Renewing Hope for Divorcing & Divorced Women

A Message from Barb Greenberg


Greetings,

Are you are separated or thinking about a divorce, going through a divorce or still healing from your divorce?

If you are unsure of where to turn or what to do next, there is direction. If you are struggling with your identity after being part of a couple, there is wholeness. If you are grieving shattered dreams of what might have or should have been, there is healing. If you despair something wonderful will come out of your pain, there is hope.

My own divorce after 33 years of marriage was devastating to me and I had to work through my own pain and find hope, healing, direction and wholeness. Although I wrote my book After the Ball: A Woman's Tale of Reclaiming Happily Ever After as part of the process of healing from my own divorce, the book has been resonating with all women: married, single, divorced or separated. (You can learn more about the book at www.rosepathpress.com)

After the Ball is a modern day fairy tale that tells the story of what happened to Snow White and Cinderella after they went to their palaces with their handsome princes. The book reveals the universal truth about the power of women to transform their lives and become the heroines of their own stories.

There is a precious truth omitted from many fairy tales – that genuine “happily ever after” is to be found waiting patiently deep within the heart of every woman.

My goal is to help you heal from divorce and:

• Learn how to access your own unique "happily ever after"
  
• Be inspired to trust yourself more fully
  
• Find and honor your wisdom and your courage and your strength
  

I enjoy my life as a writer and speaker, and I have spoken to dozens of groups about embracing hope and change. I have also conducted many seminars on renewing hope for divorced or divorcing women, and I teach divorce classes and also a class on how to live “happily ever after”—with or without a prince.

I am the proud mother of two extraordinary daughters and an adoring grandmother and my wish for you is that you will heed the message from the fairy godmother in After the Ball she whispers to the princess, “Trust yourself, my sweet dear, trust yourself.”

Thank you for your interest in this Women Healing from Divorce Meetup Group. I am looking forward to helping you on your own journey of healing.

Sincerely,


Barb Greenberg
Author, Speaker & Divorce Coach
Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota


Divorce Classes & Divorce Coaching for Women
Drawing upon my personal history, including my divorce after 33 years of marriage and over 20 years of mentoring women in direct sales, I offer women a safe, peaceful, accepting environment for reflection, renewal, and decision-making.

In the class After the Ball: Renewing Hope for Divorced and Divorcing Women, I offers support on your journey, techniques for walking patiently through difficult times, and help in reconnecting with what once inspired you so you can find a new vision for your future and move forward in confidence.

To learn more, please please contact me online at barb@rosepathpress.com or by phone at 952-974-3704. Visit my web site at www.barbgreenberg.com for more detailed information.



TESTIMONIALS
Women who have attended Barb Greenberg's divorce classes have said the following:

"I appreciated all the advice. It helped to know I'm not alone in this. It was nice to hear that there is life after divorce. It gave me courage."

"You offered so much useful and helpful information. You helped me open my eyes to so many new insights. The entire presentation was terrific. I wish we had more time together..."

"Barb has a peaceful but powerful and healing message."

"Barb's approachable style was a gift to us all."

"Hope is an essential ingredient to our lives, and Barb shows others the road to find it when it is lost."

"You showed me that I can be someone with confidence, and how important it is to get to know yourself..."

"You were very respectful of where each person was...and complimentary too!..."

"Just talking to people who are in my situation was helpful...pointers on moving forward were great, because that is what I am doing now..."

"Breaking down the process to be able to tackle small pieces instead of the whole. Just always hearing a message of support and encouragement..."


DIVORCE INFORMATION & STATISTICS
Divorce is a very common occurrence in the United States and around the world. The United States has the highest divorce rate in the world with fifty percent of marriages ending in divorce. Second and third marriages in the United States have even higher divorce rates. According to statistics, in the U.S., second marriages fail at a rate of 60-67 percent, and third marriages fail at a rate of 73-74 percent.

Why Marriages Fail
Divorced couples report the number one reason that marriage fails is due to either a lack of communication or poor communication. The second most cited reason for divorce is martial conflicts and arguments. The third most cited reason is infidelity.

Divorce is painful and a great loss and requires the work of grieving, which can take a considerable amount of time.

You need to:

--Accept that the relationship is over
--Re-discover yourself
--Get support and counseling

Unrealistic Expectations about Marriage
As you re-discover yourself, you may want to look at important underlying factors that may have led to unrealistic expectations about marriage. Historically, throughout most cultures, women have been conditioned to give their power away to men, to serve men and put men's (and children's) needs above their own.

Making friends with other women, especially women who have experienced divorce, can be tremendously supportive.


Some Facts about Women & Divorce:

1. Women initiate divorce twice as often as men

2. 90% of divorced mothers have custody of their children

3. 60% of people under poverty guidelines are divorced women and children

4. In general women experience less stress and better adjustment after divorce than do men. Some reasons for this include: (a) women are more likely to notice marital problems and to feel relief when such problems end; (b) women are more likely than men to rely on social support systems; and (c) women are more likely to experience an increase in self-esteem when they divorce and add new roles to their lives.

5. Women who work and place their children in child care experience a greater stigma than men in the same position.

Divorce & Age
According to statistics, those who get married in their mid to late-twenties are less likely to get divorced that those who marry at a younger age. This age group also tends to be more satisfied in marriage than those couples who marry later in life. For divorced couples under the age of 20, the women are more likely to initiate the divorce; whereas for divorced couples over the age of 20, the men are more likely to initiate the divorce.

Characteristics of individuals that have a higher probability of divorce include:

• younger age at time of marriage
• lower education
• has children from a previous relationship
• cohabitation prior to marriage
• sexual activity prior to marriage

According to divorce statistics, more than one factor usually contributes to a couple's decision to divorce. Although three primary reasons have been identified by divorced couples as the leading causes of divorce, it seems that other underlying factors may contribute to these issues as well.