Divorce Support & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Divorce can feel like living in two time zones at once—the past you keep replaying and a future you can’t quite picture. Mornings start with a knot in your stomach, afternoons disappear into paperwork and “what ifs,” and nights stretch long and restless. The house feels too quiet; your phone lights up with legal emails you dread opening. If you’re co-parenting, every calendar decision can feel like a referendum on your worth. One hour you’re sure you’re doing the right thing; the next you second-guess everything and wonder who you are now.
What most people miss: divorce isn’t “just a legal process” or something time automatically fixes. It’s grief, identity-rebuilding, and nervous-system overload happening all at once—so your mood, sleep, appetite, and focus swing hard. You might rehearse conversations in your head, avoid places that used to feel safe, or feel guilt and anger at the same time. If this is you, reach out to me. I’ll help you steady your days, make clear decisions, and feel like yourself again—one manageable step at a time.
Understanding Divorce-Related Stress & Emotional Impact
Plain-English definition: Divorce-related stress isn’t just about sadness — it’s the unique mix of grief, anxiety, uncertainty, and identity shifts that often come with ending a marriage.
How it appears in adults: While some experience overt grief or anger, others quietly struggle with decision fatigue, loss of confidence, or even physical symptoms like disrupted sleep and appetite changes.
Common signs and symptoms:
Mood swings or persistent sadness
Heightened anxiety or restlessness
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Social withdrawal or feelings of isolation
Changes in daily routines or habits
Why it’s often missed: Friends and family may think “you’re handling it well” because you appear functional — but internal stress, self-doubt, and burnout can go unnoticed until they start impacting health and quality of life.
My Support & Assessment Process
Comprehensive intake — understanding your current stressors, history, and support systems.
Evidence-based assessments — identifying anxiety, depression, or other conditions linked to divorce stress.
Clarity-focused sessions — helping you separate emotional overwhelm from practical decisions.
Personalized recovery plan — strategies to stabilize your emotional state and rebuild confidence.
Support Tailored to You
Therapy for emotional processing: Space to work through grief, anger, and fear without judgment.
Coping skills for day-to-day resilience: Tools to manage anxiety spikes, sleep issues, and emotional triggers.
Life restructuring strategies: Guidance for reestablishing routines, self-identity, and social connections.
Optional medication support: If depression, anxiety, or sleep disruption persist despite non-medication approaches.
Why My Practice is Different
Most advice on coping with divorce is either overly simplistic (“just move on”) or so focused on legal steps that the emotional side is ignored. I believe in giving you practical, evidence-backed strategies that help you:
Navigate the emotional roller coaster with steadiness
Make clear, thoughtful decisions under pressure
Rebuild self-trust and confidence for the next chapter
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Divorce
1) Safety first (emotional + physical)
If you feel at risk of harming yourself or others: get to a safe place and contact local emergency services. In the U.S., call/text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
If there’s any risk of domestic violence or coercive control, call 1-800-799-SAFE or a local hotline, and consider a discreet safety plan (trusted contact, code word, packed bag, copies of key docs).
Create a one-screen crisis card in your phone notes: top 3 warning signs → 3 people to contact → places you can go → 3 body-calming steps (breath, splash cold water, step outside).
2) Stabilize your nervous system (so decisions aren’t made from panic)
30-second exhale bias: inhale 4, exhale 6–8, repeat x6.
5–5–5 reset: 5 slow breaths, touch 5 objects, name 5 things you see.
Micro-movement: 2–5 minutes of walking or stretching before hard calls or emails.
3) Clarify what problem you’re solving today
Make three columns: Now (72h), Soon (30 days), Later (90+ days).
Put only the next visible step in the Now column (e.g., “email HR about benefits cutoff,” “book consult,” “move paychecks to new account”). Cross out anything that doesn’t belong in the next 72 hours.
4) Protect your basic routines (grief is easier with rails)
Wake time within a 30-minute window daily.
First light + first meal within 90 minutes of waking.
Wind-down starts the same time nightly (dim lights, no divorce tasks after it).
Keep one anchor habit (short walk, shower before noon, make the bed).
5) Sleep enough to think straight
Park divorce tasks 2 hours before bed; create a “worry window” earlier (10 minutes to list everything, then close it).
Keep a pen by the bed: write one-line notes instead of opening your phone.
If you’re awake >20 minutes, do a quiet, non-screen activity in low light until drowsy.
6) Eat + move to steady mood
Every 3–4 hours: protein + complex carbs + fluids.
Limit alcohol (turns up conflict, turns down sleep).
Pick a minimum movement you can do on the worst days (5-minute walk).
7) Create a communication playbook
Draft three templates you can paste when emotions spike:
Info-only update: “Here are the dates/times available: [list].”
Boundary + redirect: “I won’t discuss this by text. Please email logistics.”
Pause: “I’ll respond after reviewing. Expect an update by [time].”
