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Divorce & New Beginnings

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Divorce & New Beginnings

A Complete Guide to Recovery, Solo Parenting, Co-Parenting, and Stepfamilies

Wiley,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

This comprehensive guide provides everything you need to know to survive your divorce and rebuild your life.

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

This is an ambitious book. Author Genevieve Clapp, Ph.D., tackles the divorce process from the practical to the emotional. She guides you through the initial breakup, the intense emotional aftermath, the return to single life and the challenges facing stepfamilies. Dr. Clapp also gives solid, actionable advice about co-parenting and helping your children handle the rupture in their lives. Although the book is hampered by endless repetition, and the constant citation of studies and research, this same weakness enables you to use it as a reference. You can read only the chapters that pertain to your situation and still get all the necessary information. getAbstract recommends Clapp’s all-inclusive guide to anyone contemplating a breakup, in the midst of a divorce, or newly single.

Summary

Divorce – It’s Never Easy

Most divorces are tremendously difficult for everyone involved. In fact, research shows that most people need at least two years after a separation to regain their equilibrium. Divorce wreaks havoc with your life and, at times, the losses seem unbearable. Everything changes. Your lifestyle, plans, identity and even financial security may never be the same again. Emotions such as anger, resentment, sadness and depression bombard you, yet at times you might feel elated or filled with a new sense of freedom.

The Three Stages of Divorce

A divorce is not a single event. It sets many things in motion, each with its own changes and challenges. The process consists of three stages: “preseparation, transition and recovery-rebuilding.” Preseparation, or the time leading up to a divorce, can take place over months or even years. Some people try counseling and periods of negotiation, while the end of a marriage takes others completely by surprise. Many people experience feelings of alienation, hopelessness and anger.

The transition stage begins upon separation and is marked by emotion and trauma. It is the leave-taking of one life and the...

About the Author

Dr. Genevieve Clapp works for the Superior Court of California. She counsels divorcing couples on child-custody disputes, and co-parenting and stepfamily issues. She also teaches at California and Arizona State Universities.

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