Your nEXt Chapter with Dr. Nicole | Healing From Divorce and Traumatic Life Transitions

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When betrayal shatters the life you thought you would have, faith can become the one thing that reminds you your story isn't over.

In this solo episode of Your Next Chapter, I share the seven spiritual practices that carried me through emotional abuse, betrayal, divorce, and rebuilding my life after a 28-year marriage. When everything I knew changed, my faith became an anchor that helped me find peace, strength, and hope again. 

Sometimes healing begins with the small things we return to every day. And even when l...

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What if the thing that interrupted your plans was actually the thing making room for a life you would have never chosen for yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kiarra King, an OB-GYN who experienced an unexpected career disruption at 39 weeks pregnant. What began as losing her job became the space she needed to rethink how she wanted to work, live, and use her skills.

We talk about trusting God when the future makes no sense, realizing that the skills we built in one...

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The hardest decision isn't about what it will cost to leave. It's about what it is already costing you to stay. 

In this solo episode, I talk about the hidden costs of staying in situations that no longer serve us, whether it’s a marriage, relationship, job, friendship, or even a version of ourselves. Drawing from my own experience after ending a 28-year marriage, I share how looking at something as an asset or a liability can help us see what it is truly costing us.

This epi...

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Sometimes, you can spend so much of your life being there for everyone else that you forget what it feels like to be fully present with yourself.

In this episode, I sit down with Bri Clay, a Board-certified sexologist and certified sensual shadow work practitioner, for a conversation about reconnecting with the parts of ourselves we may have quieted, neglected, or lost along the way. We talk about what happens when we begin to question the messages we have carried about our bodies, our desires, and what we are allowed to...

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Dating after divorce is not just about finding someone new. It is also about learning not to lose yourself again. 

In this solo episode, I share five things I have learned from dating after divorce and what this season has taught me about myself. From recognizing inconsistency and trusting my instincts to doing my due diligence and becoming unapologetic about my needs and boundaries, I reflect on what it means to date with greater clarity and intention.

Together, we explore what it means to stop giving endless chances, believe p...

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Grief isn't something you simply get over. It's something you learn to carry while making room for love, healing, and the parts of yourself you may have lost along the way.

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Shanda McManus, physician and author of Brother Epistles, to talk about grief, loss, and what happens when we don't give ourselves permission to feel. She shares the deeply personal story of losing her brother, Monir, and how years of suppressed grief eventually led her to face her pain and reconnect with her...

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Living on autopilot can make it easy to keep moving forward without stopping to ask if you're still headed in the right direction. 

In this episode, I reflect on the years I spent on autopilot in my 28-year marriage and in my 17-year medical career, and how easy it is to keep moving forward because you're busy, comfortable, responsible, or simply used to the way things are. I share what it looked like for me to finally slow down, pay attention, and recognize that the plans I had made years ago d...

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Rebuilding isn't about going back to who you were. It's about discovering who you are becoming and having the courage to imagine what's possible next.

In this episode, I sat down with Hillary Livingston Giddings and Bethany Pace, co-creators of Sincerely Divorced, a global support community dedicated to breaking the stigma and isolation that often follows divorce. They share how their own experiences with divorce led them to build a community rooted in connection, vulnerability, and hope.

Together, we explore what it means to reframe divorce, let go of...

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Staying in an unhealthy relationship is not always as simple as knowing you should leave.

In this episode, Dr. Nicole shares why she stayed in an emotionally abusive and toxic marriage for almost 30 years. We explore the reasons that can keep women in these relationships, including hoping things will change, feeling responsible for fixing or saving their partner, unhealthy attachment, trauma bonding, religion, finances, children, and not recognizing the abuse for what it is.

Together, we look at how these patterns can become normalized over time and why even...

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Receiving can be just as difficult as giving, especially when you've spent years believing you have to earn everything people give you.

In this episode, I share why so many high-achieving women struggle to accept help, compliments, generosity, and support without feeling the need to repay it. We explore how worthiness, childhood conditioning, fear, and scarcity can shape the way we receive, along with practical ways to begin responding differently.

Together, we talk about letting go of the need to constantly reciprocate, building your "receiving muscle," and learning to...

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Life can change in an instant, and sometimes you're left rebuilding from the ground up without the chance to prepare. 

In this episode, I sat down with Susan Brown, speaker, author, and founder of Women Who Rise. Susan shares how she rebuilt her life after the sudden end of her 25-year marriage and why resilience grows through faith, resourcefulness, and the willingness to start again.

