Although common, each divorce is unique and is a distressing and emotional process for individuals involved. Deciding end a marriage is usually unsettling and accompanied by a range of conflicting emotions. At the time and after the divorce process, individuals can experience emotions of anger, depression, bereavement, rejection, regret, insecurity, guilt, bitterness or anxiety.
Throughout the divorce process couples may decide to have therapist together in order to assist working together to finish the marriage in the most constructive and practical way possible. Divorce therapy can greatly assist individuals involved with management of other difficult emotions. In addition, therapy can benefit children of parents going through the divorce process. Children can experience emotions of loss as result of a divorce and therapy from a counsellor can assit them with developing healthy coping strategies.
Separation or divorce counselling
Divorce counselling, separation counselling, allows a couple to consider their relationship with some perspective and without any pressure. This perspective offers space for the couple for look at the unhappiness they feel as a couple. At this stage partners may wish for reconciliation or to save the relationship. Counselling gives this opportunity for partners to better understand reasons for the relationship not working happily.
Divorce is a difficult decision and counselling helps partners to identify some problems with a trained therapist mediating the process. A partner may be hesitant about taking the step to divorce and it is important to investigate the reason for this. For couples discussing their issues can be difficult and may lead to raising of past grievances, blame and anger. Often one partner decides they want to divorce their partner. This can be a one-sided situation and this discord related to the decision for divorce can be extremely stressful.
Practical issues and moving forward
The process of divorce can be greatly helped when a couple can mutually agree a way forward in terms of future communication, handling of the situation with children and their custody as well as division of wealth and property. It may help to consider some family counselling to allow children the opportunity to discuss their feelings in a neutral space. Divorce counselling allows partners to mourn the loss of a relationship that once held great promise. This feeling of loss and despair can be great and talking through feelings can help coping with the situation. Seeing a qualified therapist can help partners to see the value of moving on with their lives rather than feeling trapped and hurt by issues experienced with their partner.
