Today’s conversation with California attorney-mediator Melissa Farag explains why “fair” is often the wrong goal in divorce — and what actually leads to better outcomes.

In this episode:

1. How Melissa’s upbringing and her own divorce experience shaped her passion for mediation
2. What people usually mean when they say they want a “fair” divorce — and why that goal often backfires
3. The three phases of the divorce legal process — and why understanding them matters
4. What mediation actually is (and isn’t), and what to consider when choosing a mediator
5. When mediation can be a powerful option — and when it’s not appropriate
6. Why redefining “success” in divorce can lead to outcomes people can actually live with

About Melissa Farag:

Melissa is a California-licensed attorney and mediator who focuses exclusively on helping people navigate divorce and custody with clarity, dignity, and less harm. After spending nearly a decade as a family law litigator, Melissa chose to shift her practice to mediation and one-on-one negotiation coaching, where she believes she can best support families seeking collaborative, respectful resolutions. Her work integrates deep legal expertise with a holistic approach that prioritizes equity, accountability, and minimizing trauma—especially for children. Melissa is trained in Insight Mediation, a certified Co-Parenting Specialist, and a volunteer mediator with the California Superior Court. She is also the host of the High Vibe Divorce podcast.

About High Vibe Mediation and The High Vibe Divorce Podcast:

Learn more about High Vibe Mediation: https://www.highvibemediation.com/

Listen to the “High Vibe Divorce” podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow Melissa on Instagram: @highvibemediation and @highvibedivorce

About “The D. Tales with Allison Kahler”:

The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.

Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast

Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, or mental health advice.

Sometimes your body knows before your mind does.

This is a story about listening to your body and intuition — and the permission it can take to follow what you already know.

In this episode:

1. Diana reflects on how childhood conditioning, religion, and cultural narratives shaped her understanding of love and marriage
2. The physical and emotional warning signs she ignored — and what her body was trying to tell her all along
3. A spiritual experience that gave her permission to leave when she felt most trapped
4. What rock bottom actually looked like and how support began to show up afterward
5. How healing trauma changed her relationship to herself, love, and safety
6. Why calm — not butterflies — became her new measure of connection

About Diana Bitting:

Diana is a San Francisco Bay Area–based product builder and marketing leader, with over a decade in high-growth, venture-backed startups. She’s the co-founder of Catbird Heal/th, a mission-driven company transforming the way the world heals from trauma. Her passion is personal: after navigating her own health challenges and seeing the cracks in modern medicine and talk therapy, she became devoted to creating solutions that heal from the core, not just manage symptoms. Outside of work, Diana is a Bhakti yoga instructor, holistic health enthusiast, psychonaut, and proud mom of two.

About Catbird Heal/th:

Catbird is a trauma recovery platform providing a path to true healing for the 150 million Americans suffering from chronic, trauma-related health challenges like inflammation, auto-immune disease, obesity and more.

Learn more: https://www.catbirdclub.com/

Start a free trauma quiz: https://www.catbirdclub.com/concierge

About “The D. Tales with Allison Kahler”:

The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.

Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast

Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, or mental health advice.

This is a story about the quiet ache of not feeling seen — and what it takes to find your way to being deeply chosen again.

In this episode:

1. Anna shares what it was like to marry young, grow up together, and slowly grow apart
2. How a life that looked picture-perfect on the outside still felt lonely on the inside
3. The moment she realized she wasn’t being seen — and couldn’t unsee it
4. Why divorce doesn’t have to mean failure — and what it means for a marriage to be complete
5. How trusting her inner knowing reshaped her own love story — and the way she now helps others find love again

About Anna Howerton:

Anna is a relationship coach who splits her time between Raleigh, NC and Southern California. After navigating her own divorce and remarriage, Anna now works with individuals and couples who are seeking more authentic and aligned relationships — whether that means finding love, deepening connection, or thoughtfully ending a relationship that no longer fits. She’s also a mother of two and wife to her second husband, Mark.

Connect with Anna:

Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @annahowerton_

Schedule a free strategy call: https://www.annahowerton.com/

About “The D. Tales with Allison Kahler”:

The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.

Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast

Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, or mental health advice.

Divorce isn’t a single event — it’s often years in the making.

In this solo episode of The D. Tales, I share my story of the long, lonely years of divorce — and the shame and fear that made them so hard to talk about.

In this episode:

1. Why my divorce felt less like a single event and more like a decade-long transition
2. How perfectionism, faith, and expectations made silence feel safer than honesty
3. What the data reveals about how long — and lonely — divorce contemplation really is
4. The shame, fear, and self-blame I didn’t know how to name at the time
5. Why I’m creating the podcast I wish had existed when I was going through it
6. An invitation to listen, reflect, and remember that you don’t have to do this alone

About “The D. Tales with Allison Kahler”:

The D. Tales blends real divorce stories with grounded expert insight — helping you find clarity and courage to move forward on your own terms.

Follow The D. Tales wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow along on Instagram: @thedtalespodcast

Learn more at https://thedtalespodcast.com

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, or mental health advice.

The D. Tales with Allison Kahler is a podcast about divorce and rebuilding life on the other side — blending real divorce stories with grounded conversations with experts to help you find clarity and move forward with courage.

Whether you’re quietly questioning, actively separating, or thoughtfully rebuilding, this show creates space for the questions most people carry alone — and reminds you that you don’t have to navigate this transition on your own.

Follow the show now so you don’t miss the launch.

New episodes drop every Tuesday.

Instagram: @thedtalespodcast

Website: https://thedtalespodcast.com