From Survival to Sacred Self: Navigating Divorce, Identity, and the Power of Choosing You with Michèle Heffron

The Illicit Feminine

This week on The Illicit Feminine Podcast, host Elizabeth Marth is joined by the wise and radiant Michèle Heffron,  a life relationship and divorce coach who supports individuals through some of life's most defining moments from navigating the complexities of divorce to rediscovering identity after long-term partnerships, empty nesting, or career shifts. Michèle offers compassionate, strategic guidance through every phase of relationship transition.

She's a certified Calling in "The One" facilitator, and host of the Getting to the Heart: Life, Relationships, and Divorce podcast. Together, they explore the silent unraveling that happens inside women when their lives no longer align with who they truly are and the courage it takes to choose themselves, especially in midlife.

Michèle shares her powerful story of leaving a marriage that looked “picture perfect” on the outside but was emotionally controlling behind closed doors. With raw honesty and emotional depth, she reflects on the moment she realized she was emotionally gone and how listening to her intuition saved her life. From walking away without a bank account to reclaiming her worth, Michèle opens up about how trauma, spirituality, and soul-aligned coaching shaped the woman she is today.

This episode is a moving invitation for women navigating major life transitions—divorce, empty nesting, career changes—to reconnect with their divine feminine power, dismantle old beliefs, and unapologetically reclaim their voice.

Episode Highlights:
02:26 – The retreat that changed everything and sparked lifelong friendships
05:15 – The day Michèle left her marriage with no bank account and no plan
08:55 – How financial control and emotional manipulation eroded her identity
11:48 – The terrifying trip to Sedona and the moment her intuition screamed “No”
14:50 – A divine message while running in the rain: “So you would see.”
17:05 – Discovering her part in the pattern: the root of self-abandonment
25:30 – Choosing herself and modeling resilience for her children
27:00 – The moment coaching changed her life and her path forward
28:45 – Shifting from survival to expansion and asking for more
31:30 – The power of community, vulnerability, and being truly seen
33:30 – Holding non-judgmental space for women in divorce and transition
34:50 – Why women wait years to leave—and how to reclaim your clarity now
36:45 – What it means to embody your sacred self after years of living small
38:00 – Choosing love over fear and the collective power of rising together

Learn more about Michèle Heffron:

Website: https://www.Michèleheffron.com
Podcast: Getting to the Heart - Life, Relationships, and Divorce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Michele_heffron.coach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleheffron/

Learn more and follow along with Elizabeth at:

Website: https://sacredfreedom.life/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredfreedomforher

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sacredfreedomforher

BOOK APPOINTMENT with ELIZABETH: https://bookwithsacredfreedom.as.me/schedule.php

Thank you so much for listening, and remember come as you are in your light, in your shadow, in your illicit feminine. Please subscribe to my podcast and leave a five-star review.

Elizabeth