Together, we explore how to stop focusing on what you've lost, recognize what you already have, and take practical steps toward rebuilding with confidence a...

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After the paperwork is signed and the hardest days begin to pass, many women expect life to automatically feel better. But for many, that's when a different question begins to surface: "Now what?"

In this episode, I sat down with Danielle Boucree, a licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert, and founder of Hope Station and the Hope Coaching Collective. Danielle shares how women can move from feeling stuck after divorce to rebuilding a life that feels meaningful and true to who they are.

Together, we explore why it's easy to get...

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Many women leave a difficult marriage determined never to depend on anyone again. After carrying so much on their own, receiving support can feel harder than providing it.

In this week’s conversation, I sat down with D'Ionna Washington, relationship coach, founder of Love Coverage, and creator of the "Kept Wife" movement. After experiencing divorce herself, D'Ionna now helps women rethink what healthy partnership, provision, and remarriage can look like.

Together, we explore the beliefs many women carry about independence, trust, and marriage after divorce. D'Ionna shares why perspective ma...

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Loneliness is more common than many of us realize, especially during seasons of divorce, grief, caregiving, illness, and other major life transitions. 

In this week’s solo episode, I talk about the growing epidemic of loneliness and the ways high-achieving women often unintentionally isolate themselves. Drawing from my own experiences, I share how pride, perfectionism, and the belief that we have to handle everything on our own can keep us from receiving the support we need.

Together, we explore the importance of community, the risks of doing life alone, and...

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"Dating after divorce can feel complicated, especially when you're trying to figure out who you are outside of the marriage you once thought would last forever."

In this week’s solo episode, I share five things I believe are worth considering before stepping back into the dating world after divorce. Drawing from my own experience, I talk about the importance of healing before seeking a new relationship, understanding the real reasons you want to date, and learning how to enjoy your own company first.

Together, we explore how therapy, co...

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"When a major chapter of life comes to an end, the hardest part is often figuring out who you are on the other side of it."

In this week’s conversation, I sat down with Olivia Howell, co-founder of Fresh Starts Registry, to talk about divorce, rebuilding, and navigating an unexpected life transition. Olivia shares how her own divorce inspired her and her sister to create a resource that helps people access support, community, and practical tools as they begin again. Together, we discuss the challenges that come with starting over, th...

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“Life does not always unfold according to our plans, but that does not mean we are headed in the wrong direction.”

In this week’s conversation, I sat down with Dr. Sherita Gaskins-Tillett to talk about expectations, reinvention, and the unexpected turns that often shape our lives. Dr. Sherita shares her journey of building a successful medical career and becoming a wife and mother later than expected, only to realize that success alone was not enough to create a fulfilling life.  Together, we explore the gap between expectations and reality, the courage...

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“One of the hardest parts of healing is continuing to believe that better days are still possible while you are living through the heavy ones.”

In this week’s solo episode, I share an honest conversation about trials, heartbreak, and the seasons that can leave you feeling exhausted and ready to give up. Reflecting on my own journey through divorce, grief, disappointment, and rebuilding, I talk about what it looked like to keep going even when the future felt uncertain and the pain felt overwhelming. This episode is for anyone carrying heavy...

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“Sometimes the most healing moments come from simply being seen and met with care in your most vulnerable state.” 

In this week’s solo episode, I share a personal story about infidelity, healing, and the compassion that met me during one of the hardest seasons of my life. After discovering my husband’s serial infidelity and filing for divorce, a vulnerable moment in a doctor’s office became a reminder of the power of empathy, care, and being truly seen. This episode reflects on how compassion can shape healing and how painful cha...

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In this week’s conversation, Dr. Nicole sits down with dating and relationship expert Bela Gandhi to unpack the realities of dating in midlife and after divorce. From unlearning fairy tale narratives to confronting the beliefs that keep women stuck, this discussion challenges the idea that love is something you wait for instead of something you intentionally choose.

Together, they explore how mindset shapes relationship outcomes, why familiar patterns often lead to unhealthy choices, and what it really takes to break cycles and choose differently. This conversation offers clarity on redefining st...

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In this week’s conversation, Dr. Nicole sits down with physician, coach, and communication expert Dr. Maiysha Clairborne to unpack the emotional and practical realities of co-parenting after divorce and separation. Dr. Maiysha shares her journey of becoming a single mother and how acceptance became a key turning point after separation.

Together, they explore moving through disappointment, redefining expectations, and choosing cooperation over conflict for the sake of a child’s well-being. This conversation offers guidance for communicating with intention, releasing control, and showing up with clarity in co-parenting.

So...