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Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women
Navigate the emotional side of divorce and emerge stronger, more confident, and ready to thrive with this essential guide for women.
Unhitched inspires women to use their divorce as a transformational opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Nationally recognized divorce expert and therapist Oona Metz provides a compassionate yet practical roadmap through every stage of the divorce process. Whether making the decision to end a marriage, coping during separation, dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions, coparenting, or navigating life after divorce, this book offers a wealth of psychological tools to guide you forward.
With over thirty years of experience supporting women as they navigate divorce, Metz weaves together practical guidance, relatable vignettes, and engaging exercises to help make the journey through divorce less overwhelming and more empowering. Topics
-The five phases of divorce grief
-Establishing separation boundaries
-Supporting children through the process
-Rediscovering your identity and confidence
-Exploring new relationships post-divorce
Filled with key takeaways, reassuring insights, and inclusive stories tailored for women in both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ relationships, Unhitched offers a reassuring guide to life before, during, and after divorce.
Unhitched inspires women to use their divorce as a transformational opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Nationally recognized divorce expert and therapist Oona Metz provides a compassionate yet practical roadmap through every stage of the divorce process. Whether making the decision to end a marriage, coping during separation, dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions, coparenting, or navigating life after divorce, this book offers a wealth of psychological tools to guide you forward.
With over thirty years of experience supporting women as they navigate divorce, Metz weaves together practical guidance, relatable vignettes, and engaging exercises to help make the journey through divorce less overwhelming and more empowering. Topics
-The five phases of divorce grief
-Establishing separation boundaries
-Supporting children through the process
-Rediscovering your identity and confidence
-Exploring new relationships post-divorce
Filled with key takeaways, reassuring insights, and inclusive stories tailored for women in both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ relationships, Unhitched offers a reassuring guide to life before, during, and after divorce.
352 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2026
16 people are currently reading
1522 people want to read
About the author
Oona Metz
1 book9 followersOona Metz, LICSW, CGP is a therapist, writer and speaker near Boston, Massachusetts where she specializes in treating women navigating divorce. Oona leads weekly Divorce Support Groups and is the founder of the Beacon Group Fellowship, a national training program for mental health clinicians. She is a frequent speaker on the topics of divorce and group therapy and has given over 100 talks to professional organizations locally and nationally.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 16, 2026
Oona offers compassion and clarity for women navigating the process of divorce. This is more than just a book on divorce in general, it offers specific support, insight, and education on divorce grief, boundary setting, helping kids of all ages through the divorce process, as well as how and when to consider entering into new relationships post-divorce.
There are a lot of divorce books out there, but for women going through the process, this is a book you will want to read for insight that is practical and encouraging.
There are a lot of divorce books out there, but for women going through the process, this is a book you will want to read for insight that is practical and encouraging.
January 27, 2026
Tremendously helpful and insightful book. This is the rare book in the genre that doesn’t just try to make you feel better in the moment, but gives you concrete, novel, lasting tools to gain self-understanding and make positive change.
January 21, 2026
Unhitched: the essential divorce guide for women, is just that. Essential. Oona writes with clarity and simplicity. She offers needed advice for women at a difficult juncture and she does it with kindness and knowledge. This book was sorely needed and if you are going through a divorce, or even contemplating the process I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy immediately.
January 17, 2026
This is a great book for any woman going through a breakup or divorce — whether you are contemplating or in the middle of the process. This is a thoughtful companion during an incredibly difficult process. The various stories about couples were relatable and instructive. If you are in the middle of it and feeling bad, do yourself a favor and get this book. Everyone needs a little hep. Oona Met’s book is like having a friend on this (awful) but transformative journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oona Metz's UNHITCHED: THE ESSENTIAL DIVORCE GUIDE FOR WOMEN is an unmatched and long overdue resource for women who are contemplating or going through divorce. For context, I am a middle-aged woman who is not only a family law attorney/mediator and certified divorce coach, but I have recently gone through my own divorce from as well.
Metz is precisely the author best-suited to write this book: she is a therapist and LICSW with many years of experience working with women navigating divorce, and she has her own personal divorce story (two, actually) as well. In other words: she truly gets it. Metz's compassion, insight, and knowledge are EXACTLY what I have long-wished was available for my divorcing clients and acquaintances, and I absolutely will be recommending this book regularly.
UNHITCHED stands out for several reasons and will be an extraordinary companion to anyone at the outset or middle of a divorce, and even thereafter. For starters, it has an easily digested flow and format filled with practical information, tips, and advice. Metz wisely divides the book into four main parts using a metaphor that is perfect for describing what it is like to go through divorce: climbing a mountain. Sections flow from "Chart Your Route" to "Climb the Mountain" to "Recharge, Refresh, Refocus" and ending with "Reach the Summit." This book does not have to be read in order or in one sitting, although Metz's craft at writing makes it very easy to do so. It's like listening to a wise friend "who's been there" and this book was very hard to put down, even if a particular section might not personally apply. I wish many of my clients had had the opportunity to read this book while going through their divorce as it sets readers up to work more confidently, emotionally regulated, and informed with their divorce professionals as well as their (soon-to-be) ex spouse.
