Ending a marriage can be a difficult time, but it is even more complicated for people with children. Not only do you have to worry about splitting up your assets and changing your life, but you also have to think about how every decision you make will impact your children.
From whether they can stay in the same school to how much time you get to spend with them on important days, there are so many concerns that parents need to consider during a divorce that it is easy to overlook the emotional needs of the children.
The divorce of their parents is almost invariably a difficult time for children of all ages. Counseling or therapy can play a critical role in helping you and the rest of the family adjust to divorce.
You and your ex may benefit from therapy together
You may have already tried couples therapy as a way to preserve your marriage. Even if that didn’t work, you may still want to think about therapy with your spouse in the future.
Co-parenting therapy can help you work through the issues you have with one another in order to become more successful and effective parents. You don’t necessarily have to address the issues that ended your marriage, but you will have to work together to find healthy ways to communicate and the right way to process your feelings without involving your kids.
Individual counseling can help you process your feelings
Even if you are otherwise a well-adjusted and successful adult, divorce can complicate your emotional health. From grieving your relationship to analyzing your hopes for the future, counseling or therapy can help you reconnect with yourself and move through the various emotions that divorce will bring up for you. Your children could also require individual or one-on-one therapy sessions to find healthy coping mechanisms in a safe and supportive environment.
Group family therapy sessions can benefit everyone
Group therapy sessions with the whole family can be a good place to tell children about an impending divorce or work out issues about your decision as a family. Group therapy can be helpful long after your marriage ends.
There are many ways for your family to make group or family therapy work after a divorce. The kids can go every week with the parents alternating which week they attend. Other times, parents can commit to attending therapy, provided that they can keep the focus on the children and a positive future relationship.
Keeping the focus on your children and their needs as you approach divorce can help you avoid many of the most common divorce pitfalls. Talking about your concerns and needs with an experienced Connecticut divorce attorney can help you plan for the future, including positive parenting arrangements for your children after a divorce.