What kinds of therapists can help someone with the challenges of divorce?

Trained mental health professionals—including licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), licensed professional counselors (LPC), licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) psychologists, and clinical social workers—are able to treat clients contemplating or going through a divorce. The end of a marriage is almost always a distressing experience, often leading to feelings of disappointment, grief, and a loss of hopes and dreams about the future. Therapists can help individuals navigate these challenges.

How do therapists treat clients dealing with divorce?

Therapists can help individuals cope with the negative feelings and experiences around divorce, such as recovering from an instance of infidelity, improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and others. Therapists can also help clients heal from the negative emotions they may have experienced around the failure of the relationship, childcare difficulties they may face, and financial problems they might experience. A counselor can also help a client focus on growth: understanding their role in the divorce and working on the parts of them that can be improved so they feel prepared to eventually start over.

What’s the best therapy type for coping with divorce?

There are several therapy types that help clients with divorce. Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on identifying dysfunctional thoughts and replacing them with healthier and more realistic ones. Solution-focused brief therapy helps a client notice which behaviours and thoughts have positive results so as to maximise these strengths. Mindfulness-based practices can help an individual maintain focus and control over their thoughts. If the couple is not yet divorced, couples therapy or marriage counselling may be useful. Ultimately, the best type of therapy will depend on the challenges an individual or couple faces and their personality and preferences.

What do therapists who specialize in divorce do?

Therapists who specialize in divorce help individuals understand and process their emotions, accept their new situation, and help build the skills needed to have a happy and productive future. Therapy for divorce typically uses a form of talk therapy, in which the client and the therapist discuss and understand what has happened to help build a plan to move forward. Sessions may focus on self-worth, the challenges of raising children split between households, or many other challenges individuals face following a divorce.