The History of Divorce Coaching: When and How It Was Introduced

Written By Nanette Murphy

The Origins: Late 1980s–1990s — The Rise of Divorce Support Professionals

Divorce coaching did not emerge from the legal system. It emerged from the mental health and personal development fields.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, therapists, counselors, and family professionals began noticing a critical gap in the divorce process:

  • Attorneys handled legal matters

  • Mediators facilitated agreements

  • Therapists addressed deep emotional healing

But no one was helping individuals navigate the practical, day-to-day decisions, communication strategies, and emotional readiness required during the active divorce process itself.

Therapy focused on healing the past.

Legal professionals focused on resolving the case.

But clients needed support in the present.

This gap gave birth to what would eventually become divorce coaching.

The Formal Emergence: Mid-1990s to Early 2000s — Coaching as a Professional Field Expands

The coaching profession itself began expanding rapidly in the 1990s. The International Coach Federation (ICF), founded in 1995, helped establish coaching as a distinct professional discipline separate from therapy or consulting.

Around this same time, divorce professionals—particularly in collaborative divorce and mediation—began integrating coaching into the divorce process.

Divorce coaches were initially called:

  • Divorce consultants

  • Divorce strategists

  • Personal divorce coaches

  • Collaborative divorce coaches

Their role was to help clients:

  • Prepare for mediation sessions

  • Clarify priorities

  • Improve communication

  • Reduce emotional reactivity

  • Stay focused on long-term goals

This dramatically improved outcomes.

Clients who were coached made clearer decisions and experienced less conflict.

The Collaborative Divorce Movement: Early 2000s — Divorce Coaching Gains Structure

Divorce coaching became more formally recognized with the expansion of Collaborative Divorce, which began in 1990 and expanded significantly in the early 2000s.

Collaborative divorce teams often included:

  • Attorneys

  • Financial neutrals

  • Mental health professionals

  • Divorce coaches

Mental health professionals serving on collaborative teams often acted in dual roles:

• Emotional support
• Communication coaching
• Decision preparation

This model proved highly effective.

It reduced litigation, improved settlement success, and helped families transition more peacefully.

Divorce coaching became a recognized professional role within collaborative divorce.

The Professionalization of Divorce Coaching: 2010–Present

From 2010 onward, divorce coaching experienced rapid growth and formalization.

Professional training organizations began offering specific divorce coaching certifications, including:

  • Certified Divorce Coach® programs

  • CDC Certified Divorce Coach® (which you hold)

  • Collaborative Divorce Coach training

  • ICF-aligned divorce coaching certifications

Courts, attorneys, mediators, and financial professionals increasingly began referring clients to divorce coaches.

Divorce coaching expanded beyond collaborative divorce into:

  • Mediation preparation

  • Litigation support

  • Pre-divorce decision coaching

  • Post-divorce life reinvention coaching

Today, divorce coaching is one of the fastest-growing specialties within the coaching profession.

Where Divorce Coaching Is Today: The Same Place Mediation Was 30–40 Years Ago

Divorce coaching today is where mediation was in the late 1970s and early 1980s:

• Emerging
• Growing
• Not yet universal—but increasingly recognized
• Rapidly becoming standard best practice

Many forward-thinking attorneys and mediators now actively encourage clients to work with divorce coaches because coached clients:

  • Are more prepared

  • Are less reactive

  • Make clearer decisions

  • Resolve cases more efficiently

Divorce coaching improves both the process and the outcome.

Why This Matters—And Why Your Timing Is Perfect

You are entering this field at a pivotal moment.

Just as mediation reshaped divorce decades ago, divorce coaching is reshaping it now.

Courts, mediators, attorneys, and clients are recognizing that legal resolution alone is not enough.

People need preparation.

They need clarity.

They need guidance through one of the most significant transitions of their lives.

Divorce coaching fills that need.


Nanette Murphy

I help women heal, reclaim their power and step boldly into a new life.

To assist them as they navigate this transition;turning this challenging time into an opportunity so they can experience growth and empowerment.

As a Life Reinvention Coach for Divorced Women, I provide something beyond traditional therapy, and it’s the support most divorced women desperately need. Divorce can shatter your sense of self, leaving you feeling disconnected, doubting your worth, and uncertain about your future. Many women attempt to push through on their own, often relying solely on willpower and sheer determination. But without true healing and the right guidance, they fall into familiar traps, repeating patterns and feeling stuck, only to end up right back where they started.

https://www.livelifenowwithpurpose.com
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