If you’ve ever had to interact with Child Protective Services (CPS), you know the process can feel confusing, overwhelming, and, let’s be honest, downright terrifying. Whether you’ve made a report, had one made against you, or are just trying to protect your child in the midst of a high-conflict situation, understanding the system is key.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Christine Garcia, LPC, a seasoned therapist and fierce advocate for families, to demystify what actually happens when CPS gets involved. Together, we discuss how the system works (and how it doesn’t), what survivors of domestic violence need to know, and how to best communicate and document when CPS is part of your reality.

We don’t shy away from the hard stuff, like how the system can retraumatize survivors or misunderstand coercive control, but we also offer practical tips for how to protect yourself and your child through the process.

Connect with Christine:

https://cwccolorado.com/

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In this episode, I go on a bit of a rant—and for good reason.

When people in positions of power make sweeping decisions without input from the people most affected, the results are often not just ineffective… they’re harmful.

I share a recent example from my own therapy practice, where state-level Medicaid changes made by HCPF (Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy & Financing) have had huge ripple effects—harming my team’s ability to provide care and hurting the very clients those changes were supposed to help.

And unfortunately, this isn’t a one-off issue. It’s a pattern we see all the time in the family court system.

Survivors of domestic violence are rarely invited to the table when reforms are discussed or policies are implemented. Professionals make assumptions, apply blanket solutions, and often ignore the lived experiences of the people navigating these systems every single day.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why top-down decisions without feedback loops cause damage
• How survivors are continuously silenced and sidelined in court processes
• The emotional toll of fighting systems that claim to help—but don’t listen
• Why true change must include the voices of those impacted

Whether you’ve felt powerless in court, frustrated by the mental health system, or just plain angry at the disconnect between what’s needed and what’s delivered—this one’s for you.

Tune in and share your own story. We need more survivor voices in these conversations.

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Money isn't just about numbers—it's about our stories, our sense of worth, and the messages we've absorbed over time.

In this powerful episode, I'm speaking with a financial therapist (and friend) Khara, Croswaite Brindle, LPC, CFT to explore how our beliefs about money are deeply shaped by our past—especially for survivors of abuse. We talk about how messages from childhood, cultural conditioning, and the experience of financial abuse or control from an ex-partner can distort the way we view ourselves and our financial decisions.

If you've ever felt shame, fear, or confusion around money, or if you've found yourself stuck in scarcity or self-sabotage, tune into this one.

Khara also shares practical tools and mindset shifts you can start using today to challenge negative money beliefs and begin healing your relationship with finances. You’ll learn that financial wellness isn't just about saving or budgeting—it's about reclaiming your autonomy and rewriting the story that money tells about you.

Connect with Khara:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kharacroswaite/
• https://croswaitecounselingpllc.com/financial-therapy
• https://www.instagram.com/kharacroswaite/

References:

• Financial therapist (online directory): https://financialtherapyassociation.org/find-a-financial-therapist/
• Financial Therapy Books List: https://www.riverbendfinancialtherapy.com/resources
• Money Minus Shame Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/money-minus-shame/id1789593271
• Money Healing Club (online community): https://www.moneyhealingclub.com/
• Book (and workbook of financial therapy exercises) Your Enneagram and Money: https://a.co/d/bQGu3oo

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

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If you’ve ever felt like you’re not enough, no matter how hard you try, this episode is for you. In this episode, we explore how trauma and post-separation abuse can wire your brain for shame, self-doubt, and a deep sense of inadequacy.

You’ll learn how those “not good enough” beliefs aren’t your truth - instead you’ll see that they are neural pathways shaped by chronic invalidation, coercion, and fear. And most importantly, you’ll hear ways to begin disrupting that narrative and cultivating a sense of worthiness from within.

In this episode I talk about:

• Why survivors of abuse often carry deep-seated beliefs of inadequacy
• How trauma and repeated invalidation shape your brain’s sense of self
• Small, doable acts of self-trust that begin to rewire that belief
• How to root into your values and start showing up for yourself
• The power of recognizing this belief as part of the trauma, not your identity

You don’t have to be perfect, healed, or strong all the time to be enough. You already are.

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/

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If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a to-do list, knowing what needs to get done but feeling completely stuck… you're not alone.

You know what needs to get done. You even want to do it. But the overwhelm hits like a wave and suddenly the dishwasher, the court papers, the email you need to send—it all feels impossible.

This week’s podcast episode is for those days.

In this episode, I break down how trauma, and especially the ongoing stress of post-separation abuse, disrupts your brain’s executive function.

If you're beating yourself up for not being "productive enough," please give this episode a listen. You’ll walk away with a little more compassion for yourself—and a few tools to make life feel a bit more manageable.

Ep 158: Felt Safety After Trauma: Why You Can’t Heal Without It https://www.buzzsprout.com/1991648/episodes/17419028

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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/

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Your ex says, “They don’t act that way at my house,” and then the GAL or judge deems that you are the worst parent?

If you’re the parent your child melts down with, you might be blamed for being too soft, too emotional, or too permissive. But what if your child is acting this way because they feel safe with you?

We're diving into the misunderstood dynamics of how children behave differently between two homes, especially when one home is rooted in coercive control or emotional unsafety. I’ll explore why your child might appear calm and obedient in one environment but fall apart in another, and why this behavior is often misinterpreted in court or by professionals.

You’ll learn:

• Why “good” behavior doesn’t always mean a child feels safe
• What trauma responses can look like in kids—especially freeze, fawn, or performative behaviors
• Why emotional outbursts may signal trust in the safe parent
• How family court often gets this dynamic wrong, and how to reframe it
• What protective parents can do to validate their own experience and advocate for their child

If you’ve been made to feel like the problem because your child cries, resists transitions, or has big feelings in your care—this episode is for you.

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/

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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/

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