lead with mediation, they can circumvent the divorce-as-usual escalation that leads to all the worst case scenarios we have all seen, or lived. They understand that while hiring an attorney is always their legal right and they may choose to do that at the right time, but they realize that doing so before mediation will not take them where they want to go. Instead, and maybe for entirely different reasons than the other, they are willing to sit down with a family mediator to have some very crucial early conversations to arrive at necessary agreements that will allow them to finalize a divorce differently than they would have without early mediation support.

Whether they choose to take this mediated agreement to an attorney to write up the papers or they prefer to use their state's approved divorce forms (found online in most if not all states), the agreement is the key 🔑 and these wise folks know it.

Please visit www.startingoverstronger.com to learn more about my work virtually with couples throughout the nation to achieve a fully mediated agreement as step one of divorce. I have seen time and time again how couples who had the potential to end up in a very destructive divorce were able to come together because of one small change to step one.

Are you looking for a divorce solution that feels right for you? Overwhelmed with decisions? Unsure if you need an attorney or how to get started? Annie with Starting Over Stronger is a Certified Divorce Coach,® Trauma-Informed Family Mediator and Paralegal. Three unique skillsets, one goal: Guidin...

01/05/2026

One of the most common things I see in divorce work is people doing meaningful emotional work in therapy, yet still feeling completely stuck when it comes to making the necessary decisions of their divorce.

I recently worked with a couple who were managing their overwhelm without resorting to high levels of conflict, but they sought my support when therapy alone no longer felt like enough.

One partner had decided the marriage needed to end; the other was working to accept that reality while keeping things as stable as possible for their children. Every practical conversation — finances, parenting time, next steps — triggered fear, shutdown, or avoidance for both people.

Therapy was helping them to understand what they were feeling, but as is often the case, understanding alone isn't enough to help them make hard decisions about things they never expected to have to decide for their children and for themselves.

In mediation, we created structure and slowed the process down. Each person had space to articulate what mattered most, and decisions were taken one at a time, without urgency. With containment and guidance, conversations shifted from overwhelming to manageable and actionable.

Therapy helped them show up more grounded, but mediation provided the structure they needed to make decisions that felt overwhelming to tackle through therapy or legal representation alone. Within a few sessions, they had a parenting plan they both felt good about and a clear financial roadmap. They shared that having emotional support in therapy and structured decision-making in mediation made the process feel far less frightening and much more doable.

This is the role I play as a Certified Divorce Coach & Mediator with Starting Over Stronger Divorce Concierge helping clients move from emotional overload into steady, practical progress.

I want to thank therapy practices like Cornell Marriage and Family Therapy out of California and New York for sharing incredible insight into the benefits of combining therapy and mediation during divorce: https://cornellmfts.com/the-benefits-of-combining-divorce-mediation-counseling/

Therapists like this get it, and so do I. We are here to help steady the process.

12/18/2025

As this year is quickly coming to a close, I know many of you are quietly standing at a crossroads.

If you’re considering divorce, you simply feel stuck and overwhelmed where you are, or you're certain what must come next, you don’t have to carry it alone.

SOS Divorce Concierge exists to support you through it all:
the emotional weight, the uncertainty, the preparation, the process and the steady rebuilding of clarity and confidence at your pace, and on your terms.

I offer one-on-one consult calls to help you:
• get grounded before mediation or legal steps
• organize your thoughts and priorities
• feel emotionally supported and steady
• move forward without pressure or shame.

If you want to feel clearer and more supported as you enter into the holidays and the new year, I offer coaching and mediation services for those who are still deciding, those who know a change is coming, and those who want a smoother, more affordable, low-conflict transition. Schedule a consult call with me at the link in my bio.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to take the next right step.

12/09/2025

Are you stuck in relationship FOG — Fear, Obligation, and Guilt — and unsure what to do next?

The Starting Over Stronger CLEAR Needs Method is a simple and powerful framework to help you get grounded, see your situation truthfully, and understand what you genuinely need in order to feel safe, valued, and connected.

If you’re navigating relationship ambivalence, second-guessing yourself, or trying to figure out whether your relationship can truly meet your needs, you don’t have to do it alone.

Reach out for the support of a Certified Divorce Coach in applying the CLEAR Needs Method to your own situation with clarity and confidence. You can be sure... one way or the other.

12/05/2025

Are you just waiting to get through the holidays to file for divorce?

You’re not alone.
This time of year has a way of magnifying everything:
the loneliness,
the confusion,
the “I can’t do this anymore,”
and the “but I can't do that now.”

Here’s the truth:
You’re not going to file or even bring up the subject in the middle of “the most wonderful time of the year.”

But that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do. Underneath the cookie-baking and party-going, something else is happening. You're processing. You're waking up to you.

In that moment in the kitchen when the smell of cinnamon fills the air and you're wiping flour off the counter, you’re quietly rehearsing the conversation.
When you're seeing your reflection in the mirror in the mornings, your heart is whisperimg new truths you are learning to grasp.
On the drive to yet another event, holiday music playing, your body may just be going through the motions, but you're also holding yourself together at the same time.

And I understand it all...
the second-guessing,
the guilt,
the doubt,
the fear that you’re going to destroy someone…
or several little someones...
There's also the deeper truth
that you are beginning to return to yourself.

You’re not heartless.
You’re not broken.
You’re not abandoning anyone.
You’re finally choosing to stop abandoning yourself.

If you’re quietly wondering what's next… let’s talk.

You don’t have to make an announcement.
You don’t have to blow up anyone’s holiday.
You don’t have to wait any longer.

You can take quiet, grounded steps now that bring clarity, stability, and a path forward.

Visit us online or text today to schedule a call and explore what a mediated divorce guided by a trauma-informed Certified Divorce Coach can look like. A divorce without all the expense, drama and delays.

And you don’t have to do it alone.
Let’s talk.

10/20/2025

Sad but true.

When I entered family court, I believed it was about truth and justice. I quickly learned it was about business transactions. To the system, your life is another case file, another hearing, another line on the docket. It is inhumane and calloused. Their failure to see you clearly does not define who you are—we see you and we are deeply sorry for your pain. What you are experiencing is institutional betrayal, which can be more painful than the abusive relationship itself. It is important to practice radical acceptance on this topic. Expecting justice or fairness in family court is like searching for an avocado in a hardware store.

08/18/2025