Episode Details

A broken heart doesn’t just ache—it disorients. It changes how you sleep, how you think, how you trust yourself, and how you imagine the future. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell sits down with therapist and divorce recovery expert Oona Metz to talk about what heartbreak really looks like during and after divorce—and how healing actually happens. With nearly 30 years as a licensed therapist and more than 15 years leading women through divorce support groups, Oona brings rare clarity to an experience many people feel but struggle to name.

Oona explains why heartbreak after divorce isn’t just emotional pain—it’s a full nervous system response shaped by loss, identity disruption, and often emotional neglect or emotional abuse. Drawing from her clinical work and client stories, she describes how grief and relief can coexist, why healing rarely moves in a straight line, and why so many people feel “stuck” long after the paperwork is done. Together, Olivia and Oona unpack the hidden layers of divorce recovery: the quiet shame, the fear of trusting again, and the moment when people realize they’re not broken—they’re grieving a life they thought they’d have.

This episode offers both comfort and direction. Listeners will walk away with mindset shifts—like understanding that healing a broken heart doesn’t require closure from an ex—and practical takeaways, including why community support matters, how boundaries protect emotional healing (especially when co-parenting), and what actually helps rebuild emotional resilience. Oona also shares how these insights shaped her forthcoming book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, which centers the emotional journey of divorce from heartbreak to renewal. If you’re navigating divorce recovery, single mom life, or starting over after a painful ending, this conversation is a reminder: heartbreak is survivable—and healing is possible.

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