Separating and divorcing our spouse or long-term partner is one of the most emotionally and practically challenging adjustments that we make in our lives. No one gets married with the intention of one day divorcing, so we rarely plan how we will handle it.

Divorce is the legal process whereby we financially and practically disentangle our lives from our partners so that we move on independently. We are left to muddle through the emotional challenges of divorce with the help of our friends and family. There are so many common, yet painful, emotions that we may feel as we journey through the tasks of separation and divorce:

• Fear
• Rejection
• Sadness
• Embarrassment
• Guilt

If children are involved, the separation from your spouse is not complete. Children need their divorcing parents to continue to love, guide, support and parent them just as much as they did when their parents were married and living together. They also need for their parents to educate them appropriately about the divorce process and for their parents to normalize and support their children’s thoughts and feelings as their parents divorce. This can be a tall order when the parents themselves are trying to cope with their own emotions about divorce.

In the last several decades, there has been a lot of research in the mental health field on healthy ways to work through the emotions of your separation and divorce. Child development experts have also conducted research about how best to support children through a divorce and how to shield them from parental conflict during and after the divorce process. If you are considering separation or divorce and you would benefit from guidance on how to best cope with the stresses of divorce and how to best support your children in the process, contact us at Life Enhancement Counseling Services at 407-443-8862 to make an appointment with a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.