How To Survive A Bad Marriage Without Divorce

surviving bad marriage divorce

Tips to Help Deal with the Emotional Disconnect of a Bad Marriage

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I always try to thoroughly explore options with clients considering a divorce, such as marital counseling, trial seperations, mediation etc. Divorce should NEVER be entered into lightly! I think Dr. Karen Finn article below is an excellent one! She clearly lays out tips to deal with an emotional disconnect.

Will a Mini Separation Help a Bad Marriage and Prevent Divorce?

bad marriage divorcePre-marriage 101 may give you a hefty toolkit for building a healthy marriage from the outset. Do everything correctly, and you won’t be wondering how to survive a bad  marriage. Without divorce as an option, however, every couple needs to learn skills for sticking it out when the relationship loses its luster.

There are times and circumstances that warrant the end of a marriage. No one should resolve to tough things out when there is abuse, for example – whether physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual. Safety is a non-negotiable.

(*If you or someone in your home is a victim of domestic abuse, please do not wait to get help. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE [7233] and keep this number in your phone Read More... “How To Survive A Bad Marriage Without Divorce”

Blast From The Past: Coping with Difficult Behavior

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

How to Cope with Difficult Behavior and Difficult People in a Divorce

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This blog from guest contributor, Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC, is as meaningful today as it was when we originally posted it on May 1, 2010! We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

difficult behavior divorceThroughout life, we sometimes encounter difficult people. We may argue with them, fall silent, comply or take distance. In a divorce, particularly an acrimonious one, difficult behaviors abound. No one is on their best behavior under this amount of stress. Figuring out how to cope with difficult behavior  is a bit easier once you can identify why a person behaves in a certain way and what he/she hopes to accomplish.

Here is a list of the most common behaviors that frustrate us all and suggestions for dealing with them:

The Bully – uses temper tantrums to overwhelm you; makes insulting and cutting remarks. Needs to feel superior and not lose control of the situation. Wants to get his/her own way.

*Stand up, listen, do not attack back, and take time-outs. Keep … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Coping with Difficult Behavior”

Funny, Inspirational Quotes About Life And Happiness

funny inspirational quotes happiness

How Funny Inspirational Quotes About Life and Happiness Can Be a Subconscious Source of Positivity

Funny Inspirational Quotes – We all need a little perspective now and again.

funny inspirational quotes happinessWe’re all guilty of taking ourselves too seriously at times. And, while we’re wallowing in the heaviness of our thoughts, the motive for our pursuits is often tiptoeing out the back door. We lose the moment, our sense of humor, and often our sense of purpose in life. Sometimes having little reminders in the form of funny, inspirational quotes about life and happiness can reel us back in.

Yes, those journal-cover, greeting-card, sappy, quippy niblets of wisdom and encouragement can actually help keep our lives on track. We may “blah blah blah” with an eye roll when we hear familiar quotes dropped like original thought, but our brains are actually paying attention. We stash those funny, inspirational quotes about life and happiness like free candy. Their big-truths-in-a-few-words are part fortune cookie, part motivational psychology, part “ain’t life ironic?”

Quite frankly, sometimes we all need to step back and revisit those mantras that help us focus on what’s essential. Keeping a few favorites in the memory bank can be a subconscious source … Read More... “Funny, Inspirational Quotes About Life And Happiness”

New Year Resolutions for Those Going Through a Divorce

New Year Resolutions for Those Going Through a Divorce

Making a Resolution can help you focus after Divorce

Going Through a Divorce in the New Year? Make a Resolution to Help you through the Adjustment!

make resolution new year going through divorceAs we embrace the new year, changes are inevitable. Especially if you are going through a separation or divorce. For you this might be a time of loss and sadness. Also think of it as a time of the hope for a brighter, happier future. The key is in the mindset about how to act and think differently in the new year.

Typically, people make promises to exercise more, or eat a healthier way, or perhaps lose weight. Often these goals are made with good intentions and start off strong, but within a month or so are forgotten. It might be more meaningful and helpful, especially for someone going through divorce to focus on a philosophical position, and to work on changing their mindset.

Below please find some useful resolutions that perhaps will help you to adjust your thinking and actions during a difficult time such as divorce.

Make a resolution to forgive…

Forgive you might ask, after all I have gone through? When you can forgive your ex it doesn’t … Read More... “New Year Resolutions for Those Going Through a Divorce”

Dealing with the Holidays if You Are in Divorce Transition

college girl sitting on leaves in yard with hands raised

Going through a divoce transition? Tips for the holidays

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 35 years in Farmington, Connecticut. She is a licensed professional counselor, a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor and an educator. In her private practice, Donna specializes in issues related to life transitions. These include but are not limited to divorce, remarriage, chronic illness, loss, relocation. Donna has been a guest contributor to the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2010. We have enjoyed collaborating on several articles over the years.

Make The Holiday Season One That Is Meaningful

holidays divorce transitionEvery major life event, whether joyful or sad, brings on a period of transition as we adjust to the “new normal.” Even though these periods of transition occur throughout our lives, each requires us to discover a new and unique path as we struggle to move through uncharted waters. The death of a loved one, a divorce, a family estrangement, an illness, or sudden unemployment are some of the changes that shake us to our core. We are challenged in ways we could not imagine.

And in the midst of all this upheaval, the leaves  are beginning to … Read More... “Dealing with the Holidays if You Are in Divorce Transition”

Blast From The Past: Holidays: Just Say No & Feel Empowered!

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

Holidays Got Your Down?

PUBLISHERS NOTE: “Congratulations! We all made it through Thanksgiving. So, the mad dash of the holiday season is officially upon us. This sage advice from psychotherapist, Donna F. Ferber, from 2013 warrants another repost. Take a breath. Slow down. And just say “no”.”

A Guide to Happier Holidays: Replace HO–HO-HO with NO-NO-NO!

holidaysWell, the holiday hoopla is ramping up. Displays of sparkly red and green stuff has taken center stage in our stores, catalogues are arriving in droves, internet sites are offering deals, discounts and sales on every imaginable product. Magazines at the grocery checkout display unbelievable glossy covers of gorgeous people, in gorgeous houses, serving gorgeous food. Now with the sudden drop in temperature and the promise of snow this week, the reality that the holidays are descending on us is unavoidable.

It feels impossible to slow this down or simply get a grip. It is like being swept up in some tinselly tidal wave. I don’t want to shop yet; I still am cleaning out the garden! Yet, as the heat clicks on, and my sweaters and even gloves begin to take center stage, it cannot be denied. Here comes the holidaysRead More... “Blast From The Past: Holidays: Just Say No & Feel Empowered!”

The 6 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Healing After A Divorce Or Breakup

healing after divorce breakup

Commit to avoiding the mistakes that only make things worse.

healing after divorce breakupIt sucks. It just does. The hurt, the anger, the loss (of seemingly everything — companionship, security, self-esteem). The process of healing after a divorce or breakup can feel like insult on injury. It’s tough enough trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. But now you have to fight against being your own worst enemy.

The inherent challenge of moving on from a breakup is fighting the urge to connect. You build a relationship by striving in all you do to connect more genuinely, more intimately. To suddenly have that call-to-action ripped out from under you is a real blow. It’s like expecting a moving train to stop on a dime and go back to where it came from.

Healing after a Divorce or Breakup? Read on!

But whether or not it is apparent to you now, this time of healing after a divorce or breakup is a time of great potential. Sure, you didn’t want or plan to be here. But the beauty of life is that it is an equal-opportunity benefactor, and it imbues every situation with opportunities for exponential growth.

If you’re in the process of … Read More... “The 6 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Healing After A Divorce Or Breakup”

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