Use 48-hour holds for non-urgent decisions. Set reminders rather than replying in the heat of the moment.
8) Set firm but simple boundaries
Topics: “I’m available to discuss finances/parenting logistics; not post-mortems.”
Channels: email for logistics, phone for emergencies, no late-night texting.
Time windows: e.g., responses 9–6 on weekdays only (unless urgent kid issues).
9) High-conflict guardrails (if needed)
Communicate brief, informative, neutral, firm (B.I.N.F.).
Avoid sarcasm, labels, or diagnoses in messages.
Screenshot and archive volatile exchanges; don’t engage in real time.
Consider a co-parenting app that time-stamps and exports messages.
10) Kids first, always (if you have them)
Tell children together if possible: short, clear script: “This isn’t your fault. We both love you. Here’s what stays the same; here’s what changes.”
Keep adult content out of earshot (even on phone).
Create a kid calendar (exchanges, school, activities) and a go-bag checklist that lives by the door.
Watch for behavior shifts; respond with routine + reassurance, not interrogation.
11) Build your support triangle
Practical helper (rides, meals, childcare swaps).
Emotional anchor (listens without fixing).
Advisor (legal/financial/HR).
Ask specifically: “Can you sit with me while I draft this email?” “Could you handle pickup Wednesday?”
12) Start a “divorce binder” (paper or cloud folder)
IDs & records: licenses, SSNs, passports (photos), marriage cert.
Money: last 12 months of bank/credit statements, pay stubs, tax returns, retirement, debts.
Home/auto/insurance: policies, titles, lease/mortgage.
Kids: school, medical, schedules, special needs plans.
Log of major events/interactions (dates, facts, no editorializing).
13) Money triage (not financial advice—just good hygiene)
List all accounts (joint and individual), autopays, and who controls what.
Open an individual checking (if appropriate) and route new income there.
Freeze or lower limits on joint credit if spending risk exists.
Create a bare-bones 60-day budget (housing, food, transport, childcare, minimum debt payments).
14) Employment & benefits check
Quietly verify health insurance, HSA/FSA, life/disability, and retirement options and deadlines.
Ask HR about address privacy if safety is a concern.
15) Document + device security
Change passwords; enable 2-factor auth.
Disable location sharing and shared photo albums.
Separate Apple ID/Google accounts; review linked devices.
Back up crucial docs to a private cloud and a physical USB kept off-site.
16) Decide what not to decide yet
Make a “parking lot” list for complex issues (house sale timing, holiday rotation specifics, dating).
Revisit on a schedule (e.g., first Monday monthly) with a calmer mind or with an advisor.
17) Grief is not a detour—it’s the road
Name the losses (partner, identity, routines, shared friends).
Allow scheduled grief time: 10–20 minutes to write or cry, then a grounding ritual (walk, shower, call).
Alternate processing with pleasant events (coffee with a friend, music, park). This is not moving on; it’s moving with.
18) Reduce triggers you can control
Mute or unfollow accounts that spike comparison or anger.
Box up old photos/items and store them for later review.
Curate a “safe media” playlist/podcasts for evenings.
19) Script hard conversations
With friends/family: “We’re separating. I’m not ready for advice, but I’d love help with [specific ask].”
With your ex: “Our focus is logistics and the kids. I’ll reply by email within 24–48 hours.”
With yourself: “Today, I only have to do the next right thing.”
20) Keep a tiny progress log
Each night: write one thing you handled, one thing that helped, one thing you’ll do tomorrow.
On rough days, your only task can be: eat, hydrate, shower, one 5-minute admin step.
21) Mediation/negotiation prep (when you get there)
Define must-haves, nice-to-haves, tradeables.
Identify BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) so you’re not negotiating from fear.
Bring facts, not feelings: dates, amounts, documentation.
22) Re-entering your life (bit by bit)
Reclaim one space at home (desk, nightstand, closet).
Reconnect with one person you trust.
Re-add one small joy daily (sunlight, music, a hobby micro-dose).
23) Future-self care
Write a 90-day letter to yourself: what you want to feel more of (steady, respected, free), what you’ll protect (sleep, boundaries), and one courageous step you’ll take each week.
Put it in your calendar to re-read monthly.
24) Know your escalation signs
Can’t perform basics (eat, hydrate, hygiene), thoughts of self-harm, escalating conflict or stalking, kids showing severe distress.
Those are not “being dramatic”—they’re signals to bring in more support (crisis lines, legal counsel, protective orders, emergency care).
You don’t have to do all of this. Pick two or three steps that lower stress today, and let the next ones wait until you have the bandwidth.
Divorce Often Comes with Company
It’s common for divorce-related stress to appear alongside anxiety disorders, depression, sleep issues, or even physical health changes from chronic stress. Treating divorce stress effectively means addressing the full picture, not just one part.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide divorce-related stress treatment and support for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!