Are You Serious, You Want a Divorce?(3) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Are You Serious, You Want a Divorce? (3) By Dr. Michael Brooks We are continuing our article on “Are You Serious, You Want a Divorce?” Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of divorce and possibly save your marriage. There are several tips that can help you along the way of deciding what your next steps should be. If you’re the spouse who wants to leave the marriage, have you sought counseling/coaching on your next steps? Have you looked at every way to save your relationship? Or are you just bailing out on your marriage because you’ve been told life is better on this side of divorce? Many people that I have worked with will tell you once you file for divorce, life is miserable, painful, and hard to get motivated. Many have regretted in divorcing and not working on their marriage. ​To continue reading this article go to the following link below: ​http://idontwantthisdivorce.com/2019/02/are-you-serious-you-want-a-divorce-3-by-dr-michael-brooks/

Are You Serious, You Want a Divorce (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Are You Serious, You Want a Divorce? (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks For those of you who have never been divorced, you’ll never experience the broken-hearted pain or anything like that going through the breakup of a marriage, wanted or unwanted. The pain and uncertainty are always looming in your head. The battles that you fight within yourself, the questioning of every step you take and the impact it will have on others is always in the back of your mind. The daily struggles emotionally and physically take their toll on the partner who is surprised by hearing their partner wanting a divorce. I received a call from a client years ago, one late evening, he was telling me that his wife of five years wanted a divorce, just out of the blue. She said that she was done and had no desire to get any help. He begged her to go to counseling with him, she flat out “said no way!” Then she proceeded to lay into him about everything she hated about him. He wasn’t romantic, he never took her out, she needed emotional support when her mother died and he wasn’t there for her during that time she needed him. He knew she had some valid points and conceded he wasn’t meeting some of her needs. He asked her to forgive him and to please go to counseling with him, she still refused to go. Then he shared with me he had no clue that there were serious marriage problems, she never talked about her concerns and what was bothering her for five years. Sadly this marriage ended in Divorce. She checked out of the marriage without ever getting help. There are many reasons people seek a divorce: adultery, physical and emotional abuse… So, in order to address this issue, we need to look at how the process of divorce begins in the early stages. There are many reasons people seek a divorce: adultery, physical and emotional abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, pornography, abandonment, roommate status, financial irresponsibility, and many other reasons. In next weeks article, we will continue to examine why people want a divorce. Do you feel frustrated about your failing marriage or relationship? Do you need help in saving your marriage and family from divorce? Do you have a spouse or partner who isn’t communicating with you and you want it restored? Do you want help in learning good communication skills? Are you the partner who wants to end your relationship because it’s unhealthy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878 if you need help. Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Is Separating a Good Thing (4) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Is Separating a Good Thing? (4) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Did you know that separation can help some people recover from of infidelity? Think about it, trust is the biggest deal breaker in most relationships, right? Without it, there is really nothing that will keep a relationship together. Unfortunately, many marriages will have one of the spouse’s cheat on the other. It happens, and we can’t hide that fact. So, how does a trial separation help a couple dealing with an affair?

  • An affair causes so much sadness; it’s like the death of two close friends. Infidelity is also similar to the death of a relationship. We grieve over the loss of trust especially from someone we are married to. An important fact to know that there is no time limit for someone grieving over their spouse that cheated on them. This is an important part of the healing process. It must happen for the healing to begin.
  • Figuring out what caused the affair, this can be nerve-racking for the one cheated on. Many affairs start because of the lack of sex in the relationship, or the opportunity that someone couldn’t pass it up. Either way, I would suggest not going into detail about any part of the physical affair.
  • Learning how to trust again by communication. The more open you are about your needs in your relationship, the deeper the trust level grows. Being open takes courage and letting go of your insecurities. I know trust is earned over a period of time, that is entirely up to you and your spouse how long this will be.
  • Getting to know yourself during the separation period can open some doors, that long have been closed. Learning who you are during this process can reveal some of the things you need to work on. If you feel like your self-esteem has taken a hit, then, by all means, work on it, if self-discipline is another area that you need to spend time on, make it happen. Use this time to better yourself and learn to love yourself again.
  • I would suggest not running off to find a lawyer to start the divorce paperwork. Take some time to think about your next steps. If a trial separation is something you may want to consider, then sit down and make some ground rules you both can live by.

