Support Groups Aren’t For Everyone, But Maybe They Should Be

If you thought that support groups were only for those individuals impacted by addiction or mental illness, you may have thought wrong. In the most basic of descriptions, support groups are gatherings of individuals facing a common challenge or experience whether that be living with an alcoholic to raising children as single parents. If you can think of a difficult experience that may require support in its navigation both from an emotional standpoint as well as from a process perspective, there more than likely is a support group for it. And, with nearly half of all marriages ending in divorce, there certainly is a need for individuals experiencing divorce to come together for one another.

By sharing common experiences, individuals are able to offer SUPPORT, ENCOURAGEMENT, CAMARADERIE, and COMFORT when they are together. Whether you do or do not have a solid support network of friends and family around you, support groups offer a level of help that is very different from those individuals in your life that may not know what to say or how best to help.

We know that not everyone's divorce is alike.

AND, we also know that individuals who have faced divorce are better able to understand the emotional impact and provide practical guidance from their own experiences, when the support group is facilitated by a trained professional, such as the support groups offered through The Split Society.

The impactful leading and facilitation of conversations during support groups help the participants experience the most from their connections with members of the group.

So what holds people back from getting the support they need?

• Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions about support groups that prevent people from engaging. Mostly, people are afraid that they will be forced to share their most personal feelings with a bunch of strangers. But sharing is not and should not be a requirement of participation. Sharing is a personal choice that you have full autonomy over. Until you build trust within yourself and the group, observing and listening can be just as impactful as sharing and speaking.

• Another misconception is that support groups are just a bunch of sad miserable people depressing each other further into a quandary of despair. In my experience as a facilitator of support groups for years, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, there may be some tears and sadness but there are also smiles and laughter. All are effective forms of release and they do balance each other out. Individual stories can also be sources of inspiration, perspective, and celebrations of resiliency.

Getting divorced is hard and you do not need to be alone to navigate this on your own. Having the right support systems in place to guide, comfort, and encourage when you feel lost, overwhelmed, alone and unsure is the best gift you can give yourself and your family. As part of the Split Society’s private facebook membership, support groups are available to its members on a bi-weekly basis at various times to accommodate all.

Take the steps you need to get control of your divorce process and the associated feelings of overwhelm, sadness, and loss inherent in the process with the Split Society.

The Split Society is an amazing and AFFORDABLE private online group with DAILY ACCESS to me, Tracy Callahan, The Divorce Coach Who Knows. Whether you are thinking about leaving your significant other or spouse, or are going through your divorce, having a PROFESSIONAL on your team to give you the EMOTIONAL and ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT you need will make all the difference.⁠

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!