DIVORCE 411 APRIL 2015 | Page 16

Are You Playing The Blame Game In Your Relationship? D I V O R C E 4 1 1 By: Aaron Kaplan CTA-CC, CDC Certified Divorce Coach®, Certified PrepareEnrich Facilitator O ne of my coaching clients recently told me about a social group that she recently joined, that meets regularly that consists of divorced women. I immediately thought; “oh, this is intriguing!” She then explained that while the overarching premise of the group is for social activities, my friend did explain to me that dinner conversations tend to morph into what could be described as conversations one would expect to take place during a meeting of a divorce support group. Since the common bond that unites this group of women is that they have all experienced divorce, and are each individually at different stages of their respective post-divorce journeys, it was explained to me that many, if not most in the group view their gatherings as an opportunity not just to socialize, but to also share their respective experiences, lessons, and insights. When I heard this I thought it was fantastic. For there is something powerful in the common bonds forged through community. And, divorce can be an extremely lonely experience, not just while you are going through the process, but 16 | Divorce 411 April 2015 also in the months and years after. A person who is a divorced is part of a club that only those who have also gone through it can truly understand. So I when I heard this, I thought that it was great that these women have created a community amongst themselves with which they can experience camaraderie and support from one another. So I innocently asked my client what the group typically talks about with respect to their divorce experiences when offering support to one another. What she said to me was, in my opinion, rather disturbing. Here is just a sampling that I am paraphrasing: