Obviously, Divorce is often very stressful. It can take an incredible toll on one’s life, as a person goes through its stages. Fortunately, grief coaches who focus on divorce can help during these times. The following describe the stages of the divorce process, which these coaches lead their clients through.
Denial: This is the first stage of the divorce process. In this stage, people hide their feelings about their relationship collapsing. It’s most likely because they don’t understand why it’s happening in the first place. They often pretend that everything is fine, but in reality the marriage has been suffering for a long time.
Anger: This is probably the most common stage associated with divorce. Feelings of anger come from discovering infidelity has been occurring or that one has been in an abusive relationship for years.
Bargaining: In this stage, many want to work out a solution with the soon-to-be-ex. In some ways it’s like the denial stage, where you try to make amends with your spouse in order to possibly win them back. This can include convincing yourself and others that you’ve changed and everything will be back to normal.
Depression: This is the stage that is filled with feelings of guilt or shame. It usually begins with a change of mindset about what caused the separation in the first place. Unlike the anger phase, where you tend to blame your spouse for wrongdoing, after the bargaining phase you realize that you probably had a hand in it as well.
Acceptance: This is probably the most difficult stage of all, because coming to grips with the divorce is different for everybody. It’s not a happy or sad occasion, but more simply accepting the reality that your marriage has come to a close and you now need to pick up the pieces of your life. What makes this phase easier is that you don’t have to go through it alone.
If you are in need of a grief coach, contact Emily McGrath from the organization Freedom From Heartache. She offers one-on-one coaching and workshops. She can be reached at 815-985-0873 or go to the website www.freedomfromheartache.com.
For more information on divorce-related issues, feel free to contact the Law Office of Bradley R. Tengler in Rockford, IL at 815-981-4859 for a free initial consultation. Please note, the above does not constitute legal advice. Please discuss your specific rights with an attorney in your own jurisdiction.