Divorce Coaches Academy
Divorce Coaches Academy podcast hosts Tracy Callahan and Debra Doak are on a mission to revolutionize the way families navigate divorce. We discuss topics to help professional divorce coaches succeed with clients and meet their business goals and we advocate (loudly sometimes) for the critical role certified divorce coaches play in the alternative dispute resolution process. Our goal is to create a community of divorce coaching professionals committed to reducing the financial and emotional impact of divorce on families.
Divorce Coaches Academy
Roadmap To A Sustainable ADR Divorce Coaching Practice
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Wondering if a sustainable divorce coaching practice is really possible—or how to build one without burning out or getting lost in theory? We sit down with DCA-certified coach Lyerly Spongberg to unpack the exact steps she took to turn rigorous ADR training, mentor feedback, and a growth mindset into steady client results and a business with clear momentum.
We start with the decision point: moving from life coaching to a dispute resolution lens that gives clients structure, calms chaos, and prepares them for mediation and attorney meetings. Lyerly shares how she internalized DCA frameworks, leaned into mentor coaching, and used tools like strategic empathy, EAR statements, BIF responses, and nonviolent communication to help clients communicate clearly and avoid escalation. A memorable client story shows how planning the divorce conversation—when, where, and how—can transform years of hesitation into a grounded, empowered step forward.
Then we zoom out to the practice model. Lyerly explains the business choices that created traction: SMART goals, consistent educational content, intentional networking, and advanced training in high conflict, co-parenting, and trauma-informed coercive control. We talk about pre-mediation coaching as a game-changer for better outcomes, collaboration with legal and mediation professionals, and how these learnable skills carry into co-parenting and future relationships. Finally, we explore scalable offerings—downloadable guides, professional talks, local hubs, and group coaching—that meet clients where they are and build sustainable visibility.
If you’re building or refining a divorce coaching practice, you’ll leave with a roadmap you can use: anchor your work in ADR, practice until the tools become second nature, design services that fit your strengths, and measure success by calmer conversations and healthier outcomes for families. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs this, and leave a review with the one ADR tool you want to master next.
About Lyerly:
Lyerly Spongberg is a DCA Certified ADR Divorce Coach, Certified DCA Pre-Mediation Coach, Co-Parenting Specialist, and Trauma-Informed Coercive Control Coach. She works nationally with clients navigating divorce to calm chaos, reduce overwhelm, and improve outcomes—ultimately saving them time, money, and emotional energy throughout the process.
In addition to her professional training, Lyerly brings a unique depth of lived experience. After navigating her own high-conflict divorce in her 30s, she later married a widower with four children—and for nearly two decades has raised a blended family of six.
Through her coaching practice, Step Up With Lyerly, she supports clients at every stage of the divorce process—from early decision-making through post-divorce restructuring—with a focus on clarity, stability, and child-centered strategies. Lyerly lives in CT with her husband and their two rescue dogs, Ruby and Daisy.
Where to connect with Lyerly:
Website - https://stepupwithlyerly.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stepup_withlyerly
Email:
Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:
Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.com
Instagram: @divorcecoachesacademy
LinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academy
Email: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com