Welcome to Divorce, Healthy!

Divorce in the United States is something that is often viewed as negative. While a large majority of people associate it with ill feelings, chaos, and never-ending conflict, that doesn?t have to be the reality of divorce across America. It doesn?t have to be your reality, especially if you?re about to dive into this process.


Your Host.

Ashley-Nicole is dedicated to understanding her client?s needs and protecting their interests. As a child of divorce, she knows first hand the hardship and long-term effects of the traditional litigation model. She is committed to the Collaborative Divorce process outlined in the North Carolina General Statutes as a healthier alternative to litigation. Ashley-Nicole used the Collaborative Process in her own divorce, and she knows the success of the process first hand to preserve relationships and set the tone for a life of peace after divorce. She opened The Law Offices of Ashley-Nicole Russell, P.A. to help families navigate the emotional and legal aspects of separation and divorce in the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina.

The holidays are upon us accompanied by all the expectations of creating picture-perfect, festive memories for you and your family. For divorced parents, however, this can be a nightmare of navigating what your kids want, what relatives want and what you want.Forget all of that, says Dr. Elizabeth Cohen, a clinical psychologist who specializes in...
What we’ve been waiting for is finally here! We welcome you to Season 2 of Divorce, Healthy! Given the spirit of the holidays, and Christmas right around the corner, our host, Ashley-Nicole sincerely appreciates everyone that has come on this journey with her and the amazing connections made over the first season of the podcast....
If you’re a child of divorce or if you’re a parent facing separation and divorce, then you’re intimately familiar with just how broken, expensive, exhausting, and toxic for our children the current culture of divorce in the United States is. Fortunately, alternatives exist, and experts are ready and willing to help you navigate divorce and...
Moving on after divorce is easier said than done. Loneliness, isolation, shame, and guilt are all commonplace after separation and divorce. Often, people going through separation feel like they won’t ever be able to get back on their feet and may even worry that they will never find love again. If these feelings sound familiar,...
Divorce has long had a bad reputation. It is often incredibly stressful for the couple and leaves broken families in its path. Have you ever wondered, “does it really have to be this way?” Are there people out there who have successfully dissolved their marriages in a peaceful and healthy way? Are there children who...
If you’re going through a divorce or have recently been through one, you’ve probably experienced stressful emotions and have felt lonely in the process. Maybe you’ve seen your kids affected or are afraid they will be negatively impacted in the future. Divorce has a bad reputation in the United States, as we’re inundated on a...
Life after divorce can be challenging. After grueling court proceedings and litigation, ex-partners—particularly women—may feel like it’s the end of life as they know it. There’s a lot to process and work through, with many left feeling hopeless and victimized years later. While this time is indeed one when you’re probably the most vulnerable, raw,...
There are harrowing statistics that reflect the current culture of divorce in America and its negative effects on the population. For perspective, 87% of children involved in school shootings come from child custody battles. In a marriage where both spouses are products of divorce, their chances of the marriage ending in divorce are 200% greater...
The current culture of divorce in the United States paints litigation as the one and only avenue available to divorcing couples. While divorce litigation has a toxic and negative reputation, many lawyers continue to encourage the process. Instead of working together, the participants take adversarial roles from day one, similar to a boxing match, with...
For generations, the gender roles of fathers as breadwinners and mothers as caregivers shaped how society viewed family dynamics when a couple divorces. Outcomes of divorce from a sexist court system have forced women in particular into these patriarchal ‘ideals’ – the martyr mother or the stay-at-home mom. Not only has this caused women to...
Because of the negativity surrounding divorce, the term ‘Divorce Hotel’ seems to be an oxymoron. How can a process that involves a painful and life-changing event be associated with something that reflects the opposite? Can divorce be something that’s not riddled with chaos and conflict, and instead be one filled with collaboration and partnership? In...
One of the unfortunate and not uncommon outcomes of divorce involving children is parental alienation. Alienation is even more likely to occur in cases that involve litigation. Because parental alienation can appear to be the norm, divorcing couples may expect that whoever ‘loses’ in the child custody proceedings will become an absentee parent. In fact,...
There has been no shortage of discussions, books, webinars, and seminars that cover ego and its role in our lives. For many, ego is the driving force behind the choices and decisions they make. And, when ego is in charge during crucial matters like divorce proceedings, not only does it add an additional layer of...
We are going through an extraordinary time in history, a crisis that has great impacts all over the world. The Coronavirus pandemic is affecting not only people, but communities, businesses and society as a whole. It’s a stressful an overwhelming time for everyone, but probably more so on families that are going through divorce, which...
**For confidentiality purposes the names of the clients have been removed to protect the process. Going through divorce is one of the toughest and most emotional processes anyone can go through in life. It can get messy and traumatic for everybody involved, no matter if it was a mutually-exclusive decision or one of the spouses...