Divorcing Parents and Their Adolescent: Workshop to Guide Healthy Identity Formation through the Transitional Period of Divorce

With nearly one out of every two marriages ending in divorce, many children are affected by parental divorce. Given the prevalence of divorce, extensive research has been conducted in the hopes of understanding the gravity of life adjustment on children following a divorce. Dubois, Burk-Braxton, Swenson, Tevendale, and Hardesty (2002) contend that adolescence is a crucial time when children begin the process of forming an identity separate from their parents and is a time filled with an abundance of complex cognitive, physical, and emotional transformations. When divorce is thrust upon the adolescent during this identity formation process, his/her world can feel both chaotic, overwhelming, and cause major conflict in the relationship between adolescents and their parents (Dubois et al., 2002). If the challenges of adolescence are not acknowledged and addressed relatively early, adolescent children of divorce can face many difficulties including behaviors issues such as aggression, internalizing issues such as depression, difficulties in romantic relationships, and low academic performance continuing throughout later life (Amato, 2000; Amato & Keith, 1991; Kelly, 2000). This project, therefore, will focus specifically at how parents and their adolescent are affected by divorce. Understanding the risk factors to look for in adolescents during a divorce can help parents effectively support their child in coping with these challenges. This knowledge can help to minimize the family's emotional hardship due to divorce and can help educate and guide parents through a crucial time so that these adolescents can find confidence as they enter adulthood. This master's project consists of a one-day educational, experiential, and manualized workshop to educate and support divorcing parents to guide their adolescent children in developing healthy identity formation through the family transition period of divorce. This workshop is intended for separated/divorced parents who currently have adolescent children. The workshop is designed so parents participate in a group psychoeducational process that will include increasing their understanding of their adolescent's experience coping with the realities, stressors, and emotions of the divorce. The workshop is intended to provide a safe environment for open dialogue, discussion questions, and to practice co-parenting communication strategies for at home use.