Divorce is one of life's most challenging and emotionally charged experiences. It involves the dissolution of a once-promising partnership and entails various legal, emotional, and financial complexities. Preparing for divorce is crucial to ensure you navigate the process as smoothly as possible. If you consider the time and effort spent on planning a wedding, a divorce may require even more. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricate details of how to prepare for divorce on emotional, legal, and financial fronts. 1.    Protect Your Technology a. Add or Cha ..read more

In the aftermath of an abusive relationship, especially one that has led you through the tumultuous journey of divorce, the path to healing can seem shrouded in mist. The person you once confided in, shared a life with, and perhaps even loved, became a source of pain and confusion. It’s a profound betrayal that can shake the very foundations of trust—not just in others, but, most critically, in yourself. Let’s take a moment to rediscover trust in the most important person in your life: You. The Echoes of Doubt Abusive relationships, at their core, function through a systematic undermining of ..read more

The thought of divorce can be frightening, and proceeding with divorce can be overwhelming. When I went through my divorce, all I knew were the things I had heard from others. I quickly learned that there is so much mis-information available that I wanted to set the record straight. I’d like to clear up a few facts. I call them the 10 Most Common Divorce Myths: 1. Divorce is Always Controversial Indeed, divorce is an emotional and painful process, but this doesn't mean it will always be controversial. The controversy only happens when both partners don't agree on a thing such as a child ..read more

When I was little girl I had no idea that my mom and dad were on a mission to make me as confident and fearless as possible. This sounds like an awesome thing, but over the past couple years, some of the mindsets from my childhood have been called out by a few of my very wise clients. With their help I have been digging into and shifting these mindsets so I can love myself more… unconditionally. My mom and dad divorced when I was seven, and I think that’s when my mom really began to push me to be and do more. In my seventh year of life, a lot changed for me. We went from living with my dad, w ..read more

The night before the rehearsal dinner, I threw my engagement ring at my fiance and told him the wedding was off. We had gotten into a fight (yet again) and I was beyond frustrated and angry. I could never win an argument with him (this was back when I thought winning arguments was the objective), so as we were angrily walking back to our car to go home (yes, this all happened on a busy downtown street), I told him it was over, yanked the ring off my finger, and threw it at him. On the way home I even called my dad to tell him the wedding was off. But did I call it off? No. I went to sleep ..read more

To anyone observing from the outside, I looked like I was having a great time, and the truth is that for many years, I was! My life had always been defined by the relentless pursuit of careless fun, women, and crazy nights on the town…I wish I could remember most of them! From my small hometown to the biggest cities, I had wandered aimlessly for years on an alcohol-fueled adventure but, as they say, all good things must come to an end. After about 25 years of very hard livin’, it all fell apart and it became obvious to me that I was smiling while suffering - on the inside, I was in a lot of p ..read more

In the darkest corners of despair, where addiction, abuse, and heartbreak intersect, there lies a story of healing, empowerment, and rebirth. This is a personal narrative of a 34-year battle against addiction, sexual exploitation, divorce, intimate partner violence, and mental health struggles—a journey that could have easily ended in surrender. But instead, it became a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the transformative power of faith, death of ego, and perseverance. The Abyss of Despair For 34 years, my life was entangled in the suffocating grip of addiction, a cycle of self-de ..read more

Some changes in our lives can bring feelings of grief and in the thanatology world, we call these non-death losses. In this blog I want to talk about Divorce, which is a significant loss. Recent research has suggested that going through a divorce can be more difficult to adjust to than the death of a spouse (D.Harris, 2020). People are very surprised when that is mentioned because how could that possibly be, of course a death is much harder! As a thanatologist I know that the death of a close attachment is one of the toughest experiences you will ever go through. However, to have the view tha ..read more

As presented by Deena Kordt, owner & publisher of Divorce Magazine Canada, during The Today Centre’s 2023 “Help Today, Hope Tomorrow” Fundraising Breakfast, including some additional content: I offer a trigger warning, without apology. To disrupt the stigma, we have to face the harsh realities. Once you are more aware, you will start to recognize what is out there. And there are no trigger warnings in real life. Three years ago I lost a friend in a brutal, violent, senseless way. Her death in a murder / suicide, right here in Alberta, shook my world. I am no stranger to domestic abuse. I ..read more

In the corner of the balcony, on a cheap plastic chair overlooking the pool, I found myself hunched over sobbing with stored up grief and emotional pain. As I struggled to understand how I got here. I was also flabbergasted at the lack of compassion from some family members. Because I chose it! IT being, separating from my husband of over 12 years and becoming a low income single-parent. I simply knew that I could not live, never mind thrive, in that tainted relationship.  Most of my family liked my husband and felt that perhaps I was being hardheaded or uncompromising. Because I chose ..read more