Time does heal; it’s just a matter if you can work out the details and try to make your relationship work. I think people should at least give it a try and see what happens. I know some men and women will never agree to try after they have been cheated on. I understand that if they can’t, why try? It would only lead to heartache at the worst.

Do you feel frustrated about your failing marriage or relationship? Do you need help in saving your marriage and family from divorce? Do you have a spouse or partner who isn’t communicating with you and you want it restored? Do you want help in learning good communication skills? Are you the partner who wants to end your relationship because it’s unhealthy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878. If you need help.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Is Separating a Good Thing (3) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Is Separating a Good Thing? (3) By Dr. Michael Brooks

So what are the benefits of a trial separation? I think this is a great question and one that may open the eyes of those considering a trial separation. So, here we go, my thoughts. This gives you some time to cool off and decide if you want a divorce. It also helps you logically think about your next steps. It can help you look deep into your heart to see if you need to work on some of the issues in your marriage. It can save you from rushing off to a lawyer and spending a lot of money on something your just not sure about. A trial separation can help you focus on what needs to be repaired in your relationship with your spouse. If you have things that were causing some problems in your relationship, use this time to fix those problems, get some help from a counselor/coach who can direct you to understand why you do the things you do.

So, you may ask what are the bad things about a trial separation? Well, the ones that stick out in my mind are: You both are responsible for any financial expenses. So, let’s say that your spouse decides to buy a boat, guess what you are responsible for that boat during your trial separation. Another one but I doubt this would happen is if one of you wins Powerball during this time, the other half of you is entitled to half the winnings. Keep in mind the benefits of counseling/coaching are very important. You both need skills in communication and learning how to compromise with each other. Take full advantage of learning how to help each other during this time.

I had a client whose husband came home after work one evening and demanded that he wanted a separation, she was shocked! She had been thinking about asking for one as well and was actually relieved he asked for one first. He was angry, he kept his feelings to himself, on the other hand, she spoke with her close friends, and they listened to her share her feelings. She didn’t want any advice but just wanted her friends to listen. She said that her time away from her husband was so healing for her. Let’s face it they didn’t like each other and had time to cool off. That’s whats needed during the trial separation. A cooling off period for both people in the relationship. She said that she needed this time to figure out what her next steps were. After a while, she started to miss her husband, and he missed her. That’s where the healing starts to take place. Avoid being together during this time.

When your ready to start seeing each other again, if you have kids do something with the entire family, go slow and if you are comfortable with this type of date then do something together without the kids. Go on a grown-up date, go out to a movie, out to dinner, for a walk, just have some fun together. Remember start with baby steps, don’t rush into anything, take your time.

Do you feel frustrated about your failing marriage or relationship? Do you need help in saving your marriage and family from divorce? Do you have a spouse or partner who isn’t communicating with you and you want it restored? Do you want help in learning good communication skills? Are you the partner who wants to end your relationship because it’s unhealthy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878. If you need help.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Is Separating A Good Thing? (2) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Is Separating a Good Thing? (2) By Dr. Michael Brooks

There are times that a separation can be a good thing, as long as you have boundaries that go along with it. Trial separations can work when there are ground rules in place. First, what is the purpose of the separation? Is it used to help better communication between couples? Is it used for healing a broken heart, what is the purpose of a trial separation? Again, I’ll ask that big questions, what is the purpose of any trial separation?


