Breaking up is hard to do.

I work with many clients in counseling who are going through a break-up. Some clients are experiencing divorce, others are separating from long-term serious relationships. The end of a relationship is difficult, whether you initiated the break-up or not. Therapy can be a helpful resource in times of big transition like the loss of a relationship. After break-ups the tendency is to retreat, rebound or retaliate. These responses to the end of a relationship tend to hurt more than help and can often lead to more "stuck" feelings. Isolating can cause you to see things in negative ways and to feel more depressed. Rebounding with another superficial relationship or hook-up typically only puts you deeper into insecurity and loneliness.  Retaliation rarely does what you set out to and again can leave you in a more unhealthy place than before. It's important to understand why the relationship ended and what each person contributed to that. It's important to learn things about yourself and improve upon those things so that you can be healthy and grow in positive ways.  The best way through a break-up is through it. Working through the pain, the confusion, loss and gaining as much understanding about yourself and the future relationship you want! If you're struggling with feelings of anxiety, depression or hurt after a break-up, counseling can be such a helpful resource for you.