Divorce Dialogues
Divorce Dialogues
Katherine Miller
How To Set Boundaries With A High Conflict Ex | Deborah Wilder
27 minutes Posted Oct 1, 2026 at 9:00 am.
What if the same advice that helps most couples divorce well is exactly what keeps you stuck with a difficult one?In this episode, Dr. Deborah Wilder, a licensed psychologist, divorce mediator, and Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician at the Center for Therapy and Mediation, breaks down how emotional abuse and coercive control change the rules of divorce, and how to tell the difference between a hard marriage and a harmful one.Deborah walks through the warning signs your body picks up before your mind does, why compromise can backfire with a high-conflict ex, and a simple communication tool to protect your energy without escalating the fight.In this episode, you'll learn:How to tell the difference between normal conflict and coercive control;Why gaslighting makes you question your own reality;The BIFF method for communicating with a difficult ex; andHow to protect your kids without disparaging the other parentHighlights:
Meet Dr. Deborah Wilder
What Actually Defines A High-Conflict Divorce
The Body's Early Warning Signs Of Abuse
Why Gaslighting Works
Common Traits Of A Narcissistic Partner
Isolation, Financial Abuse, And Control Tactics
Why It's Never Personal
The BIFF Method For Boundaried Communication
Protecting Kids From Being Used As Pawns
Meet Dr. Deborah Wilder
What Actually Defines A High-Conflict Divorce
The Body's Early Warning Signs Of Abuse
Why Gaslighting Works
Common Traits Of A Narcissistic Partner
Isolation, Financial Abuse, And Control Tactics
Why It's Never Personal
The BIFF Method For Boundaried Communication
Protecting Kids From Being Used As Pawns
Redefining What Divorcing With Dignity Means
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What if the same advice that helps most couples divorce well is exactly what keeps you stuck with a difficult one?In this episode, Dr. Deborah Wilder, a licensed psychologist, divorce mediator, and Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician at the Center for Therapy and Mediation, breaks down how emotional abuse and coercive control change the rules of divorce, and how to tell the difference between a hard marriage and a harmful one.Deborah walks through the warning signs your body picks up before your mind does, why compromise can backfire with a high-conflict ex, and a simple communication tool to protect your energy without escalating the fight.In this episode, you'll learn:How to tell the difference between normal conflict and coercive control;Why gaslighting makes you question your own reality;The BIFF method for communicating with a difficult ex; andHow to protect your kids without disparaging the other parentHighlights:(00:00) Meet Dr. Deborah Wilder(03:19) What Actually Defines A High-Conflict Divorce(07:43) The Body's Early Warning Signs Of Abuse(08:37) Why Gaslighting Works(11:09) Common Traits Of A Narcissistic Partner(13:55) Isolation, Financial Abuse, And Control Tactics(15:58) Why It's Never Personal(18:42) The BIFF Method For Boundaried Communication(22:06) Protecting Kids From Being Used As Pawns(25:07) Redefining What Divorcing With Dignity MeansAbout our guest, Dr. Deborah WilderLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-s-wilder-ph-d-5a016033/Center for Therapy and Mediation: https://www.drdeborahwilder.com/About Divorce Dialogues and Miller Law GroupKatherine’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemiller1/ Miller Law Group: https://miller-law.com/More on her book “The Emotionally Savvy Divorce” at: https://katherinemiller.com/book/Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: shareyourgenius.com