Going through a divorce is difficult, even when things are amicable. No one gets married thinking things will eventually end. When they do, it’s a major life change, and everything you know and have become used to can feel like it’s been flipped upside down.
In some cases, going through a divorce might make you feel like you’ve lost your identity. This is especially common in couples who have been together for years. Maybe you subconsciously started to see yourself as nothing more than a piece of the puzzle in your marriage.
Maybe you even lost your confidence along the way because you focused less on yourself and more on your relationship.
Now that you’re divorced, what can you do to rediscover that confidence and feel more like yourself again?
Divorce counseling could be the answer.
What is Divorce Counseling?
Again, dealing with a divorce is difficult. It’s often painful, uncertain, and you might find yourself wondering how you’re going to get through it on your own. Divorce counseling is a great way to help you work through your emotions and keep moving forward into the next chapter of your life.
A divorce counselor will help you establish healthy ways of coping with your pain and uncertainty. They can also work through the ins and outs of your relationship with you, determining why it failed and guiding you to make changes for the future if you ever decide to get into a relationship again.
Rediscovering Your Confidence
It’s not uncommon to lose your sense of identity after a divorce. But, if your marriage wasn’t healthy, you might also find that you lost your sense of confidence years ago.
Or, the divorce itself may have been a surprise, shattering your self-esteem and leaving you feeling somewhat empty.
A divorce counselor can work with you to re-discover who you are on your own—not as one-half of a couple. They’ll guide you through the issues within your marriage and what might have caused you to lose your self-esteem and confidence. Stripping back those layers is never fun. But, it’s a necessary step in getting to the root cause of the problem.
Once you’ve uncovered those causes, you can learn how to build yourself back up.
Finding Yourself Again
In addition to helping you cope with the pain of divorce, counseling can provide the skills necessary to boost your confidence on a daily basis. That starts with self-care and making your overall well-being a priority. Choose to value yourself for exactly who you are.
Things like journaling, mindfulness and meditation are also fantastic ways to rediscover your confidence. A counselor can teach you more about the best practices for each.
Finally, you’ll regain your confidence when you feel good about moving forward. One of the main aspects of divorce counseling is learning how to move on with your life in healthy ways after your divorce. It’s not uncommon to feel “stuck” immediately after the divorce has been finalized. Having someone on your side to help you move forward is a huge benefit.
Once you realize you can make it on your own, your confidence will grow. You’ll realize that you can decorate a home the way you want, participate in activities you enjoy, spend time with friends and family members you love, and figure out who you are and who you want to be as you go forward. Each day will bring more confidence back into your life.
If you’ve recently gone through a divorce or you’re currently in the thick of one, understand that you don’t have to do it alone. Consider divorce counseling to help you work through your uncertainties and to provide support as you start the next stage of your life.