You Don’t Have to Figure Out Divorce Alone

Divorce can affect almost every part of life.

Whether you are thinking about divorce, currently going through a separation or divorce, or trying to rebuild your life afterward, you may find yourself dealing with questions and struggles you never expected.

Some are emotional. Some are financial. Some involve children and family. Others are practical questions about your home, work, future, relationships, and the many decisions suddenly in front of you.

And sometimes the hardest part is simply wondering:

Where do I even begin?

Our Divorce Support Group brings together individuals experiencing many of these same challenges. With Tammy or Susan serving as the group coach, participants will have an opportunity to talk openly about what they are facing, hear different perspectives, explore available options, and identify practical ways to move forward.

This is not about someone telling you what you should do.

It is about creating a supportive environment where you can talk, listen, learn, ask questions, consider options, and begin finding the path that makes sense for you.

What Are You Struggling With?

There is no single divorce experience. Two people can be going through divorce and be facing completely different challenges.

These are some of the important topics our group will explore together.

Emotional Overwhelm

You may be experiencing sadness, anger, fear, guilt, resentment, loneliness, confusion—or several of these emotions at the same time.

We will discuss:

• Grief and the loss of the life you expected

• Fear about the future

• Anger and resentment

• Guilt and second-guessing yourself

• Anxiety and feeling overwhelmed

• Loneliness and isolation

• Loss of confidence

• Emotional triggers

• Learning how to respond rather than react

• Developing healthier ways to manage stress

The group will discuss strategies and resources that may help participants manage these emotions while recognizing when additional professional mental-health support may be beneficial.

“Should I Stay or Should I Leave?”

For some individuals, the struggle begins before anyone files for divorce.

You may be asking yourself:

Is the marriage really over?

Am I making the right decision?

What happens if I leave?

What happens if I stay?

How will this affect my children?

Can I afford to live separately?

Our discussions can help participants identify the questions they need to consider, separate emotional concerns from practical ones, and think through possible next steps without the group making the decision for them.

Children and Parenting

For parents, concern about the children can become one of the most difficult parts of divorce.

Topics may include:

• How and when to talk with children

• Children’s emotional reactions to separation

• Parenting from two households

• Maintaining stability and routines

• Co-parenting challenges

• Communicating with the other parent

• Keeping children out of adult conflicts

• School, activities and schedules

• Holidays and special occasions

• Introducing changes gradually

• Setting healthy boundaries

• Supporting children while also taking care of yourself

Our goal is to discuss options for creating as much consistency and emotional stability as reasonably possible during a period of significant family change.

Communication With Your Spouse or Former Spouse

Communication that was difficult during the marriage may become even harder during divorce.

We will explore topics such as:

• Difficult conversations

• Arguments that keep repeating

• Setting boundaries

• Text messages, emails and phone calls

• Communicating about children

• Responding to hostile or emotional messages

• Knowing when not to respond immediately

• Keeping conversations focused on the issue

• Managing high-conflict interactions

• Establishing new expectations after separation

Participants can discuss approaches that may make necessary communication clearer, more productive and less emotionally exhausting.

Money and Financial Uncertainty

Financial concerns can create tremendous stress before, during and after divorce.

You may be wondering:

Can I afford my home?

What will my monthly expenses look like?

What happens to our debts?

Do I understand our finances?

How do I prepare to support myself?

Topics may include:

• Understanding household income and expenses

• Creating a realistic personal budget

• Identifying assets and debts

• Gathering financial documents

• Credit and financial independence

• Insurance considerations

• Housing expenses

• Planning for two households

• Financial priorities after separation

• Questions to bring to attorneys, accountants or financial professionals

The group does not replace individualized financial or legal advice. Instead, we help participants become better organized and better prepared to ask appropriate professionals the right questions.

The Home

The family home can represent both an emotional attachment and a major financial decision.

Participants may be struggling with questions such as:

• Do I want to stay in the home?

• Can I realistically afford it?

• Should the home be sold?

• Where will I live?

• Where will the children live?

• What will moving mean emotionally?

• How do I create a new home that feels stable?

We will discuss the emotional and practical considerations participants may want to evaluate before making major housing decisions.

Understanding the Divorce Process

The divorce process can feel intimidating simply because it is unfamiliar.

Participants may have questions about:

• Attorneys

• Mediation

• Negotiation

• Court proceedings

• Parenting arrangements

• Financial disclosures

• Documents and records

• Agreements

• Timelines

• Preparing for meetings

• Questions to ask professionals

The group can help participants become more organized and informed so they can have more productive conversations with their own qualified legal and financial professionals.

