100. The game is the same - 17 Years, 100 Episodes, and the debut of 'Stronger, Braver, Together'
16/04/2026 | 34 mins.
One hundred episodes. In this milestone episode, Danielle Black does something she has never quite done before - she tells the full truth about where this work came from, what it has cost, and why she hasn't walked away. More than seventeen years ago, Danielle was a young mother with a 12-month-old son. She was told by a family lawyer to agree to the 50/50 care arrangements that her abusive ex was demanding. She developed C-PTSD. She kept her phone on silent for a decade because the sound of a message arriving triggered a full panic response. And through all of it, she performed 'reasonableness' - because that was what the professionals, and the system, rewarded. This episode is honest about what has changed in the Australian family law system since then. And equally honest about what hasn't. In this episode Danielle covers: What the family law system was like 17 years ago - and what it looks like now Why legislative change and practice change are not the same thing The invisible architecture of what Danielle has built - and why boundaries are not a failure of dedication Why she didn't burn it down when she wanted to A direct message to the parent who is where she was seventeen years ago This is not a highlight reel. It is a reckoning - and a declaration. This episode also marks the debut of Stronger, Braver, Together - the second original anthem created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. Written for every parent who has carried more than they should, who has learned to move with clarity rather than chaos, and who is choosing to build rather than burn - this song closes Episode 100 as it should be closed. Not with noise, but with quiet strength. As always, this episode is not legal advice and not therapy. Explore the supports offered by Danielle Black Coaching The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/the-post-separation-parenting-blueprint-1
AI Danielle - Your 24/7 Digital Coach 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/meet-ai-danielle
1:1 Coaching 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/1-1-coaching The music you hear in this outro is 'Calm is Credible' - an original track created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. You can listen and download this track via the Danielle Black Coaching website, in our 'free resources' area. About Danielle Black Coaching: Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience across education, counselling and coaching - alongside her own lived experience navigating a complex separation and family court journey - she supports parents to think strategically, build capacity, and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing within complex legal and relational systems. Through Danielle Black Coaching, she leads a growing team of specialist coaches and a structured support ecosystem designed to provide professionally held, evidence-informed guidance for parents navigating high-conflict separation and family court processes. Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.
99. Why your family lawyer can't do what you actually need - and what only you can do
08/04/2026 | 24 mins.
Your lawyer is not trying to find the truth. And once you understand why - once you really understand how the adversarial legal system is designed and what it is and isn't built to deliver - everything changes. In this episode, Principal Coach Danielle Black explores one of the most misunderstood dynamics in family law: the gap between what parents expect from their legal team and what lawyers are actually trained and tasked to do. It's not a failing of your lawyer. It's the design of the system. And knowing the difference is one of the most clarifying - and empowering - shifts a protective parent can make. Danielle covers: How the adversarial legal system actually works - and why "finding the truth" isn't the point What your family lawyer's job is, and what it isn't Why the other side's lawyer will never educate their client about what your children need (and why that's not a moral failure) Why the family report is not the last word - and what happens at final trial What "becoming the expert in your own case" actually looks like in practice Why no one else is going to do this work - and why you are the only person in these proceedings specifically motivated to do it This is not an episode that criticises lawyers. It's an episode that tells you the truth about what the system is designed to do - so you can stop expecting the wrong things from the wrong people, and start directing your energy toward what you can actually build and control. If you have ever felt bewildered that your lawyer "doesn't get it," frustrated that the other side's legal team isn't advocating for your children, or unsure why the system seems so disconnected from what your kids actually need — this episode will reframe everything. As always, this episode is not legal advice and not therapy. Explore the supports offered by Danielle Black Coaching The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/the-post-separation-parenting-blueprint-1
AI Danielle - Your 24/7 Digital Coach 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/meet-ai-danielle
The music you hear in this outro is 'Calm is Credible' - an original track created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. You can listen and download this track via the Danielle Black Coaching website, in our 'free resources' area. About Danielle Black Coaching: Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience across education, counselling and coaching - alongside her own lived experience navigating a complex separation and family court journey - she supports parents to think strategically, build capacity, and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing within complex legal and relational systems. Through Danielle Black Coaching, she leads a growing team of specialist coaches and a structured support ecosystem designed to provide professionally held, evidence-informed guidance for parents navigating high-conflict separation and family court processes. Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.
