The Importance of Counseling for Kids During a Divorce

One of the most challenging experiences a family can ever face is divorce. During your separation, it doesn’t only affect you and your spouse, but if you have children, you have to think about their welfare too and how to guide them and cope with the situation.

While you cannot help it if you and your partner have realized your differences and wish to end the marriage, the least you can do is make it less difficult for your children. They are likely to feel various emotions during the divorce like confusion, anxiety, anger, and depression.

If you fail to act as parents and focus only on finalizing the divorce, your children could feel abandoned, which is the last thing you wish to happen. One way to get through troubling times is to seek family counselling to benefit the entire family. Keep reading below to learn why you must have a therapist step in and offer expert guidance for you, your spouse, and your children.

What is Family Counseling?

Married couples going through a rough patch and are thinking about separating from their partner often turn to therapy or counselling to either try and work it out or ease the process. Besides attending divorce counselling to help a couple straighten things out, it can also include the children who are part of the divorce since they might keep the parents together.

The situation turns into family counselling wherein everyone becomes involved. A therapist considers not only you and your partner’s opinions and feelings but that of your children as well. They strive to provide a safe space for everyone to speak up and say what they think.

Every concern a person has regarding their family and the divorce is respected, listened to, and acknowledged. Now more than ever, your children require guidance because they might think of the divorce as a way to blame themselves for it happening without you knowing.

Counselling straightens out misunderstandings and reaffirms your children that it isn’t their fault, all while maintaining a calm environment where everyone can share without judgment. Besides, you as a parent may also require assistance to develop a better connection with your child and prove you love them and will always choose what’s best for them.

Why Your Kids Need Counseling Too

Throughout the divorce, bonding with the whole family and pretending everything is okay in front of your children may seem difficult, especially if you want to speed up the process. However, you must never forget about your children’s feelings and constantly assure them you love them.

Despite what’s happening, remembering that your kids have needs and have different ways of processing the separation is vital, and the best way to handle it is to seek counselling services. Although you think you know your children best, a therapist will know the right questions to ask them to bring out their true feelings regarding the separation.

During a typical counselling session, the parents and their children will strive to act as a team and develop new routines and hope to keep the bond of the family strong. If you and your partner really cannot reconcile because of your differences, thinking about the welfare of your children could be your only resort to keep showing up to the therapy.

Being there for your kids when they need you the most is fundamental to guarantee they won’t resent their parents after the divorce. A therapist guides the family within a neutral space, leading you and your children to avoid developing negative feelings toward each other.

Conclusion

When you come to a point where you and your partner don’t see eye to eye anymore, it may be time for you to think about ending the marriage and seeking separation counselling. If there are children involved, you shouldn’t forget about their future and include them in the therapy sessions. Although you and your spouse are old enough to handle tough decisions, your children may not, so they require guidance from a therapist to obtain peace of mind.

Are you looking for family counselling and support services in Guelph? Chettiar Counselling & Associates is run by a team of therapists dedicated to providing help managing anxiety, depression, anger management, separation and divorce, parenting support, and more. Get in touch with us today to book an appointment!