My divorce recovery and support group lasts for 12 weeks, with no more than 6 participants meeting online once a week for 80-minute Zoom sessions. There are no required materials, and you do not have to have been in therapy previously to enroll, though an initial individual consultation will help me get to know you. 

This is not a processing group or a chance to vent about your ex. Rather, I guide each interactive session with focused psychoeducational concepts and key skills to foster deeper insight, awareness, and accountability. Through this process, my aim is to help you develop communication and conflict-resolution strategies—especially as you prepare to co-parent with your ex.

The three steps to this process are stabilizing your life, analyzing what went wrong, and synthesizing this information in learning to create the life you actually want. As such, each week of our divorce support group follows the same structure: 

• Check-in
• Psychoeducation module to help you understand each week’s area of focus
• Group discussion and process to facilitate deeper insight
• Skills practice
• Homework assignment for the following week

This phase focuses on emotional, social, financial and behavioral stability so you can regain your footing before beginning deeper, insight-oriented work.

Week One: Orientation, Expectations, & Male Divorce Psychology

Objectives: As we establish safety, confidentiality, and guidelines for the support group, we will also work to normalize male experiences of divorce while introducing core themes and incorporating factors that will help build consistency.

Takeaways: A better understanding of how divorce can lead to avoidance, loneliness, and compensatory behaviors, alongside new opportunities for increasing stability.

Week Two: Taking Personal Accountability Without Shame

Objectives: In the process of moving away from “blame” narratives, we learn how to distinguish self-responsibility from self-attack.

Takeaways: A deeper commitment to accountability and forward-moving momentum in the context of divorce.

Week Three: Understanding & Regulating Male Anger

Objectives: In this session, we deepen our understanding of regulation techniques and improve on identifying the primary emotions beneath anger to avoid conflict, irritability, or withdrawal.

Takeaways: Concrete skills for grounding, pacing, and cognitive reframing.

Week Four: Grief, Loss, & Letting Go Of The “Old” Life

Objectives: As we validate feelings of grief, we learn about nonlinear healing and what it takes to make meaning out of loss.

Takeaways: More awareness of the impact of grief alongside rituals for closure.

This phase focuses on emotional, social, financial and behavioral stability so you can regain your footing before beginning deeper, insight-oriented work.

Week Five: Identity Reconstruction, Who Am I Now?

Objectives: Through the gradual process of rebuilding a sense of self, we explore aspects of masculinity and their interplay in relationship.

Takeaways: “Midlife reinvention” that strengthens identity and recovers a sense of purpose.

Week Six: Parenting After Divorce (Pt. 1): Your Role In Repair

Objectives: To nurture a deeper exploration of past parenting experiences and blueprints, we must first identify guilt- or fear-based patterns.

Takeaways: Effective repair strategies to employ at home in an effort to create a sense of consistency as children navigate two living situations.

Week Seven: Parenting After Divorce (Pt. 2): Co-Parenting & High-Conflict Skills

Objectives: We spend time fostering actionable skills for cooperative parenting to reduce potential conflict and escalation.

Takeaways: A better understanding of how to effectively navigate logistical, legal, and financial boundaries with an ex through the BIFF (Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm) communication model.

Week Eight: Boundaries With Your Ex, Your Kids, & Yourself

Objectives: In learning to differentiate between healthy boundaries and emotional walls, we will develop concrete rules for interacting with others in a way that facilitates calm and closeness.

Takeaways: Challenging guilt narratives in a way that allows you to manage pushback and stay firm when necessary.

This phase focuses on emotional, social, financial and behavioral stability so you can regain your footing before beginning deeper, insight-oriented work.

Week Nine: Support Network, Friendship, & Reducing Isolation

Objectives: With some psychoeducation around depression, isolation, and support systems, we work to strengthen male friendships and vulnerability.

Takeaways: Stronger connections with other men and a better understanding of what emotionally healthy relationships look like.

Week Ten: Self-Care, Health, Sexuality, & Avoiding Numbing Behaviors

Objectives: In the process of building effective long-term wellness habits, we identify unhealthy coping strategies to strengthen intimacy and self-understanding.

Takeaways: Increased awareness and accountability when it comes to behaviors, particularly those having to do with sex, porn use, substance use, and other compulsive behaviors.

Week Eleven: Dating After Divorce Without Repeating Old Patterns

Objectives: Through an exploration of attachment patterns, we examine how to prevent unhealthy dynamics and set positive expectations for future relationships.

Takeaways: An ability to identify self-sabotage patterns and other red flags that may have been overlooked in previous relationships.

Week Twelve: Future Visioning: Building A Life You’re Excited To Live

Objectives: As we bring our support group sessions to a close, we create long-term goals, personal missions, and a strong post-divorce support network.

Takeaways: Generating momentum in terms of career, health, relationships, and a sense of adventure in the process of developing a sustainable plan for the future.