Divorce is truly a trauma. Separating from your spouse is devastating, heart wrenching, earth shattering, and you may not know what steps to take next in your life. The feelings that accompany a divorce can seem nearly impossible to handle, and added stressors like court, division of property, mediation, custody battles, or dealing with a hostile ex, can make the recovery process even more difficult.
On top of those struggles come waves of emotion that leave you feeling overwhelmed. The loss of your marriage often feels like a death in the family, and leaves you mourning your spouse, their company, the plans you had made together, and more. Fear, embarrassment, failure, inadequacy, loneliness: all these emotions set in when you separate from your partner. You might be asking yourself, “How do I move on from this?” “Are my kids going to be okay?” “How am I going to support myself financially?”
When you are feeling like your life is suffering because of your divorce, that’s when you should come to In Sight Counseling Connections. As a licensed professional counselor who specializes in post divorce therapy in Denver, I can help you work through the loss of your marriage and give you the tools to help you move toward healing.
What is Divorce Counseling?
Divorce therapy helps you cope with the reality of a permanent separation from your spouse. Together, we work through the healing process, and talk about the effects that the separation has on your family, friends, kids, and your career. Having someone by your side during this devastating time is so important when it comes to your future emotional health and happiness. Divorce counseling can help with:
- Navigating the stages of divorce (comparable to the stages of grief)
- Developing the skills to handle feelings of defeat and pain that accompany separation
- Understanding the dynamics of your relationship and why it might have failed
- Understanding what your children might be going through and how best to support them through this time
- Finding your new sense of normalcy in every day life
What is a High Conflict Divorce?
High conflict divorce counseling is my primary specialty here at In Sight Counseling Connections, as I help many individuals move past their hostile relationships with their ex and learn the skills needed to stand up for themselves and their children. A high conflict divorce can mean many different things, and it will look different for each individual. Often, it will involve unrelenting hostility between you and your ex, custody disputes, inability to communicate, allegations of domestic abuse, restraining orders, children who suffer because of the hostile environment, and more. These cases are often when divorce therapy is critical, as it has an incredible toll on you, your emotional health, and your kids if you have them.
When you come to high conflict divorce counseling at my practice in Denver, you will be able to:
- Set boundaries with your ex
- Gain confidence in yourself
- Learn how to effectively communicate without anger dominating the conversation
- Avoid being bullied and emotionally exploited
- Learn what triggers you and your ex
- Effectively follow through with your parenting plan
- Learn how to keep your children as uninvolved as possible
- Shut down drama
How to Tell if you Need Divorce Counseling
If you are wondering what to do after your marriage has ended, the best answer is to take care of yourself: heal the heartache and navigate what life is like without your partner. Your wellbeing—both emotionally and physically—is so important, and if you are having trouble regaining that sense of normalcy when it comes to your health and mentality, therapy can truly help. Seeing a divorce counselor can help you overcome those feelings of sadness, frustration, and confusion, and help you figure out what to do next.
If you have children, recovery becomes even more important, as you have others that are dependent upon you. Your kids will also be feeling that sense of loss and disruption in their lives. Therapy can help each individual, parent and child alike, recover from this traumatic life event.
If you aren’t sure whether seeing a divorce therapist is the right step for you, there are indicators that you should see a professional. These might include:
- Overwhelming emotions of sadness and anger
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression
- Feelings of inadequacy and failure
- Bursts of long-lasting anger
- Isolation from friends and family
- Not wanting to get out of bed in the mornings
- You feel like your children are not getting the care from you they need
- Serious physical changes like weight loss or weight gain
- Suicidal thoughts
Divorce Counseling for Parents
When children are involved, getting a divorce is made much more complicated. Helping your children understand what is happening, coming up with a parenting plan, and trying to take care of yourself so you can give them the emotional attention they need is a lot to handle. If you’re having a tough time being there for your children, therapy might help. You can’t take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself.
Sometimes, marriages often end in high conflict and severe dysfunction, which can lead to many hardships when it comes to co-parenting. That’s why I also offer co parenting therapy in Denver at In Sight Counseling Connections. If you cannot communicate with your ex spouse, feel like your kids are suffering, and need some help, learn more about my services for separated parents.