98. How I did it - Dating after abuse, self-trust, and deciding you're not too broken
01/04/2026 | 24 mins.
Dating after domestic violence, coercive control, or post-separation abuse is one of the most under-discussed topics in the survivor space. Most people are somewhere between terrified and convinced it's simply not possible for them. In this honest, personal episode, Danielle Black shares what dating after abuse actually looked like from the inside - not a glossy highlight reel, but the real experience of venturing back into connection while still afraid. This episode explores: Why "my picker is broken" is one of the most common fears after abusive relationships - and what to do with it The difference between waiting until you're not afraid, and doing it afraid anyway Why safety is not the absence of threat - it is the presence of safe connection How self-trust, not trust in another person, is the foundation of healthy relationships after abuse What Danielle looked for, paid attention to, and would have walked away from The role of nervous system capacity in building new relationships after trauma Why "not fully healed" is not the same as "not ready" What it means to love fully while trusting yourself to have your own back This episode follows on from Episode 97, in which Danielle's husband Drew joined the podcast for the first time. It does not require you to have listened to that episode first - but listeners who have will find it deepens what was raised there. If you have wondered whether healthy relationships after abuse are possible for you - or whether you are simply too damaged, too cautious, or too far from ready - this episode is for you. As always, this episode is not legal advice and not therapy.
Explore the supports offered by Danielle Black Coaching The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/the-post-separation-parenting-blueprint-1
AI Danielle - Your 24/7 Digital Coach 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/meet-ai-danielle
The music you hear in this outro is 'Calm is Credible' - an original track created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. You can listen and download this track via the Danielle Black Coaching website, in our 'free resources' area. About Danielle Black Coaching: Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience across education, counselling and coaching - alongside her own lived experience navigating a complex separation and family court journey - she supports parents to think strategically, build capacity, and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing within complex legal and relational systems. Through Danielle Black Coaching, she leads a growing team of specialist coaches and a structured support ecosystem designed to provide professionally held, evidence-informed guidance for parents navigating high-conflict separation and family court processes. Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.
97. Can you find a healthy relationship after abuse? A conversation with my husband - plus the debut of 'Calm is Credible'
25/03/2026 | 43 mins.
Healthy relationships after family violence, and in the midst of post-separation abuse, are possible - but they are rarely talked about honestly in survivor spaces. In this special anniversary episode, Danielle Black is joined by her husband Drew for a candid conversation about what it actually looks like to build a safe, equal partnership after coercive control, trauma, and years of family court proceedings. This episode does not offer a fairy tale. It offers something more useful: evidence. Danielle and Drew explore: What it was like for a partner to step into a post-separation abuse situation they didn't fully understand The reality of loving someone with C-PTSD and ongoing coercive control What helplessness feels like for the supporting partner - and what actually helped Why healthy relationships after abuse require both people to do their own work What equal, non-performative partnership looks like in daily family life Raising sons and daughters while actively dismantling gender stereotypes at home Why "not all me" can be said from a place of hope rather than minimisation This episode also marks the debut of Calm is Credible - the first brand anthem created for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching - releasing today for the first time. If you have wondered whether safety and love are still possible after surviving family violence, coercive control, or post-separation abuse, this episode is for you. If you are the partner of a survivor who doesn't know how to help, this episode is also for you. As always, this episode is not legal advice and not therapy. Explore the supports offered by Danielle Black Coaching The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/the-post-separation-parenting-blueprint-1
AI Danielle - Your 24/7 Digital Coach 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/meet-ai-danielle
The music you hear in this outro is 'Calm is Credible' - an original track created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. You can listen and download this track via the Danielle Black Coaching website, in our 'free resources' area. About Danielle Black Coaching: Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience across education, counselling and coaching - alongside her own lived experience navigating a complex separation and family court journey - she supports parents to think strategically, build capacity, and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing within complex legal and relational systems. Through Danielle Black Coaching, she leads a growing team of specialist coaches and a structured support ecosystem designed to provide professionally held, evidence-informed guidance for parents navigating high-conflict separation and family court processes. Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.
