227: Rewriting the Divorce Narrative: Oona Metz on Emotional Healing and Personal Growth

In this episode, I speak with Oona Metz, a licensed independent clinical social worker and certified group psychotherapist, about the complex emotional landscape of redefining life after marriage. As the author of the newly released book Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, Oona opens up about the personal challenges and clinical insights that shaped her philosophy on the emotional journey of divorce. Oona shares insights into how she redefined support for women, starting weekly divorce support groups over 15 years ago after navigating her own divorce. Our conversation explores the process of questioning societal expectations around endings, the importance of acknowledging conflicting emotions, and how staying in an unhappy marriage impacts children just as much as navigating a divorce. We delve into actionable practices for living authentically through Oona's five phases of divorce recovery: heartbreak, the rollercoaster, mending, letting go, and moving on. Oona emphasizes the importance of processing grief to reach true transformation, inspiring others to rewrite the Mother Code by returning to their own identity, wants, and needs. You'll also hear about: • (00:01:29) Oona's background as a therapist and the founding of her weekly divorce support groups. • (00:04:04) The catalyst for writing Unhitched to provide an emotional guide for women. • (00:10:13) Exploring how disruptive, chaotic times offer incredible opportunities for growth and healing. • (00:12:02) The five phases of divorce recovery: heartbreak, the rollercoaster, mending, letting go, and moving on. • (00:16:27) Navigating the nuance of holding seemingly opposite feelings simultaneously. • (00:33:00) The impact of an unhappy marriage versus divorce on children and how to communicate effectively. • (00:37:16) Oona's reflections on rewriting the Mother Code by prioritizing one's own identity and needs. Don't miss Oona's inspiring perspective on finding alignment between processing grief and creating a joyful new beginning! Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Learn more about Oona Metz • Learn more on Oona's Website (https://www.oonametz.com/) • Buy her book Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women (https://www.amazon.com/Unhitched-Esse...) Follow Dr. Gertrude: • Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website (https://www.drgertrudelyons.com/) • Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram (  / drgertrudelyons  ) • Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s Substack (https://substack.com/@drgertrudelyons) • Order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code (https://www.drgertrudelyons.com/book-...) ”