3 Ways Family Counseling Can Help Children in a Divorce

 Posted on May 30, 2024 in Divorce

Divorce is known for taking a massive emotional toll on the parties involved. Many spouses who get divorced experience the five stages of grief. Then, there is adapting to life after divorce. Adjusting to a parenting time schedule, for example — a schedule for dividing physical custody between the two parents — can be very difficult.

However, research has found that children are often even more affected by a divorce than their parents. Kids whose parents get divorced are more likely to:

• Act out

• Have trouble studying

• Have less healthy relationships

This is why many parents who get divorced sign up for family counseling. Children receive enormous emotional benefits from family counseling, which this article will discuss. Ask your divorce attorney to recommend a great family counselor.

Successful Communication

Many children have difficulty communicating their feelings when their parents are going through a divorce. Even if a child is normally a great communicator, the concept of divorce is complicated to a young mind. If kids cannot understand divorce, they will have a hard time understanding their feelings about divorce and will have a great deal of difficulty communicating feelings they do not understand.

Therapy can help children understand divorce at an age-appropriate level and process their feelings about it.

Prevent Resentment

It is common for children going through a divorce to blame their parents. They might feel the parents did not try hard enough to stay together, or they might blame one “bad” parent for sabotaging the marriage. This can lead a child to develop strong feelings of resentment toward one or more of his or her parents. 

Family counseling, however, can help children understand that their parents are good people with great qualities who made a tough decision. A qualified therapist can head off feelings of resentment before they develop.

Prevent Guilt

Children often find ways to blame themselves for their parents’ divorce. This is especially likely to happen when a child does not understand divorce. If this line of thinking is allowed to fester, it will be very difficult for a child to recover from it. This can lead a child to harbor deep feelings of guilt and regret. 

An experienced family counselor can relieve the child of this assumption and put a stop to any feelings of blame before they have a chance to grow.

Contact a Naperville, IL Divorce Lawyer

Children often feel the brunt of divorce, though they may not know it at the time. Family counseling can help a child process the divorce in a healthy way and have a faster and emotionally healthy recovery. Ask your DuPage County, Illinois divorce attorney about where to start getting counseling for your family.

At Pesce Law Group, P.C., we understand the impact divorce has on children and we are well-equipped to help your child get the resources he or she needs. We are highly networked and have attorneys who are trained to represent children’s interests. Contact 630-352-2240 to find out how you can help your child today.