The Connecticut Press Club awarded “FRAMED: Women in the Family Court Underworld” a first place prize in its nonfiction book category for 2024. Ridgefield journalist, author and divorce coach Amy Polacko co-authored the book with Dr. Christine M. Cocchiola of Litchfield County which is an exposé about what happens to domestic abuse victims in the family court system.
Polacko also earned a first prize in the personal essay category for her HuffPost article, “I Barely Escaped My Abusive Marriage. If JD Vance Had His Way, I'd Still Be Trapped There.” Her continuing coverage of the national story involving a Westchester mother, Catherine Kassenoff, for Ms. earned a second place in the social issues category. ( “It’s Been a Year Since Catherine Kassenoff’s Assisted Suicide. Has Anything Changed in Family Court?”)
Polacko is an award-winning journalist who writes on divorce, family court and domestic abuse for national publications. She is also a divorce coach for women through her Freedom Warrior practice, helping them take their power back before, during and after the process and runs a free support group called Strong Savvy Women.
“My heart has led me to this work. I didn’t have a coach when I went through the divorce process, and made a lot of mistakes, so I’m on a mission now to educate and empower other women,” Polacko said, adding that she’s had some male clients too. “My clients are from across the country but, of course, I have many in our area. And I write about these issues journalistically to shine a light on topics I feel that women need to know about to protect themselves."
“Most people would never believe what really happens to women and children in our family courts,” Polacko said. “We’ve heard from readers around the globe that the twenty-two brave women who told their stories in our book touched them, inspired them and educated them about the red flags in relationships and what to look out for in divorce.”
The authors are on a mission to educate all women about coercive controllers/narcissistic abusers and push for family court reform. Dr. Ramani Durvasula, New York Times bestselling author and narcissism expert, wrote the foreword to the book. Tina Swithin, founder of One Mom’s Battle, who has mobilized family court victims across the country, wrote the book’s epilogue.
Polacko and Cocchiola warn that the stories in “FRAMED” may not be easy to read, but they are a must read. “Read it before you need it,” they say. “This could be you someday–or your daughter, sister, mother or friend.”
To learn more about FRAMED, go to www.narcfreepress.com