How Does Psychotherapy Help When Faced With A Divorce?
Divorce is a concept that we usually associate with painful feelings and negative emotions, such as sadness, melancholy or even anger. While it is true that many times the experience is accompanied by these psychological elements, no one is predestined to see their quality of life damaged for weeks due to the end of a marriage: there are emotion management strategies that help a lot to overcome this kind. of situations.
Psychological therapy is the context in which people can learn to internalize those emotional management skills when going through a separation or divorce, but unfortunately, not all people know that: there are those who assume that the work of psychologists is limited to the care of patients with mental disorders or the care of couples in crisis. Nothing is further from reality; In this article we will see How to work in psychotherapy not only to minimize the chances of ending in separation or divorce, but also to know how to adapt to a divorce.
As the name suggests, Couples therapy is the type of psychological assistance aimed at caring for couples in crisis., and its main objective is to improve the relationship between both people by helping them internalize more appropriate styles of interaction, coexistence and communication. That is why it helps reduce the chances of ending in divorce or separation through the following areas of work:
As we have seen, in couples therapy we work to improve, as far as possible, the way in which the people involved in the relationship communicate, coexist and express their emotions and feelingsso that it is easier for the love bond to be strengthened day by day.
However, it is not entirely correct to assume that the objective of couples therapy is to prevent the courtship or marriage from coming to an end at all costs: it also helps to recognize cases in which the most beneficial solution for both is to end. with that kind of bond and move on to something else outside the concept of “boyfriends” or “marriage”. We must not forget that a relationship can exist beyond these labels, and separating or divorcing does not have to imply doing it in bad ways, harming or being harmed. Therefore, in a psychology consultation you can also make the breakup or divorce as smooth as possible.
How does going to a psychologist help in a separation or divorce?
As we have seen, the work of psychologists in the face of a deteriorated relationship does not end in the field of couples therapy. Even in cases where you go through separation or divorce, Having professional psychological support makes the difference in adjusting well to the new reality without remaining settled in the initial discomfort..
And even if we are not aware of it, the way in which we relate to our emotions, thoughts and environment greatly influences how we experience the end of a marriage or courtship, and with the necessary help we can improve our ability to adapt to the situation. new reality.
Taking this into account, let’s see how psychotherapy works in cases of divorce or separation.
1. Improved self-esteem
It is very common for divorce to be accompanied by low self-esteem, since People tend to interpret these kinds of situations from the perspective of failure and the inability to meet certain expectations..
For this reason, psychologists provide support so that the person does not remain focused on the beliefs they have about their own limitations, and is able to see their positive characteristics, their potential, and even what they have learned as a result of the divorce.
2. Search for new sources of incentives
Typically, divorce results in a new lifestyle; Even if the couple was previously separated, the fact that the breakup was not completely “official” had implications for the expectations one created about the future, and that influences how one lives.
For this reason, one of the aspects that is worked on in applied psychotherapy in cases of divorce is the search for new incentives in a single life, if it is the case that you do not have a partner. In this way it helps to go through the “grief” of the end of the marriage.
3. Management of memories associated with marriage
It is important to be able resignify the memories associated with that marriage, so that they are not seen as a sign that you have been “wasting your time.” This will allow us to evoke those memories normally and accept that past part of our life.
4. Acceptance of the end of the cycle
In psychotherapy we also work to accept the fact that the phase of life linked to that marriage has come to an end, and therefore It makes no sense to evaluate one’s own capacity to be happy with the interests and values associated with that relationship as a reference..
Are you looking for professional psychological help?
If you are going through a divorce or are in a deteriorated relationship that may lead to separation and you are looking for psychological assistance services, Get in touch with me; Whether through individualized psychotherapy or couples therapy, we can work to manage the situation in the best possible way by adopting new ways of managing emotions and enhancing communication skills. I offer in-person sessions in Seville and online sessions by video call.
