Minimizing the impact of divorce on you and your children…

… magnifying possibilities for your future.

Hi, I’m Melissa,

When I got divorced, I was devastated. Divorce was never supposed to be my story, and it most certainly was not supposed to be my children’s. I refused to accept a shrunken future for any of us. Determined to change the narrative, I immersed myself in learning everything that I could to protect our well-being. I became a certified divorce coach and received my master’s in counseling. For years after my divorce, I lost myself in my studies, and now I’ve made it my life’s work to share this knowledge with you.

As a divorce coach, it’s my mission to equip you with evidence based approaches and the latest research on divorce and coparenting so that you and your children have a smoother transition and settle into a peaceful life post-divorce. You deserve to have dreams that are magnified, rather than minimized, in the wake of a divorce.

If you are anything like me, when I first thought about

divorce I thought of loss…


…but despite what you think divorce does not have to:

  • Destroy your children

  • Impact your mental and physical health

  • Leave you penniless

  • Take a lifetime of recovery

  • Leave your cup empty and depleted

  • Keep you stuck in the past

With the right skills you can:

  • Be the parent your children deserve

  • Build resilience for life to come

  • Minimize lost time; and lost resources to lawyers

  • Communicate effectively with your ex or co-parent

  • Refill your cup and move on to a bigger, brighter future

Chicago Divorce Coach

Why a divorce coach?

You have your lawyer. You have your therapist. Do you really need a divorce coach?

Every year, nearly 700,000 divorces take place, affecting over 1 million children. For these children, divorce is an adverse childhood event, with potential for long-term impact on a child’s physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, our legal system is adversarial in nature, magnifying conflict, rather than shrinking it. The American Bar Association recognized the need for specialized support and formally acknowledged divorce coaching as a form of alternate dispute resolution in 2013.

Why Therapy Alone Isn’t Always Enough

Mental health professionals play a crucial role in divorce, offering emotional support and helping you process grief, anger, and anxiety. But therapy alone may not provide the targeted, solution-focused guidance needed to navigate the practical challenges of divorce. Many clients find that therapy starts strong but eventually turns into a venting session without forward momentum. Divorce coaching ensures you stay on track, focused, and equipped with actionable steps.

Why Your Lawyer Isn’t Your Coach

Your lawyer is sharp and strategic, ready to fight for your best outcome. But at hundreds an hour, it is not an effective use of resources to lean on your lawyer for emotional support. Legal strategy is their expertise. A divorce coach bridges the gap between therapy and legal counsel, helping you:

  • Make informed, level-headed decisions (not ones driven by emotion)

  • Communicate effectively with your ex, your lawyer, and your children

  • Stay organized, prepared, and confident throughout the process

  • Reduce stress, save money, and avoid common mistakes

  • Build a future that feels bigger, not smaller, after divorce

Divorce is more than a legal split—it’s a life transition. Having a coach by your side ensures you don’t just survive it, but come out stronger with magnified possibilities for your future.

Curious how divorce coaching can support you? Let’s connect.

Services

Customizable divorce coaching packages depending on where you are in the process. Read more below.

  • "You won’t regret it! It really is invaluable to have someone walk next to you that has been there before. Divorce and co-parenting are whole different worlds and it is great to get guidance from someone living the same reality as you. The questions and situations that come up during divorce are unique to someone that has been through it before. You aren’t going to get the same support from friends and family."

    — ELLEN S.

  • "I am very pleased with the services provided by Melissa Kalil Coaching. Melissa asks very thought provoking questions to help me and also provides tools and practice exercises to help me navigate through everyday life scenarios. I would recommend Melissa to anyone!"

    — ANDY K.

  • "Melissa’s approach was so helpful for me. She allowed a teeny bit of complaining, and was compassionate but also firm. She really cut through the fog to help me see the reality of my failed marriage and get over my insane longing for something that didn’t ever even exist... Melissa was crucial in regaining myself and looking toward a rich future instead of an empty past."

    — CARRIE C.

Read More Testimonials
Co Parenting Coach Near Me, Certified Divorce Financial Advisor, Life Coach Divorce, Certified Divorce Financial Planner Near Me, Divorce Recovery Coach, High Conflict Divorce Coach Near Me, Certified Divorce Coach Near Me

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Divorce coaching is suitable for any stage of the process. Once you have decided to pursue a separation or divorce, you should engage a coach to help with all the non-legal aspects of the process. On the other hand, your divorce may be ancient history but you may still feel stuck in anger and negativity. A divorce coach can help you heal more expediently, design a life of your dreams and finally move on.

  • Absolutely, if you are a human that wants to function at your optimal during divorce and magnify your life beyond, then you are suitable for coaching.

  • Coaching helps you function at your optimal as you move from A to B. We are not going to waffle for hours, we are going to set goals, outline objectives and match them with coaching interventions. While Shrinking Divorce is your thought partner throughout the process, we do not recommend you fire your therapist. For one, the two are complementary to each other, but most importantly, coaches cannot diagnose or manage mental health conditions or concerns.

  • A coach can help you get organized, provide education and practical advice, but a coach cannot provide legal strategy or advice. Coaches stay in their lane by covering these key areas: mindset, organization and goal setting. A good coach can significantly reduce your legal fees by helping you make decisions based on facts and not emotions.