There are also several excellent reflective exercises for the reader to do while reading through the chapters, as well as interactive "can you relate?" sections that follow vignettes/stories of real divorced couples which are highly relatable. It has the immediate effect of making the reader feel less alone during an undoubtedly isolating time in one's life. The nudge to pause in these sections and complete the short exercises allows for the necessary interior emotional work that is often overlooked during divorce. I also personally appreciated the use of some LGBTQ+ couples and scenarios, which is unfortunately still rare to find in most divorce resources.
Metz explores and describes in detail, but without bogging down the book, issues like how it might feel depending on who wanted the divorce, alternatives to litigation when seeking resolution, how to contemplate co-parenting plans (with the pros and cons of the usual schedules parents often use) and preparing children for what lies ahead, and possibly entering the dating world. She also doesn't flinch to discuss heavy topics like creating new boundaries with an ex-spouse, children, and others, strategies for dealing with high conflict communications (with an ex), and coercive control/domestic violence.
But Metz's core strength throughout the entire book is helping readers contemplate and work through the many, many emotions that come with divorce, no matter what the reason might be or who initiated it. She recognizes the inherent grief that comes with letting go of expectations we all had when getting married, and gives permission to recognize the feelings that any divorcing individual will likely feel (shock, sadness, anger, regret, loneliness, overwhelm, and relief, just to name a few Metz discusses). While Metz clearly understands that divorce is a financial and legal transaction and gives relevant information about this, she also knows divorce is rooted and limned with so many emotions which are equally important to tend to before, during, and after divorce. She gives space for these feelings in ways that divorce attorneys and other related divorce professionals simply cannot. Metz is excellent at giving permission to readers to think more openly about the possibility (or reality) of a divorce and frames the hard truths with compassion, like this:
"Many women worry ending a marriage means the time they invested in it was wasted. But your marriage was not a waste--it served a purpose, even if only for a period of time. Gaining awareness of this fallacy can be empowering. ... Ultimately, the energy you spent in the past should not dictate decisions about your future." Y E S. Insights like this are among the reasons why this book is a breath of fresh air within the confines of a process that can be draining and/or lengthy, and fraught with high stakes decisions.
I don't say this often, but UNHITCHED: THE ESSENTIAL DIVORCE GUIDE FOR WOMEN is a must read resource for any woman going through divorce, or even thinking about it. It offers plenty of information and insight without being overwhelming. It is a safe and inviting space to think about divorce and see that one can emerge stronger and intact on the other side of it.
Metz is precisely the author best-suited to write this book: she is a therapist and LICSW with many years of experience working with women navigating divorce, and she has her own personal divorce story (two, actually) as well. In other words: she truly gets it. Metz's compassion, insight, and knowledge are EXACTLY what I have long-wished was available for my divorcing clients and acquaintances, and I absolutely will be recommending this book regularly.
UNHITCHED stands out for several reasons and will be an extraordinary companion to anyone at the outset or middle of a divorce, and even thereafter. For starters, it has an easily digested flow and format filled with practical information, tips, and advice. Metz wisely divides the book into four main parts using a metaphor that is perfect for describing what it is like to go through divorce: climbing a mountain. Sections flow from "Chart Your Route" to "Climb the Mountain" to "Recharge, Refresh, Refocus" and ending with "Reach the Summit." This book does not have to be read in order or in one sitting, although Metz's craft at writing makes it very easy to do so. It's like listening to a wise friend "who's been there" and this book was very hard to put down, even if a particular section might not personally apply. I wish many of my clients had had the opportunity to read this book while going through their divorce as it sets readers up to work more confidently, emotionally regulated, and informed with their divorce professionals as well as their (soon-to-be) ex spouse.
There are also several excellent reflective exercises for the reader to do while reading through the chapters, as well as interactive "can you relate?" sections that follow vignettes/stories of real divorced couples which are highly relatable. It has the immediate effect of making the reader feel less alone during an undoubtedly isolating time in one's life. The nudge to pause in these sections and complete the short exercises allows for the necessary interior emotional work that is often overlooked during divorce. I also personally appreciated the use of some LGBTQ+ couples and scenarios, which is unfortunately still rare to find in most divorce resources.
Metz explores and describes in detail, but without bogging down the book, issues like how it might feel depending on who wanted the divorce, alternatives to litigation when seeking resolution, how to contemplate co-parenting plans (with the pros and cons of the usual schedules parents often use) and preparing children for what lies ahead, and possibly entering the dating world. She also doesn't flinch to discuss heavy topics like creating new boundaries with an ex-spouse, children, and others, strategies for dealing with high conflict communications (with an ex), and coercive control/domestic violence.
