About the Program

OUR MISSION

To provide trusted, comprehensive resources for every stage of divorce — helping individuals navigate the emotional, and personal challenges so they can move beyond divorce and into a fulfilling new life.

OUR ROOTS

In Honor of My Divorce Recovery Mentor, Dr. Frank R. Williams

Dr. Frank R. Williams

In creating Exploring Beyond Divorce, I want to honor my mentor, Dr. Frank R. Williams, whose leadership, compassion, and lifelong dedication to the divorce recovery program made my work possible.

Frank was the founder of Divorce Recovery, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona, established in 1977, and the creator of the original Tucson Divorce Recovery support group program. He was also the author of the original facilitator’s manual that has guided countless leaders and participants on the path to healing.

Frank’s guidance, and his heartfelt commitment to the Divorce Recovery Program, nourished my own healing and inspired the creation of the Exploring Beyond Divorce educational program.

I first began my association with Frank in 2004 and am deeply grateful to have been taught by, worked alongside, and mentored by someone who embodied true service to others with such humility and care.

Thank you, dear friend.

Ronnie Kaufman

PROGRAM CREATOR

About
Ronnie Kaufman
Divorce Recovery Coach

A FOUNDATION OF EXPERIENCE

The work I offer through Exploring Beyond Divorce is grounded in decades of professional leadership, nonprofit service, and — most importantly — years spent walking alongside people during one of life’s most disorienting transitions.

What matters most to me now is not what I built in my career, but how I listen, how I hold space, and how I support clarity when life feels unsteady.

GROUNDED IN DIVORCE RECOVERY EXPERIENCE

For nine years I sat in rooms with people whose lives had just broken open.

As chair of Divorce Recovery, Inc. in Tucson for nine years — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals navigating divorce and significant relationship endings — I facilitated dozens of weekly support groups, each spanning eight to ten weeks, typically with 10 to 20 participants from diverse backgrounds, ages, and walks of life.

Over those years I had the privilege of working directly with hundreds of people through one of life's most disorienting passages. I witnessed grief, anger, fear, and confusion — and also resilience, insight, and renewal.

This was not theoretical work. It was lived, human to human, tender and compassionate. This program grew directly from it — shaped by what people actually needed, asked for, and what genuinely supported their healing.

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SYSTEMS THINKING

Earlier in my career, I worked extensively in technology, consulting, and organizational leadership — experiences that quietly shape how I approach this divorce recovery work today.

I began my professional journey in film editing at WGN-TV studios in Chicago, then moved into technical consulting and corporate innovation.

Over the years, I served as a systems architect, founded and led a North American consulting firm, and later built and operated a subscription-based internet company that grew to over 600,000 registered users before its sale in 2012.

WHAT THIS WORK TAUGHT ME

While this work may seem far removed from divorce recovery, it taught me how to:

see complex situations clearly
listen beneath surface narratives
support people through change
and create structures that bring steadiness during uncertainty

Those same skills are quietly present in how I guide this work today.

NON-PROFIT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

My commitment to service has extended beyond divorce recovery.

I have served on the boards of nonprofit organizations in Tucson, Arizona, including faith-based and community organizations focused on education, outreach, and care. I was also elected President of the International Coach Federation of Southern Arizona (2013–2014).

In Ashland, I have volunteered with synagogue committees and community initiatives, and for a time served at the Ashland Winter Shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness.

WRITING AND ONGOING REFLECTION

I have been writing personal reflections for more than 30 years. Much of this writing is shared through my ongoing series Labyrinth of Life Chronicles, as well as the Moments of Awareness collection — brief reflections that explore insight as it arises in ordinary moments.

These writings reflect the same spirit that guides Exploring Beyond Divorce: thoughtful, grounded, and human.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

University of DePaul, Chicago — Business Administration
Control Data Institute, Los Angeles — Computer Technology
University of Arizona, Tucson — Business Administration
Newfield Network, Boulder, Colorado — Ontological Coach Training

CLOSING NOTE

Everything I've done and experienced personally, has shaped how I show up here... with steadiness, humility, and respect for the courage it takes to navigate life's most challenging transitions.

Wherever you are on your journey, may you find peace, clarity, and support that meets you where you are.

Ronnie K