Entrepreneur Justin Milrad has published a new book about finding your voice after divorce. The book serves as a manual for turning one of life’s most challenging transitions into an opportunity for transformation.
Milrad said his exhausting, expensive divorce that led to an eight day jury trial was not healthy. “In hindsight – my ex and I talk about this – it got out of control, and there were too many influences that helped drive it to that point. And it never had to,” said Milrad.
Milrad is passionate about mental health and wellness. He’s the co-founder of The Berman Center, a treatment center for mental health and substance abuse, and co-founder of The Blue Dove Foundation, a mental health education and awareness organization. Born in Toronto, he has lived in Atlanta for the past 20 years.
After his own divorce, Milrad became a certified divorce coach, which he described as a thought partner who helps people understand the process. A divorce coach helps to build a team of professionals to move through divorce as quickly as possible.
In his experience, it takes people about five years to emotionally recover from divorce without a coach.
He decided to write a book out of the lessons he learned and encouragement from his clients. “I believe there’s a better way to do divorce,” he said.
“You 2.0: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself After Divorce” covers mindset, strategy, co-parenting, personal growth, communication, division of assets and more.
A coordinating workbook with a week-by-week plan of detailed worksheets and exercises for self-reflection is set to be published in August, inspired some of Milrad’s hundreds of clients who wanted prompts to help with the divorce process. Both the book and workbook are available online.
“A big part of having a successful divorce is doing the work on yourself, being self reflective, being honest. The most exciting part is not the divorce, it’s the post-divorce. I don’t want to romanticize divorce, but you have an opportunity to rebuild your life and start fresh,” he said. “And that’s an exciting place to be.”
Despite the tremendous emotional toll divorce took on Milrad, he said he and his former wife are “top-notch coparents” of their three children ages 9, 13, and 15.
“We do dinner together sometimes. We celebrate special events. We sit next to each other when we see our kids perform,” he said. “It’s not divorce that that hurts and destroys kids. It’s how you handle the divorce that hurts and destroys kids.”
Milrad wrote the book as a blueprint for men and women alike – anyone who is navigating the emotional, financial, and psychological aftermath of divorce. It’s written through the lens of someone who’s been through it, and come out the other side with more purpose and clarity.
“I just don’t want people to go through the same pain and financial costs that it created for us,” he said.