Our therapists offer divorce counseling in Henrico, VA

Experiencing a Divorce can be Painful

Many people experience the painful, life-altering realities of divorce. In fact, nearly 50% of married couples in the U.S. end up divorcing, and for a combination of reasons. Although for some it brings relief, for most divorce is very stressful and promotes a number of negative emotions including inadequacy, sense of failure, anger, fear, guilt, shame, anxiety and depression. When children are caught in the middle it usually causes those unhealthy feelings to be even worse, and many people seek out counseling in an effort to determine whether the marriage is worth saving, or after the divorce is finalized in order to come to terms with its effects.

If you or someone close to you are going through or have experienced a divorce it can be devastating emotionally, physically and financially. Many divorced individuals start to engage in unhealthy and destructive lifestyle behaviors including substance abuse, enhanced sexual activity or socially withdrawing from friends, family members and coworkers. Children of divorced parents tend to also become involved in making negative choices leading to unhealthy behaviors. Left unchecked, the fallout from a divorce can have a detrimental effect on you or your loved one’s health, school and job performance, and personal relationships.

What are the Main Reasons for Divorce?

Experienced counselors site many reasons why married couples split and eventually divorce. Those include one or more of the following:

• Marital infidelity
• Marrying too young and/or the wrong person
• Shouldering unequal responsibilities such as household chores or childcare
• Financial problems and disagreements about money
• Physical and emotional abuse
• Lack of healthy communication
• Substance abuse and addictions

Other negative factors that present during unhealthy marriages include excessive criticism, a lack of positive reinforcement, absence of respect for the other party, one partner being overly defensive, and the use of stonewalling tactics to avoid discussing and resolving marital issues.

Counseling can be Beneficial in Divorce Situations

If you or your loved one is involved in a failing marriage, it can be emotionally, physically and financially devastating for all parties. As a transitional resource, individual or couples counseling, is available to help those involved deal with their negative feelings. Working with a trained coach can go a long way in providing an outside perspective that helps equip a divorced person with needed coping skills to address their stress and emotional pain. A divorce coach can assist the affected party to learn more about who they are and how to convert their challenging life transition into a growth and personal enhancement opportunity.

For partners who’ve decided to divorce, couples counseling is also available which can help them focus on a healthier, more constructive dissolution process, and especially if children are involved. Serving as a mediator, a divorce counselor, or coach, can work with the parties to establish guidelines that facilitate a smoother and much less hostile situation. Goals can encompass key issues such as living arrangements, parenting responsibilities and financial obligations. Children in divorcing or divorced households oftentimes feel obligated to choose sides and can even falsely perceive that they caused the divorce. In the end, coaching sessions led by a licensed divorce therapist can go a long way in alleviating some of the harmful feelings experienced by the parents and their children as the emotional wounds are healed.

Thriveworks Henrico, VA Counselors Understand Divorce

As we’ve seen, when you or someone you care about experiences a divorce it can cause other unhealthy conditions. Left unchecked, divorce-related stress can have a negative effect on your daily activities including relationships, at school and job performance. You don’t have to go it alone any longer. At Thriveworks Short Pump, our compassionate and helpful counseling coaches understand divorce and will work with you in an effort to overcome its emotional effects while developing a more positive outlook on life. For more information on our divorce coaching services, or how to become a certified Thriveworks Henrico coach, call: (804) 205-3408 today or visit our Contact page now.