Confessions of a Freebird - Midlife, Divorce, Heal, and Date Differently with Somatic Experiencing, Empty Nest, Well-Being, Happiness
Are you somewhere in the middle of your life wondering — is this all there is?
Maybe you've spent decades putting everyone else first. Maybe you're navigating divorce, empty nesting, loss, or the quiet ache of a life that no longer fits. Maybe you're ready for something more — you are stuck and don't know how to get there yet.
This is "the" podcast for "that".
Confessions of a Freebird is a space for people in midlife who are done surviving and ready to live again. Three times a month, host Laurie James — author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, certified somatic practitioner, coach, mother of four, divorcée, and recovering caregiver — brings you honest conversations and embodied tools for the journey back to yourself.
Expect raw personal reflections, expert conversations, and somatic coaching strategies covering everything from divorce strategies, grief, trauma healing, and anger to sex, dating again, finances, caregiving, and reinvention. Because the people who need this podcast aren't looking for toxic positivity — they're looking for someone who gets it.
Every episode is an invitation to stop managing and start feeling. To stop performing fine and start living freely. To come home to yourself through attuning to the body — and design a life that fits who you actually are now, not who you were twenty years ago or who someone else told you to be.
Whether you're in the thick of the sandwich generation, starting over after loss or divorce, or quietly dreaming of your next chapter — you're in the right place.
Confessions of a Freebird. Your midlife permission slip to evolve, heal, and fall in love with your life all over again.
Because the most important relationship you'll ever have is the one you have with yourself.
XO,
Laurie
Connect with me:
My Free "Beginner's Guide to Somatic Healing"
https://laurieejames.myflodesk.com/bgtsh
Purchase my book, Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, https://www.laurieejames.com/book
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Confessions of a Freebird - Midlife, Divorce, Heal, and Date Differently with Somatic Experiencing, Empty Nest, Well-Being, Happiness
Dating After Divorce: 9 Green Flags to Help You Find a Healthier Partner
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What if the anxiety you feel about dating again isn't a sign you weren't meant to date, but an invitation to understand yourself more deeply?
Like many women over 50, you've built a successful career or raised and launched your children, done the therapy, read the self-help books, and created a meaningful life after divorce — and you still question your intuition when someone new shows up. You don't want to be alone, but you keep attracting the wrong guys and repeating the same relationship patterns.
Dating after divorce isn't just about finding someone you're attracted to. It's about learning to recognize relationship compatibility, understanding the difference between chemistry and emotional safety, and knowing whether your body is responding to a real red flag or an old attachment wound asking for attention. That's why nervous system regulation and self-awareness matter just as much as finding the right partner.
As a certified somatic experiencing practitioner and coach, and someone who's spent the last eight years navigating dating relationships myself, I'm sharing the lessons that changed what I look for in a partner — the qualities that helped me move beyond chemistry toward a relationship built on honesty, growth, and genuine connection.
In this episode, I’ll share:
- The 9 green flags not everyone is talking about
- What a healthy relationship is actually built on outside of attraction and chemistry
- How to tell the difference between a warning sign and an attachment wound that needs healing
- Why financial alignment, shared values, and emotional maturity matter more in midlife than most people realize
- What relationship green flags look like once early-dating excitement settles
- Why secure attachment isn't about finding the perfect partner — it's learning to create safety within yourself and with someone else
- Why conflict repair is the #1 predictor of long-term compatibility
- How laughter, generosity, and accountability build deeper intimacy
- How honest conversations about your past, fears, and intimacy strengthen connection instead of creating distance
Finding love in midlife isn't about getting lucky. It's about getting clear on what truly matters, trusting yourself enough to wait for it, and choosing someone who makes you feel loved.
Much love and freedom,
Laurie
Click here to purchase my “Nervous System Regulation Starter Kit” it’s $29.99
Click here to purchase my book: Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go
Free Resources
Click here to schedule a FREE inquiry call with me.
Click here for my FREE “Beginner’s Guide to Somatic Healing”
Click here for my FREE “Girlfriends Guide to Online Dating”
Click here for my FREE Core Values Exercise
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
- Click here to join me on Insight Timer for somatic healing practices and guided meditations.
- Somatic Touch Sessions - Click here to book an inquiry call if you’re in Los Angeles.
- OKCupid Article
Connect with me:
Episodes Mentioned
- Dating in Midlife Series -
- Other Dating Podcasts
- Financial Alignment - How to Build Financial Security and Confidence with Jennifer Lee
- Intimacy in Midlife - How Safe Hormone Therapy and Vaginal Health Can Close The Bedroom Gap with Dr. Maria Sophocles
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DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL, MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED THERAPIST IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY MEDICAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.