Navigating a high-conflict divorce is overwhelming on its own — but when you're also raising a child with special needs? The legal, emotional, and logistical challenges multiply.

In this important conversation, Sybil sits down with Dr. Susan Bernstein, a Certified Divorce Coach and expert in high-conflict divorce involving children with special needs. Drawing from her experience as both a professional and a mother of a child with severe special needs, Susan shares critical insights, concrete strategies, and the systemic gaps families must prepare for.

Whether you're in the thick of a custody battle, advocating for services, or worried about long-term care and planning — this episode will offer clarity, hope, and tangible next steps.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the divorce rate is significantly higher for parents of children with special needs
• How high-conflict personalities often resist diagnosis or care for their child — and what that means for legal decision-making
• The long-term financial, medical, and educational planning you must include in your parenting plan
• How to structure a tiered parenting plan with clear benchmarks and consequences
• The importance of documenting behaviors instead of using psychological labels in court
• Why many parents of special needs kids don’t get the relief of a countdown to 18 — and what long-term advocacy really looks like
• The surprising “silver lining” of divorce when it comes to planning for a child’s lifelong care

Connect w Dr. Susan:

G: https://www.instagram.com/divorcecoach__plus/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SusanKBernsteincdc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-susan-bernstein-new-york-s-premier-divorce-coach-5aa32510/

https://www.divorcecoachplus.com/

https://divorcewithspecialneedschildren.com/

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

Ever look in the mirror and think, “I don’t even know who I am anymore”?

If you've survived a coercive, abusive relationship — or are still dealing with the chaos of post-separation abuse — that feeling isn’t just common, it’s expected. You’ve been in survival mode for so long that things like identity, purpose, and values may feel like luxuries you can’t afford.

But what if reconnecting with your values is exactly what helps you move forward.

In this episode Sybil gets real about what happens to your sense of self after abuse — and how you can begin to reclaim it, even if you're still living in the storm of post-separation chaos. She’ll walk you through how your values got buried (or used against you), why reconnecting with them is not optional for healing, and a powerful exercise that helps uncover what truly matters to you.

This is not about reinventing yourself — it’s about remembering who you are.

You'll Learn:

• Why your values were likely distorted or silenced during the abuse
• How moral injury shows up when you're forced to act against your beliefs
• What your current pain might reveal about your deepest values
• A powerful journaling exercise to help you reconnect with your truth
• How to start living by your values again — even in tiny ways — and why that changes everything

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

If you’ve ever been told that a psychological test “proved” you were unstable or overeactive in your custody case—while your abusive ex seemed cool, calm, and collected—you are not alone.

In this short but important episode, I’m unpacking why the MMPI and MMPI-2—often used in court-ordered evaluations—can misrepresent survivors of coercive control and domestic violence. These tests were not designed with trauma survivors in mind, and their results can be dangerously misinterpreted when evaluators aren’t trained in coercive dynamics.

I’ll also explain how abusers, especially narcissists, often “pass” these tests easily by presenting as emotionally flat or in control—while the survivor appears anxious, reactive, or paranoid, all of which are normal trauma responses.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating family court, custody evaluations, or preparing for a psychological assessment after surviving abuse.

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

How much did financial abuse impact you in your relationship?

We know that over 98% of all domestic violence victims experience some form of financial abuse and that it does not stop once you have left.

So, how can you be prepared for your separation and divorce and be set up to survive in the aftermath?

Because I am not a financial expert AND because I understand the devastation that financial abuse can cause, I asked Jun Chen, a certified divorce financial analyst and certified financial planner to share his knowledge with all of us. We discuss the basics, like what a CDFA actually does and the best ways to prepare to the more nuanced questions around what to do if your ex is hiding money.

And similar to most aspects of divorcing a narcissistic and abusive partner, there are nuances to your situation. So, if this episode has given your more questions that you started out with or something wasn’t answered…I invite you to come to our FREE Q&A style workshop on June 12th.

REGISTER FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP W/ JUN: https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/finances

About Jun: With over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry, Jun Chen is a seasoned wealth advisor known for providing comprehensive, client centric guidance tailored at each stage of life. As a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor™ (CPFA™), Jun brings a uniquely broad skill set to families seeking to create bespoke financial plans that require a high level of expertise.