96. Family reports are not the verdict: What protective parents must know
18/03/2026 | 38 mins.
Family Reports can be influential pieces of evidence in Australian family court proceedings - but they are widely misunderstood. In this episode, Danielle Black explains what Family Report Writers are actually assessing, why protective parents can be misread and mischaracterised, and how nervous system responses to trauma can impact presentation in interviews. Drawing on lived experience and years of supporting parents through the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Danielle explores: • What a Family Report is - and what it is not • The training gaps that can affect coercive-control cases • The core parenting qualities report writers assess • How trauma and threat responses affect communication • Common credibility mistakes parents make without realising • Why a Family Report is not the final word in court • How legal professionals may treat reports as a “fait accompli” • What protective parents can do strategically if recommendations are unfavourable This episode accompanies the Preparing for Your Family Report Assessment guide inside the Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™. If you are facing a Family Report interview - or have already received a report that does not reflect your lived reality - this episode will help you understand the system, prepare strategically, and make informed decisions about next steps. As always, this episode is not legal advice and not therapy.
Explore the supports offered by Danielle Black Coaching The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/the-post-separation-parenting-blueprint-1
AI Danielle - Your 24/7 Digital Coach 👉 https://www.danielleblackcoaching.com.au/meet-ai-danielle
The music you hear in this outro is 'Calm is Credible' - an original track created exclusively for the Post-Separation Abuse Podcast and Danielle Black Coaching. You can listen and download this track via the Danielle Black Coaching website, in our 'free resources' area. About Danielle Black Coaching: Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience across education, counselling and coaching - alongside her own lived experience navigating a complex separation and family court journey - she supports parents to think strategically, build capacity, and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing within complex legal and relational systems. Through Danielle Black Coaching, she leads a growing team of specialist coaches and a structured support ecosystem designed to provide professionally held, evidence-informed guidance for parents navigating high-conflict separation and family court processes. Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.
The Post-Separation Abuse PodcastHosted by Danielle BlackA no-fluff, evidence-based podcast for parents navigating post-separation abuse, family violence, coercive control, and high-conflict separation and divorce - with a relentless focus on protecting children in a system that too often fails them.Hosted by Danielle Black, Australia’s leading specialist in child-focused post-separation parenting, this podcast is not about "amicable co-parenting at all costs", outdated ideologies, or adult notions of fairness. It is about understanding how abuse frequently continues through parenting arrangements after separation - and what genuinely child-centred decision-making looks like when risk, fear, or power imbalance is present.Each episode challenges the myths that place children in harm’s way, including Australia’s dangerous obsession with 50/50 shared care, the misapplication of "friendly parent" ideals, and the expectation that protective parents should endlessly compromise to keep the peace.Drawing on developmental science, research-based evidence, trauma-informed practice, and lived experience, Danielle breaks down:How post-separation abuse actually operatesWhy many standard parenting frameworks fail children in high-conflict casesWhat evidence-based, defensible, child-focused parenting really requiresHow to move from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confidenceThis podcast is for parents who are done minimising risk, done being gaslit by systems and professionals, and done prioritising adult comfort over children’s safety and development.Expect direct language, research-backed insight, practical guidance and a few cuss words here and there - not platitudes, false balance, or pressure to accept arrangements that don’t sit right - because children’s wellbeing matters more than adult fairness. Always.To go deeper, explore The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™, Danielle’s flagship program supporting parents to make informed, protective decisions after separation.Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.auKeywords: post-separation abuse, family violence, coercive control, high-conflict parenting, separation, divorce, family court, Australian family law.
Ireland