When most people think of divorce, the first thing that might come to mind is the courtroom drama. From lawyers, to judges, to testimonies and evidence, divorce is, at its heart, a legal matter. That does not mean, however, that the effects of divorce are limited to the courtroom. As many people are aware, concerns about a divorce do not fade away once you have left the court, and can continue long after the divorce is finalized. Because divorces can come with a heavy emotional impact, many individuals can become stressed or emotionally frayed throughout the divorce process. Fortunately, there are professionals, such as therapists, who can help you work with your stress and can even help you move on emotionally. Below are just a few ways that hiring a therapist can help your divorce case.
Working With Emotions
It is no secret that divorce can be an emotionally charged process. Not only are people dividing up a life they had previously built together, but also, there may be other stresses, such as deciding who gets to spend time with the children, if any. While attorneys may be aware of all of the legal ins and outs, as well as general emotions involved with divorce, most attorneys will not be trained to work with a person’s emotions. Attorneys have a specific role in the divorce process, and that is to represent their clients. Just as attorneys have their role, so too do therapists. Whereas attorneys are not generally trained in working with emotions, therapists are. One of the primary benefits of working with a therapist is that you are working with someone who can help you work through or find ways to work through the stress that comes with divorce.
Finances
Going to a therapist will not only benefit your emotional well-being, but can also help you financially in the long run. As many people know, hiring an attorney can be a costly affair, especially if a case continues for an extended period of time. If you choose to share your emotional concerns or stresses with your attorney, you can easily build up a hefty bill with your attorney. While therapists may have their own fees, in the long run, going to a therapist can help you out financially, as well. Not only might your therapist have a lower hourly rate than your attorney, but more importantly, as mentioned above, a therapist is trained to work with people and their emotions. This means that, even if you do end up spending the same amount of money over the course of the divorce, you will get more out of your time and money if you go to a therapist for emotional concerns.
Advice and Decisions
While it is not a therapist’s role to tell you what to do, going to a therapist can also help you in the decision-making process. This is because working with a therapist can allow you to get a better idea of what you really want. In some cases, getting overly stressed or emotional can impair a person’s ability to act in his or her own best interests. There are incidents where spouses have destroyed property of the other spouse, or have tried to keep the other spouse from seeing his or her child. Talking things through with a neutral third-party, especially one that is trained to deal with emotions, can help you look at things from a different point of view and can help you make decisions that would benefit you during and long after the divorce.
Relationships With Others
Even though a divorce concerns only two people, it is no secret that the effects of the divorce can spread far and wide within a person’s social circle. Not only are children or family members affected by a divorce, but also friends, co-workers, employers, and other acquaintances. Working with a skilled therapist can help you work through your own emotions and learn how to communicate and interact with the people around you during a stressful divorce.
Improve Coping Skills
It is said that a therapist’s job is not simply to help you, but to help you learn how to help yourself. Because therapists are trained to deal with emotions and stress, they are aware of many different ways an individual can cope with or work with stress. In addition, therapists can help improve how you interact with people or events that cause stress, which is particularly important in a divorce. If an ex-spouse is a cause of stress or emotional distress, working with a therapist can help you learn how to cope with your emotions to have more productive interactions with that spouse long after the divorce has been finalized.
Transition into Life After Divorce
Dividing up a life that two people have worked for is no simple matter, especially if the parties to a divorce have been married for a prolonged period of time. Transitioning from a married life to a single life can be stressful on its own without considering all of the social and daily changes that come with divorce. Communicating with family members or friends who were close with both parties to a divorce can be awkward and stressful after a divorce, and working with any minor children from the marriage can be even harder at times. Fortunately, working with a therapist can help you make the transition into life after the divorce. Not only can the therapist help you figure out where you want to go and what you want to do with your life, but can also recommend ways to help you achieve your goals.