Preparing your teen for the emotional journey ahead is crucial in helping them transition their lives.
Conflict in relationships is normal and even healthy, but if disagreements start feeling unresolvable and too frequent, it can damage the family unit and lead to divorce.
Research suggests that parental divorce can cause an increased risk for child and adolescent adjustment issues, such as depression, academic difficulties, social withdrawal, and disruptive behaviors (poor conduct, substance abuse disorders, etc.) However, a good way to minimize these effects is by providing your spouse and teen with pre-divorce counseling.
What is Pre-Divorce Counseling?
Pre-divorce counseling for teenagers has become an increasingly popular option for families looking to support their teens during this difficult time. Pre-divorce counseling provides teenagers a safe and supportive environment for teenagers to express their feelings, concerns, and fears about their parents’ separation. “Counselors can help them to release their anger and pain in a healthy way,” note divorce lawyers at Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C., “divorce can certainly spark a whirlwind of emotions.”
Pre-divorce counseling for couples is a procedure that helps couples decide if it is time to part ways and get divorced. During the session, the couple sits with a divorce therapist and explains their situation. The therapist then helps them plan and ease the process and teaches them how to communicate effectively to find solutions to their upcoming problems.
What Happens During Pre-Divorce Counseling for Teens?
Pre-divorce counseling for teens can be incredibly helpful. The following can be expected:
- A safe and supportive environment for the teenager to communicate. A counselor can create a space for a teen to express their feelings, concerns, and fears about their parents’ separation.
- Finding the right techniques to process the change. The counselor may use a variety of techniques, such as talk therapy, role-playing, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help the teenager process their emotions and develop coping skills.
- Making a plan to move forward. The counselor may also work with the teenager to develop a plan for how to manage their emotions and navigate their changing family dynamics. This may include strategies for communicating with their parents, setting boundaries, and maintaining healthy relationships with both parents.
What Happens During Pre-Divorce Counseling for Couples?
Pre-divorce counseling is done in the presence of both spouses. The following can be expected:
- Improved overall communication between the partners. Usually, couples develop a communication block, which the pre-divorce counselor helps them overcome.
- A civilized and peaceful conversation about future issues. Divorce comes with its fair share of problems, so knowing how to communicate with each other will help prepare for it better.
- Finding the right option for the well-being of the children. Divorce can be especially hard on children and teenagers. Since children come first, parents have to find the best option for their well-being, even if they don’t get along with each other.
- Making a plan to go through the divorce as seamlessly as possible. During the process of divorce, numerous arguments can arise. Pre-divorce counseling helps couples make those necessary plans to better prepare for the divorce.
Benefits of Pre-Divorce Counseling: How Does it Help Teenage Children?
It Can Help Prepare for The Journey Ahead
Children, especially teenagers, can take divorce the hardest. With pre-divorce counseling, parents may be motivated to make things better. Pre-divorce counseling for couples with children can help all parties go through the process more easily.
Parents may also learn how to discuss the divorce with their children, help them transition to two different households, and in certain cases, adapt to blended families. A study conducted by Loyola University recommends that children experiencing parental divorce must have an outlet to discuss their feelings with others in a supervised support group environment.
Explaining the situation to the kids can better prepare them to deal with their emotions, as they will know what to expect.
It Helps Form New Routines
In pre-divorce counseling, spouses learn to communicate with their teens in an unbiased manner. This can help them work out their emotional issues in a healthy way. Moreover, your teenager can work with you to form new routines and maintain the bond.
Supporting Your Teens
The process of getting a divorce can seem quite overwhelming for everyone in your family, and most divorcing families have plenty of questions. Pre-divorce counseling can provide teenagers with a safe and supportive environment to express their feelings and questions about their parents’ separation and provide divorcing couples with strategies to help their teenagers process the upcoming changes..
By addressing these issues early on, pre-divorce counseling can help minimize the negative effects of divorce on teenagers. Ultimately, investing in pre-divorce counseling for teenagers can lead to healthier and more positive outcomes for everyone involved in the divorce process.
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