Jun specializes in holistic financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, and workplace retirement plans. Known for a thoughtful, educational approach, Jun prioritizes building long-term relationships rooted in trust and transparency.

Outside the office, Jun is active in the local community, frequently volunteering as a pro bono CFP with Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence and Wings For Widows He is also a board member of Sunnyside, a non-profit focused on resources for neurodivergent individuals. Jun believes that financial planning should not be limited to those of high net worth but available to those who might not have the resources.

Connect with Jun:
linkedin.com/in/jun-chen-cfp®-cdfa®-cpfa®-067bb443
Email: jun.team@fida

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

Are you in need of a little bit of hope?

If you are a survivor of coercive control and domestic abuse (or a professional who works in this space) then hope can often be hard to come by.

In this episode, I reconnect with coercive control expert, Kate Amber, M.S. after our joint presentation at this year's International Justice Center Conference in San Diego in order to share our reflections from our experience. We share some of the questions we were asked during our panel along with our answers, some of the most impactful speakers and presentations we were able to attend and how their topics may impact you, along with our overall reflections of where the field is trending. And this is where both Kate and I experienced some hope and hopefully you will too.

Since many of you were not able to be there with us, we wanted to be able to share with you so that you can start to see some of the hope too.

Episode 66 with Kate: “Breaking Down Coercive Control” - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1991648/episodes/13665588

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

If you’ve ever thought, “I should be further along by now,” this episode is for you.
When you’re still navigating post-separation abuse, family court chaos, or co-parenting with someone who continues to hurt you, healing might not look—or feel—like what you expected. You might still freeze when a message comes in. You might still cry in the car before showing up for your kids. And you might believe that means you're not healing.

But what if the most important signs of healing are the ones no one sees—not even you?

We’re talking about the invisible signs of progress: the quiet, powerful shifts that don’t get celebrated but matter immensely.

You’ll hear:

• Why healing doesn’t always feel like joy or peace—and what it might feel like instead
• Real-life examples of subtle progress that survivors often overlook
• How trauma makes it harder to recognize growth, even when it’s happening
• A new way to think about hope when the future feels foggy

Because even if it doesn’t feel like it… you are healing.

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

As you heal from the narcissistic abuse from an intimate partner, you might come to this realization - that one of your parents is also a narcissist and has been abusive.

Sometimes this realization is mind blowing and stops you in your tracks forcing you to rethink everything you thought you knew about your childhood and the family you grew up with.

In today’s episode I have a conversation with Katherine Fabrizio, a therapist working with these dynamics for decades, more specifically with the mother daughter relationship resulting in “The Good Daughter Syndrome.”

We discuss the dynamics and challenges that arise for the daughters of mothers with narcissistic or other difficult personalities throughout their lives. This includes the subconscious conditioning that starts during the early childhood years and how that impacts all of their relationships moving forward. Katherine shares how she works with clients with these challenges with some ideas and tips that you can take and use right away after listening to this episode.

BIO: Katherine Fabrizio, M.A., L.C.M.H.C., psychotherapist, mother, and author, has treated adult daughters of difficult mothers trapped in the “Good Daughter” role for over 35 years.

Book https://a.co/d/0kUKQtO/
Quiz -https://daughtersrising.info/good-daughter-quiz/

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...

Feeling completely burned out from healing? You’re not alone.

In this episode, Sybil dives into a phase of healing that almost no one talks about — the exhaustion that hits after leaving an abusive relationship. If you're feeling numb, unmotivated, or like healing is suddenly impossible… this is for you.
We’ll explore:

• Why burnout happens after you finally find safety
• How the nervous system shifts from fight/flight to freeze
• What healing burnout really looks like (spoiler: it’s not laziness)
• How to give yourself permission to rest and reset
• A gentle guided practice to reconnect with your body, without shame
• How to reframe what “progress” really means

And if you're listening when this episode goes live — enrollment for The Rising Beyond Community is open until May 8th, 2025 at 11:59pm MST. If burnout is where you are right now, the community could be the lifeline you didn’t know you needed.

🎧 Join the community: risingbeyondpc.com/membership

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
Rising Beyond LinkedIn
Rising Beyond Pinterest

If you're interested in guesting on the show please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Enjoy some of our freebies!

• Choosing Your Battles Freebie
• Canned Responses Freebie
• Mic Drop Moments Freebie
• ...