Is divorce leaving you feeling lost and overwhelmed? Does it sometimes seem as if you don’t even know who you are anymore? Perhaps you’re the one who wanted the divorce and are shocked at how difficult it is to adjust. Or maybe your spouse initiated the divorce and you’re still grieving and trying to make sense of how this happened.
No matter how well a divorce is handled, it always brings enormous change, a host of complicated emotions to sort through, and grief that’s best dealt with in the short run. Some people seek escape to avoid dealing with painful feelings or some may remain in denial for a long time to come. Unfortunately escape and denial usually magnify the emotional challenges that emerge later, sometimes even years down the road. Divorce counseling (also knows as divorce recovery or divorce therapy) can help with grieving the loss of the marriage, coping with your children’s needs, dealing with your ex after divorce, and rebuilding your self-esteem and new identity. Some people find that a divorce gives them a timely opportunity to re-examine their lives, behaviors, values, priorities and other relationships. It’s often the time to create new goals and an empowered vision for the future.
Who can benefit from Divorce Counseling?
This process is specifically designed for people who have made the decision to end their marriage, people whose spouse made the decision to end the marriage, those who are in the middle of a divorce, or those who are reeling from the aftereffects of divorce.
Divorce Counseling often helps with one or more of the following issues:
- Dealing with the emotions of divorce
- Learning lessons from the marriage so mistakes aren’t repeated
- Gaining closure to this chapter of your life
- Grieving the loss of the relationship and dream of a certain way of life
- Rebuilding self-esteem and confidence
- Parenting, co-parenting and time-sharing children after divorce
- Interacting with your former spouse and his/her new romantic partners
- Establishing a new social life, meeting new people, and/or dating again
- Managing issues with new romantic relationships after divorce
Sometimes divorcing spouses seek Closure Counseling together to explore what went wrong and work on effective co-parenting, but most often, divorce therapy is done on an individual basis. This helps you work through the fear, anger, loneliness, confusion and hurt you may be feeling as you end a vital relationship and make profound life changes. Sometimes there is severe trauma, depression and anxiety that Divorce Counseling can treat more effectively than you can manage on your own.