Out of the Closet, Into the Light: Healing After a Spouse Comes Out

Hosted by Deborah Moskovich and Steve Peck

Featuring Special Guest: Dr. Amity Buxton

In this milestone episode of The Smart Divorce—a forerunner to the Soft Landing Podcast—we courageously step into one of the most unspoken, yet profoundly human chapters in the world of divorce: when a spouse comes out as LGBTQ+ within a heterosexual marriage. Deborah Moskovich and Steve Peck are joined by Dr. Amity Buxton, founder of the Straight Spouse Network and author of The Other Side of the Closet, to illuminate the emotional complexities, deep-seated grief, and powerful healing that follows this life-altering revelation.

This episode is a pivotal achievement in divorce education:

• Explores the silent trauma experienced by straight spouses and their children.
• Reframes the disclosure as a family-wide transformation—not just a personal event.
• Shares the six stages of recovery, offering validation and hope to anyone feeling shattered by the truth.
• Highlights the lived experience of both partners—with empathy, not blame.

This episode is more than education—it's a compassionate call to reimagine how we support one another through the most intimate upheavals. Whether you're navigating a similar path or seeking to understand, this conversation is the beginning of a smarter, more humane approach to separation.

💬 Thanks for Listening

Ken Maynard

Thank you for joining us on the Soft Landing Divorce Podcast, where we believe that separation can be a starting point—not just an end. With the right support, you can navigate this transition with dignity, clarity, and a vision for your future. I’m Ken Maynard, Accredited Family Mediator and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), and founder of Divorce the Smartway. I help separating couples find resolution through constructive dialogue, practical financial planning, and family-first solutions.

• 📞 Phone: (647) 360-3200
• 🌐 Website: divorcethesmartway.ca
• 📧 Email: kmaynard@dtsw.ca

Sarah Bates

I believe every ending can be the beginning of a healthier, more empowered life. I’m Sarah Bates—divorce consultant, educator, and advocate for compassionate separation. If you're navigating separation, co-parenting, or just need guidance on building the right team, I’m here to help.

• 📞 Phone: (647) 493-1800
• 🌐 Website: www.thesmartdivorce.com
• 📧 Email: sarah@thesmartdivorce.com

Let’s build your soft landing—together.

Connect with US: to.softlandingpodcast.ca

Honoring the End, Embracing a New Beginning: Reimagining Divorce Through Ritual and Reflection

Hosted by Deborah Moskovich and Steve Peck
Special Guest: Rabbi Ann Brenner

Episode Theme: Mourning Divorce and Creating Meaningful New Rituals

This milestone episode of The Smart Divorce sets a powerful precedent in the evolution of divorce education—marking a turning point toward a more compassionate, spiritually attuned approach to separation and loss. In what can only be called an “achievement episode,” Deborah Moskovich and Steve Peck welcome the deeply insightful Rabbi Ann Brenner, author of Mourning & Mitzvah: A Guided Journal for Walking the Mourner's Path Through Grief to Healing, to explore how ancient rituals and psychological wisdom can help mourn the end of a marriage.

Key Storylines

• Reframing divorce as an ambiguous loss—one that deserves mourning, witness, and ritual just like a death.
• Introducing healing rituals: cutting a marriage certificate, cleansing with sage, or assembling a personal “court of witnesses.”
• Creating new traditions for holidays and special occasions post-divorce that foster identity, healing, and joy.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode doesn’t just educate—it liberates. It speaks directly to the soul of anyone who has felt unseen in the aftermath of divorce. As a forerunner to The Soft Landing Podcast, it lays the emotional and intellectual groundwork for a more humane, spiritually grounded conversation around life after marriage.

💬 Thanks for Listening

Ken Maynard

Thank you for joining us on the Soft Landing Divorce Podcast, where we believe that separation can be a starting point—not just an end. With the right support, you can navigate this transition with dignity, clarity, and a vision for your future. I’m Ken Maynard, Accredited Family Mediator and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), and founder of Divorce the Smartway. I help separating couples find resolution through constructive dialogue, practical financial planning, and family-first solutions.

• 📞 Phone: (647) 360-3200
• 🌐 Website: divorcethesmartway.ca
• 📧 Email: kmaynard@dtsw.ca

Sarah Bates

I believe every ending can be the beginning of a healthier, more empowered life. I’m Sarah Bates—divorce consultant, educator, and advocate for compassionate separation. If you're navigating separation, co-parenting, or just need guidance on building the right team, I’m here to help.

• 📞 Phone: (647) 493-1800
• 🌐 Website: www.thesmartdivorce.com
• 📧 Email: sarah@thesmartdivorce.com

Let’s build your soft landing—together.

Connect with US: to.softlandingpodcast.ca