How to Help a Family Member Heal After a Divorce

People who have or are going through a divorce or separation need companionship. The issue is that your family member will be going through emotional, physical and even financial changes such that they will not know what to ask for, or even how to ask for it. Separating or divorcing from marriage is emotionally wrenching, heartbreaking for kids, and cataclysmic for your finances. Friends will disappear, especially the married friends and the only person a divorcee is left with is the family members. Therefore, they need support and love from family members during the healing process to cope with the divorce.

One of the worst things is to see someone you love going through a divorce, whether it is a son, parent, brother or even a cousin because it causes you anxiety and makes you frustrated and helpless. It can be frustrating to stand on the sidelines as you struggle to think of how to offer your support, and sometimes you may misstep without knowing it even if you have the best intentions at heart. Well, you can read through these tips and advice on what to say or do to support your family member during the healing process.

Help them focus on the future

You need to help your family member to focus on how to move on and make their lives better in romance, career and co-parenting after the divorce. However, don’t talk negative things about the ex. Instead, help them to get smart with money, build their careers, and their personal development without first rushing into anything permanent

Listen up

Give your loved one an ear and a shoulder to lean on during the healing process. It is expected for them to feel lonely, isolated or even rejected during a divorce because most of your in-laws or friends become an uncomfortable zone. You need to be there for your family member even if they haven’t asked you to give them company. Make sure you listen to them without saying a word and hang out with them so that they can be distracted from the divorce. Make sure you are there for them when they need to get their emotions out. Also, avoid judging or blaming their partner and assure them that it is just a tough situation, which will eventually pass.

Every divorce is different

You might have gone through a divorce and would like to advise your family member too on how to go through the healing process. However, remember that not all divorces are the same, so refrain from giving bad advice like telling your family member never to compromise and fight, not to listen to their divorce lawyer, flaunt their new boyfriend, or even take the children away from their spouse. However, one of the best decisions you can make is to hire divorce attorneys in Utah to guide you through and represent your interests. A divorce doesn’t have to be dramatic; hence, spare your family member some pieces of bad advice because they will cause more harm than good.

Sunday Brunches

Sundays can sometimes be lonely. You need to invite your family member to several convivial Sunday brunches. Besides, you can invite your family member out for a date such as for coffee or nature walk. Marriage life takes up a lot of time, and the person might not know what to do with all the free time at his or her disposal after the divorce. Help the family member to develop hobbies or interest by doing lots of stuff together.

Don’t interrogate

You should avoid asking questions about how the divorce happened because it sparks emotions even if you think that you are expressing your concern. Instead, let your sister, parent, aunt or brother know that you believe in them to restore their self-esteem and confidence. Also, help them to connect with the world or community even if they are tempted to withdraw from the world.

These are just some simple tips to help your family member heal and get through the aftermath of a divorce. These can help fill the void that is in their life while feeling your support and love. There are many other ways you can help a family member through a divorce but hopefully these can give you an idea of where to start.

Craig Middleton

Craig has worked in health, real estate, and HR businesses for most of his professional career. He graduated at UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in Marketing.

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