Divorce Support Groups and Workshops UK

Divorce Support Groups
Women and Divorce
Wendi Schuller
Author of
The Global Guide to Divorce

During divorce there are online and offline groups to help one get through this life changing transition.

In the States, it is common for a judge, interim psychologist, or the solicitors to mandate that the spouses take a co-parenting class (separately).

However, after divorce, when I particularly wanted assistance for myself, it was scarcer. Of course I could have gone to a life coach, which is helpful, but I wanted the type of interaction only found in group setting.

In the UK today, there are several organisations in the UK that provide post-divorce support and guidance in such a setting.

The charity Divorce Recovery Workshops (DRW) is mainly staffed by volunteers who have gone through divorce themselves. Their six sessions are around two hours and cover such topics as “Coping with your ex-spouse”, “Letting Go and Forgiveness” and “Thinking about new relationships.”

A video is shown first, followed by a discussion and sharing of experiences. The participants realize that others are going through the same problems and “recovery from traumatic experiences can bring opportunities for personal growth.” DWR has quarterly weekend retreats in lovely country hotels from Friday evening to after Sunday lunch. Since they are a non-profit organization, fees are kept reasonable. Go online to find a workshop near your area www.drw.org.uk

Divorce Care is a global organization that has branches in the UK and elsewhere. I tested this by selecting the various cites of London, Cape Town, Auckland, New South Wales, Australia, Cincinnati (USA) and Chicago and yes there were groups in these places.

Divorce Care meets weekly and shows a “video seminar” first and then there is a discussion and sharing of the participants’ lives.

People learn practical tips that help them recover from divorce. Some Divorce Care participants have stated that it is like becoming part of a family. Divorce Care shows “ways to restore your hope and rebuild your life.” Some branches of this organization have kids groups for those aged 5-12 and are called Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K). Divorce Care’s web site is www.divorce.org

Maypole Woman is a charity run by women and for women which continues to be a support in the post-divorce period. Their helpful links are great no matter where you live in the UK. This Leed’s charity is particularly interested in helping women post-divorce and “enabling them to meet the needs of their children effectively at all times.”   www.maypole.org.uk

Divorce Support Group has specially trained therapists who run small groups for ninety minute sessions for ten weeks. People are evaluated first in an individual session with a therapist that lasts fifty minutes.

The participants range from going through a divorce to being divorced and moving on. The prices are £50 for the initial consultation and £38 per session with a discount if you pay for all of them on the first visit.

Divorce Support Group states “By sharing similar experiences, doing some tried and tested exercises, meeting others in similar situations and by learning to manage your own and your children’s experience of your separation, you will begin to take control back into your life and think about your future instead of only your past.”  www.divorcesupportgroup.co.uk

Restored Lives course “supports and empowers people to move forward from divorce…to live a full life free from past issues.”  This charity has group sessions run by people who have been divorced themselves. A meal starts off the evening course followed by discussions in small groups. Some topics covered are: “Resolving Conflict”, “Parenting Issues” and “Moving Forward with Hope.” Restored Lives has courses throughout the UK   www.restoredlives.org

Check the MeetUp.com groups in your locale for specific divorce groups or the more general social ones.

These groups are all around the UK and in many parts of the world. If venting to friends is not enough, it is nice to know that there are organizations that provide post-divorce support in group settings around your area.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLES BY WENDI SCHULLER

ABOUT WENDI

Wendi Schuller is a nurse, hypnotherapist and is certified in Neuro-linguistic Programing (NLP).

Her most recent book is The Global Guide to Divorce and she has over 200 published articles.

She is a guest on radio programs in the US and UK. Her website is globalguidetodivorce.com.

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