What if divorce could be not just less painful, but genuinely transformative?
In this episode, Susan Chesnutt sits down with Beth Proudfoot, a seasoned child therapist, parenting coach, and collaborative divorce expert, to explore what it means to truly lead your family through crisis. You’ll hear how reframing roles, tuning into your child’s unspoken needs, and building communication skills can help you show up with more clarity and compassion—even in the hardest moments. This is about more than surviving divorce—it’s about choosing growth, respect, and resilience.
Stay with us to the end—you’ll walk away with insights that could change how you parent, partner, and lead.
In this episode, Susan and Beth Proudfoot discuss:
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Navigating emotional and parental challenges during divorce.
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The evolving roles and expectations of co-parents post-separation
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The structure and benefits of collaborative divorce processes
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Parenting strategies rooted in communication and leadership
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The often-overlooked emotional insights and needs of children during family transitions
Key Takeaways:
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Learning Conflict-Resolution Skills Through Divorce (): Collaborative divorce empowers couples to solve problems and communicate more effectively, reducing long-term conflict even in the face of significant life changes like job loss.
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Children Crave Peace More Than Preference (): Children are most hurt not by the decisions of divorce, but by ongoing parental conflict; a neutral child specialist can help refocus parents on their kids’ true needs.
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Unpacking Gender Roles in Post-Divorce Parenting (): Traditional gender roles in parenting and financial responsibility often create silent resentments, which must be acknowledged and restructured post-divorce.
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Why Rewards and Punishments Fail (): Reward and punishment systems are short-term parenting fixes; leadership by example and fostering intrinsic motivation yield more lasting behavior change in children.
“To be intentionally the kind of leader that you admire when you are being the leader of your children… that takes a little work.”
– Beth Proudfoot
About Beth Proudfoot: Beth Proudfoot is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 35 years of experience, specializing in collaborative divorce coaching, child advocacy, and parent education. As the Executive Director and founder of Child & Family Counseling Group, Inc. in San Jose, she helps families navigate divorce with dignity and respect, focusing on the best outcomes for children. Beth is a trained mediator and collaborative communications coach, passionate about fostering healthy co-parenting relationships. She is also co-author of The Magic of Positive Parenting and a sought-after presenter on positive discipline and effective parenting strategies.
Connect with Beth Proudfoot:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beth.proudfoot1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proudfootbeth/
Connect with Susan:
Website: https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/
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