Divorced/Separated Fathers and Couples:

When relationships end there are no winners.   Everyone loses and everyone has pain.   For couples with children, there is frequently tremendous stress, pain, and worry over the cooperative raising of the children.   In fact, our children need us more at such times than most parents can imagine.   During the time of separation or post-divorce, therapy can help the two parents keep their children out of the conflict as much as possible and to help them each offer the best parenting possible. Additional and different parenting skills are required when a family is going through the throws of separation or divorce.   Therapy can equip parents with the necessary skills to parent their children as well as helping themselves survive the stress, pain, and turmoil that the situation creates.   By improving one's parenting skills and by learning to better care for our own needs we can help our children make it through this difficult transition by not adding to the trauma of this time and also to minimize or avoid completely future problems that children of divorce are prone to develop.  

It is an unfortunate truth today that there is little support available for separated or divorced fathers.   Many custody arrangements clearly favor the mother and can help alienate the father.   Some fathers are made to feel unneeded and unnecessary.   This is a tremendous blow to their self-esteem.   Out of pain and extreme frustration some fathers eventually give up on the struggle and they and their children lose something invaluable.   At the Life Center for Growth and Healing we offer a variety of services for fathers who are going through a separation or divorce.   One of our more popular groups specifically addresses this population.   Members benefit from the mutual support and understanding as well as improving parenting skills during this demanding and agonizing time.   Therapy that supports the father's parenting role and skills helps both the adult and the child.   You both win.