Updated September 2026 | Reviewed by Chris Berger, M.A., LPC, NCC
Divorce recovery is the process of working through the grief, anger, and identity questions that follow the end of a marriage so you can move from simply coping to feeling empowered and fulfilled. Counseling helps you process the loss, rebuild your sense of self, and support your children through the transition.
Key takeaways
At Foundations Counseling, a large share of the individuals and couples we see come to us because they are getting divorced or have recently been divorced and need help navigating painful new terrain.
Even the most amicable divorces hurt. Both parties may want the separation, and there may be good reasons for the breakup, and yet it is never easy. The grief that comes with the dissolution of a relationship that once meant everything to you is intense. There is anger, sadness, loneliness, and a very real mourning for the hopes and dreams you once had for the marriage and your future.
You are not alone in this. According to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, there were 672,502 divorces and annulments in 2023 across the 45 states and D.C. that report divorce data. Behind every one of those numbers is a family working through the same questions you are.
Divorce turns a person's life upside down. Questions with no easy answers weigh on your mind and heart. The practical concerns come first:
Then come the emotional questions:
There may be psychological and physical symptoms to manage. Disruptions in sleep and eating are common, as are depression, anxiety, and trouble focusing on everyday tasks.
Some days feel brighter. Some days are excruciating. And if there are children involved, things are even more complicated, because communication between the divorcing couple about their children is typically strained. If your low days deepen into hopelessness, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time.
A skilled counselor can help you through this troubling time and chart a path to divorce recovery, providing support through every phase of the process, such as:
Our goal as divorce recovery therapists is not to help you simply suppress or distract yourself from your pain, but to work through sadness, self-blame, anxiety, shame, guilt, and rage so you can feel free, whole, and in control of your life. An important role we play is helping clients get unstuck so they can realize their potential.
It is always best for parents to work out their issues with other adults rather than with their children. Our individual and child counseling helps kids develop tools that foster self-acceptance and healthy self-esteem. These tools are essential for children healing from the stressful and often traumatic events that can accompany the breakup of a family.
The divorce recovery process enables you to move from simply coping and surviving to leading a life in which you feel empowered, fulfilled, independent, and engaged in relationships that are enriching and loving. When you are ready, our guide on dating after divorce can help you decide whether it is time to open that chapter. And if infidelity was part of your story, healing from an affair covers that road in depth.
There is no fixed timeline. Grief after divorce is not linear, and most people move through waves of better and harder days over months, sometimes longer. Counseling does not rush the process, but it helps you move through the feelings instead of getting stuck in them.
Either, or both. A counselor can help while you are deciding to separate, during the legal process, and in the rebuilding phase afterward. Many clients find support most valuable early, when the practical and emotional questions feel most overwhelming.
Keep conflict away from them, keep routines steady, and reassure them that the divorce is not their fault. Work out disagreements with other adults, not through your children. Child counseling can give kids their own safe place to process the change and build self-esteem.
Amicable does not mean painless. Even when both partners agree the marriage should end, there is real grief for the relationship and the future you had planned. Therapy helps you process that loss and step into your next chapter with clarity.
Clinically reviewed by Chris Berger, M.A., LPC, NCC.
If you or someone you know would benefit from divorce recovery counseling, the caring, compassionate counselors at Foundations Counseling in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Windsor can help. Book a free consultation or call 970.227.2770. Your first consultation is free, and most new clients have their first appointment within about 48 hours.