Welcome to the Being Dad after Divorce Podcast (Episode 1)
Meet your host and find out how this show will help you cope, coparent, and protect your kids through divorce.
Episode 1 of the Being Dad after Divorce Podcast introduces host Jon Peters, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, a clinical social worker with 30 years of experience, a divorced dad himself, and the author of The Coparenting Manifesto and The Quick Guide to Divorce Mediation. In this 16‑minute episode, Jon explains why divorce with children is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through, why traditional couples therapy fails separated parents, and what this podcast will teach you over the coming episodes: how to manage your own state, communicate with a difficult ex, protect your kids from the hostility, and avoid the costly trap of letting the legal system try to fix problems it was never designed to fix.
Listen to Episode 1
Key takeaways from this episode
Divorce with kids is among the most stressful life events a person can experience, comparable to the death of a spouse or a major felony conviction. Your stress is real, not weakness.
The single biggest predictor of how kids fare after divorce isn't the divorce itself. It's sustained hostility between the parents. Protect them from the conflict and most kids do just fine.
The average US divorce costs about $30,000; hostile divorces routinely top $100,000. A lot of that money is spent asking judges to fix things courts can't actually fix.
Traditional couples and family therapy don't work for separated parents. Different rules apply when there's mistrust, anger, and a co‑parenting relationship that has to keep functioning.
Your behaviors lead to outcomes. And your state drives your behaviors. Taking care of yourself (sleep, stress, regulation) is the foundation that everything else is built on.
What works even with a difficult ex: specific communication structures, brain‑state tools, and alternatives to the courtroom that Jon will unpack across the series.
What you'll learn from this podcast
How to manage your own state so you don't undermine yourself in the moments that matter most
Communication structures that work even when your ex is hostile, evasive, or stuck in conflict
How to protect your kids from being caught in the middle of parental conflict
The neuroscience of divorce stress — what's actually happening in your brain and body
Practical alternatives to the courtroom — mediation, collaborative law, and the negotiation skills that save tens of thousands of dollars
About the host
Jon Peters, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, has spent 30 years working with separated parents as a therapist, coparent coach, mediator, and expert witness in divorce hearings. He's delivered live "Cope with Divorce" workshops to roughly 10,000 parents — including teaching the state‑mandated divorce course in Indiana for many years. He's the author of two books for separated parents: The Coparenting Manifesto and The Quick Guide to Divorce Mediation. And he's a divorced dad himself.
Topics covered (with timestamps)
0:00 — Welcome and what this podcast is about
1:17 — Jon's background: 30 years working with separated parents
2:24 — Why divorce is one of the top three most stressful life events
3:23 — Jon's backstory and how he ended up in this work
5:30 — How hostile divorces cost families $100,000+ and why courts can't fix what's really broken
6:33 — The single biggest predictor of whether kids fare well after divorce
8:00 — Why couples therapy and family therapy fail for separated parents
8:46 — The core framework: state → behavior → consequences
10:32 — Practical issues this podcast will tackle in future episodes
13:23 — How to work with Jon 1:1 in the coaching group
Full transcript
A note on the audio: in this early episode, Jon refers to the show as "Fatherhood Forward" — that was an early working title. The show is now and always Being Dad after Divorce.
Related episodes
Episode 5 — This Is Your Brain on Divorce, Part 1 — the neuroscience behind Jon's "state → behavior → consequences" framework
Episode 10 — The Ideal Coparenting Relationship — what good coparenting actually looks like in practice
Episode 12 — Why Divorce Grief Feels So Messy — for dads in the early, overwhelmed stage
Want to talk through your divorce with someone who's been doing this for 30 years?
If anything in this episode resonated, that's exactly the kind of conversation Jon's 1:1 coaching is built for. The first 30 minutes is free — no pitch, just a real conversation about where you are and what you need.
Click the chat on the right side of the screen to book an appointment
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