Divorce is an extremely emotionally trying experience. After the litigation, the fees and the physical separation from a long term partner, we may not know how to begin healing. Speaking to an individual therapist in Maryland or your own home state can be helpful. Bethesda MD therapist Dr. Lindsey Hoskins, for instance, performs family counseling in Bethesda MD, marriage counseling in Bethesda MD, and individual therapy in Bethesda MD. With experience in these various aspects of counseling, she is uniquely qualified to speak to marriage’s effects on an individual. The right therapist can help one understand how a difficult marriage has affected one, and allow one to move forward.
Many marriage counselors in Bethesda MD— and other parts of the country– are also individual counselors. Though it may not have been possible to save your marriage, it is not too late to get the individual help you need. A counselor with experience in premarital counseling in MD, marriage counseling, and individual counseling, can help you understand the issues that arose before, after, and during your marriage. This will help you gain clarity and reduce your emotional burden. This can also help you make wiser decisions if you decide to remarry.
Some good emotional guidelines for moving forward are:
- Take time to grieve. Whether or not you feel divorce was for the best, you have experienced a loss.
- Work through your emotions. Dwelling on the pain is not healthy, but neither is sweeping it under the rug. Speaking to an individual counselor in Bethesda MD, Washington DC, or another nearby area can help you deal with the pain and learn from your mistakes.
- Pay attention to self esteem. Divorces can leave one with a sense of failure and rejection. However, in our minds we know this is not the true case. Divorce happens to the best of us, and we should take time to assess and build our sense of self worth. A counselor, again, can be a great help in this.
- Re-discover yourself. The hobbies and routines you gave up when you married can be re-established, and new ones can be discovered. Of course you have to consider your finances and responsibilities, which may have shifted since your divorce. However, you may start with small changes, like a new haircut, or larger ones like moving and finding a new job. Embrace the new— and the forgotten– parts of yourself. This leads us to our next point.
- Embrace new roles. Perhaps your spouse handled most of the finances, cooking, household repairs, or other responsibilities that married couples share. Now is your chance to learn new skills. Remember that it won’t be easy and don’t be too hard on yourself if you make a mistake. Perhaps it may be best to put aside a small financial cushion if your mistake is a costly one.
Remember, divorce is an extremely common occurrence, and there are many resources to help you emotionally recover. At Divorce Lawyer Chronicles, our aim is to point you in the direction of more than just legal counsel. We hope to help you move forward with your life.