There's opportunity for growth and healing in all of life's challenges, including divorce.

Hi, I'm Kelsey McParland

Founder of StrongHer

This is my Story

After nearly a decade together and almost seven years of marriage, I came home one weekend to find my life turned upside down. My spouse had packed up and left—without a conversation, without warning. To make matters harder, I was unemployed, and he had just secured his citizenship days earlier. I felt used, vulnerable, and lost. Yet this moment also confirmed what I had known for months: I deserved far more respect than I had been accepting. Within weeks, I filed for divorce.

Leading up to that decision, there was a clear pattern of dismissal and double standards. My ambitions—to advance my career, pursue an MBA, and invest in myself—were consistently shut down, while his choices went unchecked. He often drank, stayed out late, gaslit me whenever I raised concerns, and made it clear he didn’t value my voice. At one point, he even said, “I don’t want to think about what I say or do when it comes to you”—a statement that summed up how little regard he had for me.

Even after leaving, he tried to maintain control—demanding access to my space, assets, and business rights, while abandoning responsibility and refusing accountability for his own behavior. Navigating the emotional weight of divorce was hard enough, but adding the strain of his continue behavior on top of financial pressures, legal battles, career shifts, and my own well-being made the process even more overwhelming. 

Through it all, I uncovered a strength I didn’t know I had—and a calling to help other women move through these challenges with greater clarity and support. That’s why I created StrongHer: a space where women can find practical guidance, step-by-step toolkits, and resources to help them through one of life’s toughest transitions. From deciding whether divorce is the right path, to finding the right attorney, to protecting your financial future—I’m here to share what I wish I had known.

My hope is that these resources don’t just guide you through the logistics, but also help you reclaim your confidence and step into the next chapter of your life with strength, clarity, and peace.