Divorce Counseling

There are plenty of couples that can dissolve a relationship without conflict or concern, but how many do you know? Divorce therapy serves as a way through any possible conflict.

Counseling before a divorce may entail you and your partner, with the help of your counselor, working through the issues in your relationship that have gotten you to this point.

Sitting down with your partner in a neutral setting with a neutral third party is always an enlightening experience, but in divorce counseling, all parties must acknowledge the fact that divorcing is technically an option. At least, it’s being considered by someone involved, if not both parties.

There are also the ex-couples that participate in counseling after the fact to explore healthy options for moving on, helping all affected through such a transition, or just making sure you can co-parent effectively. 

Pre-divorce counseling, also known as discernment counseling, works to help both partners address issues at the source of their dissatisfaction in their relationship.

Oftentimes, conflict centers around a unique set of problems or patterns in the relationship that, left unresolved, can continue to future relationships. Addressing the source of conflict together provides an opportunity to repair unworkable patterns and learn new skills to improve your relationship. 

If a couple has previously tried couples therapy with no success or decided they’d like to end the relationship, pre-divorce counseling is the answer.

The goal of discernment counseling is to gain some clarity and establish confidence in their decisions about the future of their marriage.

These feelings are based off of the understanding of what has happened to their marriage and what each person has contributed to these issues.

You and your partner are ending the relationship, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to pull out the knives.

In post-divorce counseling, your counselor will guide both of you through the process of building an amicable relationship. This is especially important if you have a reason to continue in a working relationship with each other, which is usually where children are involved.

Basically, you and your now ex-partner will learn to co-parent effectively, handle a post-divorce relationship, work through disputes, and more. 

Typically we’ll begin with an introductory two-hour session followed by weekly 90-minute sessions. Although you and your partner will come to therapy together, we’ll only have you meet as a couple for parts of the session.

At times, we’ll have you split off individually for a short period before resuming as a couple. This gives us a chance to gain candid insight from each partner that we’ll then integrate into the overall discussion. 

Some of the topics we’ll examine may include:

• What are some of the contributing factors that have led your marriage to this point? 
• What have you tried personally or professionally to address these issues? 
• What role do your children play in the decision-making process? 

We’ll also explore ways in which you felt the most connected to your partner, identify things you wish they understood about you, and ultimately, determine if you are willing to work on those concerns to keep the marriage going. 

Typically, discernment counseling is a very brief process—requiring only one to five sessions—with a very specific goal in mind: to gain clarity and direction. After you come to an agreement about the future of your relationship, we can develop a strategy for entering the next phase.

For instance, if you decide to give the marriage another try, we can set you up for additional couples or marriage counseling sessions. We’ll also equip you with strategies for improving communication and resolving conflict better.

Conversely, if you think divorce is the best option, we can teach you how to navigate the process with grace and composure. We’ll help you find ways of talking about divorce with your children and offer advice for successful co-parenting strategies.

We can also help each partner address harmful behavior patterns or personal dynamics, to create challenges in future relationships. And in the case that one partner is ambivalent—or perhaps not ready to let go—discernment counseling is the perfect place to gain clarity.

Divorce recovery counseling helps couples find peace

While divorce recovery counseling offers a chance for reconciliation, its true power lies in mediation and helping couples find peace regardless of the direction the relationship will eventually go in. And though you cannot expect to see changes overnight, change is possible, and this is the best place to discover what that looks like.

All of our discernment counseling clinicians have the same skill set as traditional couples counselors and marriage therapists. So no matter what your decision is, we have the experience and expertise to help you find peace and move forward.

Every person and every couple has their own needs, so we act as a neutral resource for discerning what is best for you. Though we want to help you understand your partner and their needs, we will never push either of you in a direction you don’t want to go in.

Whether you are dealing with uncertainty,  having mixed feelings about the situation, or you are ready to cut ties, we can provide everyone equal support regardless of their position. That’s what makes our services truly tailored to the individual.

We understand that the divorce process can be extremely stressful, but so many people find themselves exactly where you are right now. If you don’t believe us, just sign up for our divorce support group, and you’ll see that you are not alone. Drawing upon a community of voices just like your own, you can rebuild a sense of normalcy and wholeness that will enable you to land on your feet—and find a few allies in the process. 

One of the benefits of working with us is that we are specially trained to help you find a way to move forward with life regardless of your decision. So if you are in the process of divorcing, our clinicians can help you navigate family relationships, deal with emotional overwhelm, and make a smooth transition into the next stage of your relationship.

Whether you are married, in a committed relationship, or recently divorced, we can help you make it through this difficult time. 

Can you see cracks in your family foundation forming as a result of the divorce? It is a challenging question to answer. Deciding to divorce can be difficult, but moving on can often prove much harder. 

Having guidance through this new time is a low-risk bet and it might be just what your family needs. A counselor is a neutral third party with no emotional investment in the issues your family is having, unlike you and your ex-partner. They are simply a guiding force that can help you see meet resolutions with ease and cultivate an era of healing in your family life.

We understand that divorce or discernment counseling is not something you ever imagined your relationship needing. If change is hard and scary, divorce may look terrifying.

Believe us when we say you are not alone. In this weekly group counseling session, you will learn how to regain your independence and find your confidence after divorce. You will build friendships with those that understand your position and cultivate hope for a bright future.

You can learn more about Divorce Group Counseling here.