But Metz's core strength throughout the entire book is helping readers contemplate and work through the many, many emotions that come with divorce, no matter what the reason might be or who initiated it. She recognizes the inherent grief that comes with letting go of expectations we all had when getting married, and gives permission to recognize the feelings that any divorcing individual will likely feel (shock, sadness, anger, regret, loneliness, overwhelm, and relief, just to name a few Metz discusses). While Metz clearly understands that divorce is a financial and legal transaction and gives relevant information about this, she also knows divorce is rooted and limned with so many emotions which are equally important to tend to before, during, and after divorce. She gives space for these feelings in ways that divorce attorneys and other related divorce professionals simply cannot. Metz is excellent at giving permission to readers to think more openly about the possibility (or reality) of a divorce and frames the hard truths with compassion, like this:
"Many women worry ending a marriage means the time they invested in it was wasted. But your marriage was not a waste--it served a purpose, even if only for a period of time. Gaining awareness of this fallacy can be empowering. ... Ultimately, the energy you spent in the past should not dictate decisions about your future." Y E S. Insights like this are among the reasons why this book is a breath of fresh air within the confines of a process that can be draining and/or lengthy, and fraught with high stakes decisions.
I don't say this often, but UNHITCHED: THE ESSENTIAL DIVORCE GUIDE FOR WOMEN is a must read resource for any woman going through divorce, or even thinking about it. It offers plenty of information and insight without being overwhelming. It is a safe and inviting space to think about divorce and see that one can emerge stronger and intact on the other side of it.
December 18, 2025
Oona Metz’s Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women is a must read for any woman going through a divorce. Metz offers clear advice and tips with kindness and specificity. The vignettes offer authentic and relatable examples to illustrate the many nuances of divorce, and the practical exercises are so helpful to offer direction during a time when everything feels so uncertain and scary. I desperately needed those checklists when I was getting divorced!
Metz truly covered every aspect of divorce that can possibly be an issue. For example, she addresses the isolation women often feel during divorce, a feeling I vividly remember. I also related to her Five Phases of Divorce Grief, nodding my head in recognition as I read through the stages. From tips on co-parenting to creating boundaries to figuring out if you’re ready to date, this book addresses it all. And I loved the inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout the book too!
I may have gotten divorced many years ago, but I saw a lot of myself in Unhitched, recognizing situations and emotions I experienced before, during, and after my separation and divorce. I wish this book was around when I needed it most. I highly recommend Unhitched and plan to gift it to anyone I know who is facing divorce!
Metz truly covered every aspect of divorce that can possibly be an issue. For example, she addresses the isolation women often feel during divorce, a feeling I vividly remember. I also related to her Five Phases of Divorce Grief, nodding my head in recognition as I read through the stages. From tips on co-parenting to creating boundaries to figuring out if you’re ready to date, this book addresses it all. And I loved the inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout the book too!
I may have gotten divorced many years ago, but I saw a lot of myself in Unhitched, recognizing situations and emotions I experienced before, during, and after my separation and divorce. I wish this book was around when I needed it most. I highly recommend Unhitched and plan to gift it to anyone I know who is facing divorce!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Whether you’re still deciding whether to leave, figuring out how to co-parent without losing your mind, or rebuilding your sense of self after it all falls apart, this book meets you exactly where you are. With topics like the five stages of divorce grief, establishing boundaries, supporting your children, rediscovering your identity, and dating again—Oona speaks directly to the emotional reality of this transition in a way that makes you feel seen.
What I love most is how inclusive and honest this book is. It’s written for all women, including those in LGBTQ+ relationships. And it’s not about bouncing back—it’s about growing forward.
I truly believe Unhitched will change lives. It’s the kind of book that makes you breathe easier, cry in relief, and say, “Finally. Someone gets it.” It’s the book I wish I had—and the one every woman navigating divorce deserves.
What I love most is how inclusive and honest this book is. It’s written for all women, including those in LGBTQ+ relationships. And it’s not about bouncing back—it’s about growing forward.
I truly believe Unhitched will change lives. It’s the kind of book that makes you breathe easier, cry in relief, and say, “Finally. Someone gets it.” It’s the book I wish I had—and the one every woman navigating divorce deserves.
February 21, 2026
As a psychotherapist who facilitated divorce groups for more than twenty years, I recommend this book without reservation to any woman navigating the complicated and emotionally charged process of divorce. It is thoughtfully written by a therapist who truly understands the nuances, losses, and turning points of this often painful life transition. Onna Metz offers a clear, well-organized, and compassionate guide for finding one’s footing during this challenging period. Therapists, as well, will find this book to be a valuable and practical resource when working with women in the midst of divorce.
KB, Boston
KB, Boston
January 16, 2026
This book doesn’t just validate how hard this season is, it gives you an actionable path through it, one that brings real emotional healing, validation, and encouragement for your next chapter. I was honored to have Oona on my podcast, Insights from the Couch, where we had a fantastic conversation about her book, identity, grief, and what it really means to rebuild after your marriage ends. This is the book I wish I’d had when I was going through my own divorce twenty years ago and as a therapist, I'm grateful this book exists to help others.
January 22, 2026
As a twice divorced woman, I wish this book had been around when I was going through it. This is a clear, thorough, thoughtful, and supportive guide written by a therapist who knows her stuff. I am thrilled that this book will reach so many more women navigating the challenges of divorce. Oona's experience supporting women through divorce is evident in her examples, suggestions of resources, and her generous wisdom throughout the entire text. What a fantastic resource that I know I will recommend often.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews