Separation and divorce has a big impact on children. From one day to the next, their whole world changes. The pain of a separation can be felt in many ways.

You may feel lonely, desperate, depressed or grief-stricken; as a parent you may feel a failure and lose your self-confidence; you may feel angry, jealous or guilty.

Mixed up with all these emotions, you might also feel a sense of relief.

All of these feelings are normal responses to a separation. You should not be alarmed by the fact that you experience them and you should not expect to cope with everything immediately. You can get help for yourself and your children.

On the other hand, if you nurse feelings such as jealousy, anger or despair for too long, they may take over and prevent you from once again leading a happy life.

Mum’s testimonial

The last year has been extremely difficult for me and my children. The separation has been nasty and the fighting between me and my husband has been ongoing for as long as I can remember. I took my 15 year old to see Heidi as she had become very difficult and verbally aggressive just like my husband. After a few sessions, my daughters behaviour started to become more respectful towards me and she worked through a range of emotions she has been bottling up since the day we told her our marriage had ended. We now have very open communication and discuss things as they arise which works for us.

For anyone who doubts “Art Therapy’ as I first did, this has been an amazing experience for my daughter and me. It has impacted both our lives in a very positive way for the future. Thank you Heidi for your help in assisting me with one of my most important relationships in my life, with my beautiful daughter.