Looking for divorce support groups? Contemplating divorce? Going through a divorce recovery? Searching for divorce groups or general divorce resources? If so, you are not alone. You’ve come to the right place!
What do I know about divorce support groups? My name is Sean Galla and I’ve been facilitating support groups for 11+ years and these groups have helped hundreds of men with their divorce recovery.
Table of Contents:
What is a divorce support group?
A divorce support group is a meetup group that gathers to provide support and to group members who are going through post-divorce recovery challenges. (You can also find online help through online divorce support group).
The unfortunate reality is that 40-50% of people who are married in the US will end up divorcing. Divorce support groups will help members deal with the challenges that come with divorces, such as co-parenting, dealing with the emotions, the actual divorce process, and more.
Benefits of divorce support groups
There are numerous benefits of joining a men’s divorce support group. Benefits vary from person to person. Let’s talk about some of the main benefits that we hear about most often when divorcing:
A Community Meetup
Being in divorce support groups for men meetup motivates members to interact with people during weekly meetings who are dealing with similar challenges. This is helpful to bounce ideas off your peers and to listen to other ideas on how to cope with divorce. Having members of the group saying “I’ve been dealing with something similar” can lift some weight off of people’s shoulders. This helps tremendously with the divorce healing process.
A safe place
Men’s divorce support groups allow members to talk about what is going on in their lives in a safe environment (some people refer to this as a divorcecare group). Rather than bottling up your feelings, you have the chance to talk about pressing matters and let go of some of those challenges.
Resources
Attending a men’s divorce support group can give people the resources on how to cope in a healthy way. Turning to typical masculine vices like alcohol are some of the most common unhealthy coping methods. Support groups help find resources on how to navigate divorce in healthy ways such as journaling, controlling emotions, etc. You can also find the first-hand experience for topics like the best divorce lawyer or how to approach child support.
Feedback
Getting positive and negative feedback can be beneficial. People could be believing they are doing the right thing by exposing their wife’s nude pictures they have on their phones. It is difficult to think clearly when people are going through pain. So getting the honest truth about what is helpful to get through a divorce and what is not, will help members deal with this difficult time in their lives.
Divorce group facilitation
When thinking about how to start a support group, choosing the right person to be the group facilitator is important for the success of any support group. When you are learning how to start a divorce support group, the facilitator makes a huge difference. The group facilitator opens the meetings as well as closes, steers the discussion, and helps the group with supporting each other. The facilitator also sets rules for the group and determines where and when the group meets. The ideal facilitator will possess the following qualities:
Time on their hands
The group facilitator doesn’t need to have all the time in the world, but dedication to the support group will be needed. This person will need to take notes and come up with questions beforehand. They will also need to be available if anyone has questions outside of the meetings.
Experience or willingness to learn
If the facilitator has a decade of experience under their belt, that might help the support group succeed. If the facilitator has never run a support group but they have the willingness to try their best and are wanting to learn how to make the group successful, the group can still succeed.
The right attitude
This person needs to be open-minded, not judging of any kind, and have a positive attitude because the reasons for divorce may vary. The group facilitator needs to make sure the group members are feeling open to chatting to them about very personal information. Being the main person for the support system can be challenging, but also rewarding.
Motivation
He or she should have some sort of interest in the topic or at least just commitment to the group. This will be beneficial to the facilitator and the divorce support group members. If the group facilitator is not engaged with the group members, the members might not feel as motivated to open up.
The 7 best divorce support groups
1. MHA National
https://www.mhanational.org/find-support-groups
Mental Health America is an excellent choice for finding the right support group in your area. They provide more than 250 support groups on various topics, and divorce is one of the many. You can join their free community discussion board which lets you chat with people who are going through similar challenges.
2 . MensGroup
Mensgroup is specifically a support group platform for men and their main goal is to create a positive community and conversations where men can feel comfortable sharing what is really going on in their lives, instead of bottling up their emotions. During these divorcecare support group meetings, you will virtually chat with group members who are going through similar challenges. These online meetings are cost-effective and have changed thousands of men’s lives.
3. WomansDivorce
https://www.womansdivorce.com/
This group is aimed towards women and provides women going through a divorce with resources, advice, and support groups. There are downloadable forms that are helpful during a divorce such as changing back to your maiden name, settlement agreements, etc. This platform lists hundreds of divorcecare groups. They also have tools to help you find a divorce attorney to help you with surviving divorce. To do so, people can search by zip code or the name of the group.
4. Meetup Groups
These groups are organized around locations and interests. According to the website, there are over 959 different divorce support meetup groups. Some are organized and run by professionals, others are run by non-professionals. You can even make your own Meetup if your location doesn’t have a divorce support group.
5. DailyStrength
https://www.dailystrength.org/group/breakups-divorce
If you’re looking for divorce recovery groups or father support groups where you can listen to a lot of people’s advice and challenges, this is for you. According to their website, there are over 11,000 members and almost 100,000 posts on the topic of divorce alone. A lot of it is legal advice, child support and emotional support topics.
6. LoveShack
https://www.loveshack.org/forums/#breaking-up-reconciliation-coping
This online support groups gives relationship advice and direction in future relationships. There are numerous topics to click on and read through advice from other people going through something similar that you are.
7. Support Groups
Support Groups is a message forum that has specific forums for divorcing.
Finding the best supportive group for divorce
Before joining a men’s divorce support group, there are some things to ask before joining. Such as:
What is the duration?
You’ll need to see how often and when these group meetings take place. Some meetings you’ll need to drive to the destination and some are online. You’ll need to find out what works best for your schedule and how much time you are willing to dedicate to your support group.
Expectations for attendance?
Does the group allow drop-ins or do you need to register beforehand? Some people might not want to commit. This is something to think about before joining a support group. Luckily, there are so many different support groups out there, that you will be able to find one that best suits you.
How much do divorce support groups cost?
Cost is a big factor for many people when joining a support group. Some classes are pay as you go sort of thing, some are monthly rates. You’ll need to find out how much you are willing to spend before joining a support group for divorce recovery.
In person vs. online divorce support groups
In first world countries like the United States, you will find a number of divorce support groups in any major city. Outside of the United States and other countires, a supportive group for divorcecare can be a lot more challenging to track down.
But there are many peer support groups for divorce that run online. Virtual divorce support groups have many advantages including more convenience, more confidential and less costly.
Facilitator’s experience?
Just like everything in life, you learn as you go. The same goes for facilitating a support group. Doing some research on how many years of experience the facilitator has can be beneficial.
What do I want out of it?
This is something that each individual member should think about before going into a support group for divorcing. Maybe you just want to let some things off your chest, or you want to learn how to be a better parent with your ex-partner. Whatever the case may be, determining your goals beforehand will help you choose which divorce support group is best for you.
Is an online divorce support group for you?
The reality of divorce is that most people have been affected by it. Whether it’s been a childhood friend who grew up with divorced parents or someone in your life who is currently going through it, the truth is that it can be a bad situation without the proper tools to get through it. Divorcecare support groups can help find positive coping methods and ways to communicate with your ex-partner.
If you or someone in your life are needing assistance with getting through a divorce, our advice is to just get out and do it. Mensgroup offers support in coping with a divorce and would be an excellent place to start! There are a lot of divorce support groups out there for people to try including here at MensGroup.com with our online divorce support groups.