It’s not for the faint of heart, and there needs to be some guidelines before you take that next step. You both must sit down and go over the boundaries of your trial separation. Remember this is not the time to start dating, you need to focus on making yourself healthy for yourself and your spouse. Here are my tips for a trial separation:

  • Set up a timeline for how long your trial separation will last, make it realistic, will you be separated for one month, two, three or four months? The longer you separate, the less chance you have of working on your marriage. You become accustomed to living apart. I’d say no longer than six months.
  • What are your boundaries during your separation? No dating, stay with same-sex friends, no dinner dates with opposite sex, no texting, emails, check-ins, no after office working together with the opposite sex. Avoid any appearance of improprieties. This will keep you out of trouble and any gossip that can and will happen.
  • Agree to go to counseling/coaching sessions. This will be a big help with understanding each other and hopefully help you with better communication. Plan on weekly sessions. Make sure to keep your appointments and commit to open and honest sharing. This is not the time to hold back your feelings.
  • Plan to talk about your finances before you separate, who pays what bills and will you be able to afford tow households. I suggest that the one that leaves finds a bedroom you can rent from a friend, to keep the expenses down. If there are children involved, then you have to make sure that they are a top priority when planning your trial separation.
  • Will you continue to have marital relations while you’re separated? I suggest that you don’t as this will cloud your thinking and why your getting separated. Couples that continue having sex will find it difficult to maintain and focus on healing the relationship.

I have known many couples that have had a trial separation and come out on the other side far better off and ready to work on the marriage. They agreed to stick to their boundaries; they held each other accountable by those boundaries.

Do you feel frustrated about your failing marriage or relationship? Do you need help in saving your marriage and family from divorce? Do you have a spouse or partner who isn’t communicating with you and you want it restored? Do you want help in learning good communication skills? Are you the partner who wants to end your relationship because it’s unhealthy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878. If you need help.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Is Separating A Good Thing? (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Is Separating a Good Thing? (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks

This is a tough question, and for many married couples who are struggling in a bad marriage, it’s one they ask themselves over and over again, “should we separate?” For some men and women, separation needs to happen for their sanity and for safety reasons to protect themselves and their children. For others, it’s just an excuse to end a relationship on their terms.

Are you considering a divorce or separation?

I can remember a man I knew who was wondering if a separation was something he needed to get his wife’s attention. I asked him what the purpose of it was? He said calmly, she’s checked out and I don’t see any movement on her part to be a part of this relationship. So, I am asking her to leave and think about what it is that she wants for her and our marriage. I am the one who pays all the bills, and she takes care of our kids. I honestly believe that she is seeing someone while I’m at work. Do you have proof I asked? No, I don’t, but she is not able to connect with me at all and trying to have a conversation with her is near impossible.

I asked him what is the purpose of planning a separation from your wife, what do you expect from her and how will she respond? I haven’t a clue he said, all I want is my wife to start being a wife and not a roommate. I provide for this family; I work hard for what we have. I get no thank you from her, and what makes matters worse, she doesn’t have to work whatsoever, she’s a very lucky woman. Do you acknowledge her as your wife and a mother to your children? Well, I sometimes do. I think recognizing her for all that she does around your home would go a long way in rebuilding your relationship with her. Some people need words of affirmation and to be noticed for what they do. We all need that for a healthy relationship. Can you do that I asked him? I suppose I can, do you think it’s worth it. Yes, I said.

Are you willing to hold off on your separation to see if you can at least jump start your marriage? He said he was and then put his trial separation on hold. I feel that his wife needed some form of recognition for all the work she had done to take care of the kids and be there for everyone. He started doing that, and amazing things began to happen. She started to open up, and he listened to her share the things that were in her heart. This my friends is just what she needed. Someone to appreciate who she was a mother and a wife.

Do you feel frustrated about your failing marriage or relationship? Do you need help in saving your marriage and family from divorce? Do you have a spouse or partner who isn’t communicating with you and you want it restored? Do you want help in learning good communication skills? Are you the partner who wants to end your relationship because it’s unhealthy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878. If you need help.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype (if you want to Skype with Dr. Mike send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

When To Walk Away (5) By Dr. Michael Brooks

When to Walk Away (5) By Dr. Michael Brooks

I had a client several years ago whose husband had an affair on her, so she went to her friends for their thoughts before she met with me, she had so many different opinions that she was totally confused, she wasn’t sure what her next steps should be.

She had a few of her friends whose husbands cheated on them and was told by these friends to divorce her lying, cheating husband.

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