Listening to the Voice Within After Divorce and Trauma
Starting over after divorce—or after emotional abuse, heartbreak, or trauma—can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself. Many women describe this season as survival mode: making decisions out of necessity rather than clarity, doubting themselves, and questioning every step forward.
In a recent episode of Bent Not Broken, I sat down with Susan Jane, an award-winning intuitive psychic, author, and coach with over 40 years of experience in personal development and spirituality. What unfolded was a powerful reminder that one of our greatest healing tools is something we already carry: our intuition.
What Intuition Really Is (And Why You’ve Been Ignoring It)
Susan describes intuition as the communication between your spiritual self and your physical self. It’s not something mystical reserved for a chosen few—every human has intuition. The problem is that many of us were conditioned to ignore it.
Especially after divorce or emotional abuse, women often silence their intuition to keep the peace, survive relationships, or avoid conflict. Over time, that disconnection becomes the norm.
Susan explains that intuition speaks to us in four main ways:
Physical (gut feelings, body reactions, exhaustion, tension)
Emotional (sudden moods, heaviness, or inexplicable calm)
Mental (inner knowing, repetitive thoughts, clarity)
Spiritual (insight, messages, synchronicities)
If any of those sound familiar, it’s because your intuition has likely been trying to guide you for years.
Trauma, Divorce, and the Loss of Self-Trust
During the episode, Susan courageously shared parts of her own story—surviving emotional abuse, a violent attack, and a near-death experience. Like many women, she admits she didn’t always listen to her intuition at first. But over time, she began noticing the consequences of ignoring it.
This resonates deeply with women navigating divorce recovery, healing from gaslighting, and rebuilding identity after divorce. Trauma doesn’t just break relationships—it breaks trust with ourselves.
Healing begins when we rebuild that trust.
The Power of Five Minutes: Reconnecting with Yourself
One of Susan’s simplest—and most powerful—recommendations is this:
Give yourself five minutes a day.
Five minutes to pause.
Five minutes to breathe.
Five minutes to ask, “What do I need right now?”
For women in post-divorce life, five minutes may feel impossible—but it’s often the first step toward emotional recovery. That pause is where intuition re-enters the conversation. Over time, those five minutes become clarity, confidence, and direction.
Nature, Symbols, and Signs Along the Way
Susan also introduced listeners to her intuitive flower readings and explained how nature often mirrors our internal state. Butterflies, hummingbirds, songs on the radio, recurring images—these aren’t coincidences. They’re moments of awareness.
You don’t need to interpret them “correctly.”
You only need to notice how they make you feel.
That feeling is intuition at work.
The Message Every Woman in Transition Needs to Hear
When I asked Susan what message she’d offer someone navigating divorce, trauma, or heartbreak, her answer was simple:
“Please be gentle with yourself.”
You made the best decisions you could with the information you had at the time. Replaying the past only keeps you stuck. Healing begins when self-judgment ends.
From Broken to Boldness
If you’re navigating life after divorce, starting over after trauma, or rebuilding confidence after a painful chapter, this episode is a reminder that you already have what you need.
Your intuition didn’t disappear.
It’s just been waiting for you to listen again.
You may be bent—but you are never broken.