Healing Through Forgiveness

Are You Ready To Try Counseling To Heal From Your Divorce? 3 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Sessions

17 December 2018 by Kurt Garrett

Divorce is never easy, and your decision to talk to a professional gives you the tools you need to start moving forward. In your counseling sessions, you have an opportunity to work through the painful events that led up to your divorce as well as the challenges that you face now. Yet, you also know that time is of the essence, and you want to squeeze as much help as you can out of each appointment. Now that you've made the decision to work with a counselor, you can use these strategies to learn even more from every session.

Schedule With Reflection Time In Mind

When scheduling your appointments, try to resist the idea of squeezing them in to your hectic schedule. While you can attend a counseling session on your lunch break or just before your kid gets out of school, the truth is that it is better to have at least a little downtime to collect your thoughts. Whether you have an a-ha moment that you want to ruminate on or just need a few minutes to dry your eyes, you'll appreciate having at least half an hour of buffer time before you are expected to handle other responsibilities.

Notice the Emotions You Try to Avoid

In an individual counseling session, you can expect to laugh, cry and even get angry as you talk about the issues surrounding your divorce. While your counselor will never judge, you may find that you hold back from expressing certain emotions. Often, these are the exact emotions that need to be released, and the ones that you feel the need to hide often reveal the most about what is going on inside your mind. Let your counselor know if there are certain emotions that you vent after the sessions are over or try to restrain so that they can help you find ways to address their underlying causes.

Do Your Homework Outside of Your Sessions

Counselors often encourage work outside of the session that is designed to help you continue to make progress throughout the rest of the week. For instance, you may be asked to practice a communication strategy, or you may need to write a quick journal entry each night. Make sure to allot time in your day to continue to practice what you learn so that you can test out your new mindset in real life situations.

Seeking help when you need it is a sign of strength, and working through your response to a divorce helps you move forward with rebuilding your life. While every session is different, making sure to make counseling a priority in your life helps you progress faster on the path toward healing.

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