No one marries to have it end in divorce. Whether you are seeking a divorce or are faced with one you do not want, the experience is often confusing and emotionally draining. Non-judgmental, strengths-focused therapy encourages those divorcing to explore their thoughts, feelings and behaviors in an environment that is both validating and seeks to responsibly empower clients to make choices that lead to healing and hope.

A person sits on a couch with knees drawn to chest and arms wrapped around legs, head resting on knees, appearing withdrawn or upset—highlighting the importance of mental health services like Choices Psychotherapy.

Facts About Divorce Recovery

  • Divorce rates for most age groups have been dropping since 1996
  • On average 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce. The number is similarly high in many other developed nations.
  • The average length of a marriage that ends in divorce is eight years.
  • People wait an average of three years after a divorce to remarry (if they remarry at all).
  • The average age for couples going through their first divorce is 30 years old.
  • If your parents are happily married, your risk of divorce decreases by 14 percent.
  • People who wait to marry until they are over the age of 25 are 24 percent less likely to get divorced.
  • If you’ve attended college, your risk of divorce decreases by 13 percent.
  • The divorce rate among couples with children is 40 percent lower than couples without children.
  • Forty-three percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers.
  • Seventy-five percent of children with divorced parents live with their mother.

Stages of Divorce Recovery

According to the Divorce Magazine:

During and following a divorce, you will experience various stages of grief as you begin processing your divorce and what caused your marriage to end. These stages don’t necessarily go in an exact order. When you have moved on to one, you can certainly revert to another.

  • Denial - You can’t believe this is actually happening.
  • Pain and Fear - This really hurts in many ways, and how am I going to go on by myself emotionally, monetarily, etc.?
  • Anger - How could the person I exchanged vows with in front of God, family, and friends be doing this? I don’t deserve this.
  • Bargaining - You might start to promise your spouse mostly unrealistic things to stop the action.
  • Guilt - You believe it’s all your fault – maybe a lot of it is.
  • Depression - This is all settling in now. The person I was supposed to have loved and he/she love me back have betrayed me.
  • Acceptance - This really is happening to me. I have to devise some coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with all of this.