Well+Being Holistic Mental Health
Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places
Kimberly Seelbrede, LCSW, is a New York State licensed psychotherapist and women’s emotional health expert whose work weaves together the science of the mind, the biology of the brain, and the art of holistic integrative wellness. With nearly two decades of clinical experience, she helps women in midlife navigate the profound emotional, hormonal, and identity transitions that often surface during perimenopause and menopause. In addition, she works with couples to improve communication, strengthen emotional intimacy, and navigate changes in sexual health, relationship dynamics, and shared life stressors. She works with men who are experiencing personal and professional crises, life transitions, stress, mood changes, or relationship challenges. Her approach blends evidence-based psychotherapy with holistic mind-body interventions, including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing® techniques, mindfulness, and lifestyle medicine — to address the full spectrum of emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Disclaimer: I am a licensed and fully credentialed mental health provider, but I am not a medical doctor. The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical or health-related concerns, including perimenopause, menopause, hormone therapy, or other chronic medical conditions. Reliance on the content on this site is solely at your own risk.
How to Navigate Divorce When Your Ex is Difficult or Your Relationship is High-Conflict
A survival guide for discerning women seeking clarity, protection, and healing in the wake of divorce
In my psychotherapy practice in New York City, I work closely with many high-achieving, emotionally attuned women navigating the complex terrain of divorce—often while parenting, managing demanding careers, and disentangling from high-conflict or narcissistic partners. These are not just women in crisis—they are women awakening. They come seeking more than legal advice; they come for nervous system repair, clarity, boundaries, reality testing, role and identity changes and the space to grieve and rebuild. My role is to support them not just as a therapist, but as a steady, confidential ally who understands the emotional, psychological, and practical toll that divorce takes—especially when children are involved and the relational dynamic has been chronically manipulative or unsafe. Whether we’re addressing trauma responses, co-parenting with a difficult ex, or reclaiming lost parts of the self, this work is deep, nuanced, and sacred.
Divorce is never just about two people. When children are involved—especially in New York City, where pressure, pace, and perfectionism run high—the stakes multiply. Add a difficult or high-conflict partner into the mix, and what should be a legal and emotional separation can feel more like psychological warfare. If you’re navigating this terrain, know this: you are not alone, and there are ways to move through it with strength, strategy, and your sanity intact. Whether you’re disentangling from a partner who gaslights, manipulates, refuses to co-parent, or subtly undermines your every effort to protect your children’s peace—you are in the right place. This guide is for the women I work with every day: smart, resilient, and emotionally attuned mothers in New York who want to shield their children while reclaiming their own voice.
Lessons from my own life experience with divorce
This work is deeply personal to me—not just because of my extensive training in trauma recovery, somatic psychotherapy, and high-conflict family dynamics, but because I’ve lived it. I’ve navigated my own difficult divorce, complete with the emotional exhaustion, identity loss, and the quiet ache of holding everything together for my children while unraveling inside. I know what it’s like to feel both fiercely capable and completely undone.