I remember lying in bed a year and a half before my divorce, thinking, I can’t even get a part-time job at the local variety store. I was once well-educated, with a degree and a postgraduate diploma, yet I felt completely worthless.
American naturalist and writer Hal Borland said, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn,” a phrase that is often used to give hope to people going through something difficult. I know from my experience of working with people who
Between the day you decide to separate and the day you finally feel settled in your new co-parenting life, there is a mountain to climb. It can be daunting and you may not feel ready to take that first step but, when
I went to a social worker as a teenager for over two years. And yes, it helped. I could finally talk about the horrendous things that happened to me growing up. But the truth? We only scratched the surface. The deeper wounds
Mental health expert Noel McDermott examines what our children need through periods of transition; it’s first important to understand what we mean psychologically by a transition. A transition isn’t just a change of something, it is a change that requires an emotional
Why Relationship Breakdown Magnifies Suicide Risk A relationship ending is not a minor life event. It represents the loss of an attachment bond, and that loss can have profound consequences for psychological and physical wellbeing. Many people who function well in other
“Divorce is often perceived as a legal or relational event, but its impact runs far deeper, especially for men. While societal narratives tend to focus on the emotional struggles’ women face, it is increasingly clear that men also endure significant psychological upheaval¹.
It is a human truth: divorce is hard. Within that truth is a depth of feeling that is often so visceral it is difficult to communicate. Divorce is not just hard, it is raw, exposing and messy. The loss of love, the
When your marriage ends, it does not mean that your life ends. Divorce has a way of shaking the foundation of who we are and how we see ourselves. When the dust settles, many people going through a divorce (men and women)
When we think about grief after divorce, most people imagine the loss of love, trust, or family structure. But there’s another kind of grief that runs deep—and is rarely named: money grief. One of my clients once said, “I’m not grieving the
Getting a hug during times of change One of the most important things to learn about having healthy ways of navigating change is to fully accept that a different set of rules apply to transitions for all humans. Change is perceived by
Here psychotherapist and Counsellor Margaret Ward-Martin examines narcissistic family systems and how to handle them. In such families, the narcissist, usually a parent or grandparent, demands that everyone meets their needs. They manipulate, shame, guilt trip, gaslight, and rage to maintain control. Narcissistic parents