Busting the Top 5 Myths of Domestic Abuse with Amy Polacko on The Divorce and Beyond Podcast #317

The Divorce and Beyond® Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq.

Amy Polacko, Divorce and Empowerment Coach and Investigative Journalist returns to The Divorce & Beyond podcast with Susan Guthrie. Amy is here to help bust the top five myths of domestic abuse. The myths being busted are prominent and often repeated time and again. We must raise awareness so we don’t perpetuate these myths and continue to cause incredible harm.

Amy Polacko is committed to helping women live on their terms during/after a toxic relationship or divorce. As a divorced single mom, she is passionate about coaching women one-on-one and founded the empowerment group Strong Savvy Women to support, inspire, and guide single women. She is also an award-winning journalist highlighting women's issues, including divorce, domestic abuse, coercive control, and singlehood.

Myth Busting and Golden Nuggets includ

• Myth #1: “The Hysterical Woman.” Labeling women as "hysterical" diminishes their experiences and allows the cycle of abuse to continue.
• Myth #2: “Why didn’t she just leave?” One reason: You need to have a safe exit plan, which takes time and planning.
• Myth #3: If there isn’t physical violence, it’s not really abuse. The more we tell stories of domestic abuse, the more aware we can become.
• Myth #4: “It only happens in poor families.” Domestic abuse doesn't discriminate and affects people across all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Myth #5: “What happens in someone’s home is a private matter.” Domestic abuse isn't a private issue; it has societal repercussions.
• What you can do to help break the cycle of abuse and raise awareness.

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About this week's special guest: Amy Polacko

Amy Polacko is a Freedom Warrior - and is committed to helping women live life on their own terms during/after a toxic relationship or divorce. As a divorced single mom, she is passionate about coaching women one-on-one and founded the empowerment group Strong Savvy Women to provide support, inspiration, and guidance to single women. Amy is also an award-winning journalist who sheds light on women's issues including divorce, domestic abuse, coercive control, and singlehood.

Her recent journalistic work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek, NBC News THINK, and Ms. Magazine. After graduating from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Amy worked as a newspaper reporter for Newsday and was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team covering the TWA Flight 800 crash. She then transitioned to television journalism, working as a writer and producer in New York City. Amy was an award-winning on-air reporter in Fargo, ND, where she traveled to Kosovo for a series on the North Dakota National Guard, and in Philadelphia, where she covered the national D.C. Sniper story. She also headed up an investigative reporting unit in Albany, NY, where she uncovered consumer scams, crime, and government corruption as part of her I-Team Investigations -- one of which exposed a loophole in the state's sex offender registry.

Amy has spoken publicly on women's issues, empowerment and entrepreneurship at Yale University, the Women's Forum in Ridgefield, CT, the Women's Center of Greater Danbury, CT, the Hayvn co-working space for women, the Believe Inspire Grow national empowerment organization for women, and many other groups both virtually and in person.

Website: www.freedomwarrior.info

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomwarriortribe/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedomwarriortribe/

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Episodes and Resources mentioned in this episode:

Get Wise to the Tricks and Traps of Toxic People: Avoiding Narcissists and Sociopaths in Your Life with Former Investigative Journalist and Divorce Coach, Amy Polacko

Special Bonus Episode EMPOWERED: How a New Family Court Law is (and isn’t) Helping Some Victims of IPV with Amy Polacko

Amy’s article: ‘Hysterical’ Women Out for Revenge: Family Court’s Misogynistic Tropes Traumatize Women and Children

Amy’s published Ms. articles
Joan Meier Study: Child Custody Outcomes in Cases Involving Parental Alienation and Abuse Allegations

National Safe Parents Organization

Domestic Abuse Hotline or 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

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THE DIVORCE COALITION

The Divorce Coalition promotes awareness of both domestic violence and domestic violence recovery. We are here to inspire healing and change. We are the voice of many. The Divorce Coalition comprises all your favorite podcasters, bloggers, influencers, and more. We joined together to raise awareness and provide information and resources to fight the epidemic of domestic abuse in our world.

Founded by Beverly Price of Her Empowered Divorce, Kate Anthony of the Divorce Survival Guide, and Susan Guthrie of Divorce & Beyond. We have gathered together our friends and colleagues to amplify our voices to reach as many people as possible.

Visit the coalition webpage at www.divorcecoalition.com to find resources, including the many podcast episodes and blog articles that are on the topic from all our members, as well as many other ways to help donate and find assistance. Together, we can make a difference, and we can let domestic violence survivors know that they are not alone.

Visit the website at www. DivorceCoalition.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @divorcecoalitionpage

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HER EMPOWERED DIVORCE

Have you discovered the "Her Empowered Divorce podcast" with Beverly Price yet? With over 30 years as a leading women’s divorce and empowerment coach, Beverly is the empowering divorce coach who guides women on their journey before, during and after divorce to eliminate pain, overwhelm, and anger, make fewer mistakes and create more knowledge, skill and happiness than she experienced herself. She interviews industry leading guests who bring helpful insights and actionable tips to help you through the challenging times of your divorce. No matter where you are in this journey, "Her Empowered Divorce" is here for you. Listen to the fascinating episodes of "Her Empowered Divorce" at https://www.herempowereddivorce.com and be empowered!🌟

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MEET OUR CREATOR AND HOST:

SUSAN GUTHRIE®, ESQ., the creator and host of The Divorce and Beyond® Podcast, is nationally recognized as one of the top family law and divorce mediation attorneys in the country. Susan is the Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and is a sought-after keynote speaker, business and practice consultant, coach and trainer. You can find out more about Susan and her services here: https://neon.page/susanguthrie

Internationally renowned as one of the leading experts in online mediation, Susan created her Learn to Mediate Online® program and has trained more than 25,000 professionals in how to transition their practice online. Susan recently partnered with legal and mediation legend, Forrest "Woody" Mosten to create the Mosten Guthrie Academy which provides gold-standard, fully online training for mediation and collaborative professionals at all stages of their careers.

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