Family, Friends and Social Changes

Divorce does not only change the relationship between two spouses.

Relationships with extended family, mutual friends and social groups can change too.

We will discuss:

• Losing mutual friendships

• Relationships with in-laws

• Family members taking sides

• Feeling judged

• Deciding what to share with others

• Setting boundaries around personal information

• Attending social events alone

• Creating new friendships

• Developing a new support system

One important part of moving forward can be learning who belongs in your support network—and what kind of support you actually need from them.

Work and Everyday Responsibilities

Life does not stop because you are going through a divorce.

You may still have a job, children, bills, appointments and responsibilities while experiencing significant emotional stress.

We will discuss ways to manage:

• Concentration difficulties

• Work responsibilities

• Scheduling

• Parenting responsibilities

• Appointments and paperwork

• Decision fatigue

• Sleep and daily routines

• Time management

• Asking others for appropriate help

Sometimes creating a little more structure can make an overwhelming situation feel more manageable.

Identity: “Who Am I Now?”

Divorce can change the way people see themselves.

After years of thinking in terms of “we,” it can be difficult to rediscover “me.”

Participants may struggle with:

• Loss of identity

• Loss of confidence

• Being single again

• Independence

• Making decisions alone

• Changing family roles

• Rediscovering interests

• Creating personal goals

• Reconnecting with friends

• Learning to enjoy life independently

This part of the group is not simply about surviving divorce. It is about beginning to think about the life you want to create afterward.

Dating and Future Relationships

Eventually, some participants may begin thinking about relationships again.

That can bring another set of questions.

We may discuss:

• Knowing when you are emotionally ready

• Fear of trusting someone again

• Recognizing unhealthy relationship patterns

• Establishing boundaries

• Dating when you have children

• Expectations for future relationships

• Taking things slowly

• Learning from the past without allowing the past to control the future

There is no required timeline. The focus is on making thoughtful choices rather than feeling pressured to move on before you are ready.

The Practical Questions We Often Avoid

Sometimes the biggest source of anxiety is not knowing what we do not know.

Our discussions can also address practical matters people frequently overlook:

• Important documents

• Household accounts

• Passwords and personal records

• Insurance

• Beneficiary designations

• Emergency contacts

• Personal property

• Housing arrangements

• Children’s schedules

• Calendars and important dates

• Creating a new household

• Developing a new budget

• Building a professional support team

• Creating a personal checklist for next steps

Participants can identify which issues apply to their situation and determine which questions should be taken to an attorney, therapist, financial professional, accountant, mediator or other qualified professional.

What Happens in the Group?

This is where the value of the group comes together.

You bring the questions and experiences you are struggling with.

Other participants may be facing some of the same challenges—or may have already worked through something you are just beginning to encounter.

Together, the group can discuss:

What am I facing?

What are my options?

What questions should I be asking?

What have other people tried?

What resources might help?

What should I discuss with a professional?

What can I do this week to make my situation a little more manageable?

The objective is not to tell participants what decision to make.

It is to help each person become more informed, more organized, more supported and better prepared to make their own decisions.

Meet Your Group Coach: Tammy or Susan

Each group will be guided by Tammy or Susan, who will serve as the group coach and facilitator.

Your group coach will help create structure for the conversations, introduce important topics, encourage productive discussion, help participants identify questions and options, and keep the group focused on constructive ways of moving forward.

Most importantly, the coach helps create a space where people can talk about the realities of divorce without feeling that they have to have everything figured out.

The group benefits not only from the coach, but also from the experiences, questions and perspectives of the people sitting beside you.

Sometimes hearing “I am dealing with that too” can make an enormous difference.

Before. During. After.

You do not have to wait until your divorce is final to seek support.

You may join because you are considering divorce and trying to understand your options.

You may be in the middle of the divorce process and struggling with decisions, conflict, children, finances or uncertainty.

Or your divorce may already be finished on paper, while emotionally and practically you are still trying to determine what comes next.

Wherever you are in the process, the purpose of the group is the same:

To provide a supportive place to talk about what you are facing, explore possible ways to address it, learn from others, and begin identifying your next steps.

You do not need to solve everything today.

Sometimes the first step is simply having a place to begin the conversation.

Important Notice

The Divorce Support Group is intended to provide general education, peer support and facilitated discussion. Group discussions and coaching are not individualized legal, financial, medical or mental-health advice and do not create an attorney-client, therapist-client or other professional-client relationship. Participants should consult appropriately qualified professionals concerning their individual circumstances. If a participant is experiencing an immediate safety concern, abuse, threats, or a mental-health crisis, group discussion is not a substitute for appropriate emergency or professional assistance.