Divorce support workshops are offered to help people walk through the difficult process of divorce. While divorce affects everyone differently, many people (adults and children alike) find the experience to be stressful, depressing and confusing. Workshops dealing with the emotional consequences of a broken marriage are often conducted by mental health professionals, particularly those with experience in family counseling.
Workshops can be geared toward adults, children or both. Many courts in the country require divorcing parents of children to attend a state-sponsored workshop before their divorce can be legally finalized.
Planning the Program for a Divorce Support Workshop
The type of workshop being conducted will determine what sort of material should be discussed and made available. To get started, the counselor should prepare an outline regarding which topics will be covered and for how long. A decision should also be made as to whether or not there will be other professionals involved in the presentations.
Instructions should be outlined for attendees if they will be participating in group activities. The most effective divorce workshops are often a combination of professional instruction, individual feedback and group activities.
The particulars of the divorce workshop should be determined. These include when and where it will be held, how many people it can accommodate and how much you will charge. A workshop that is primarily instructive with little attendee interaction can handle a larger group than one that will be more intimate and personalized.
Anticipated class size will determine the size of the space that is used. Divorce workshops can be held in an office or conference room or in a larger meeting room. It is important that the chosen venue has all the necessities to include need restrooms, break areas and office services.
Marketing the Divorce Support Workshop
Flyers should be printed and made available to people and businesses who work with divorcing couples - churches, therapists, attorneys and mediators are good for this. An informative website should be created and marketed online in places where divorcing people may congregate.
The workshop instructor should send out emails or direct market postcards to other members of the community. Organizers should give themselves at least two months to get the word out and sign people up. It is standard to ask for a deposit of 1/2 of the fee to hold a spot at the workshop and collect the balance two weeks before it begins.
Structuring of the Divorce Support Workshop Program
When everyone is gathered, the instructor should start the workshop with a brief introduction of himself, other presenters and the material they will be presenting. Attendees should know what to expect from the group. They should also be told where they can find snacks, a bathroom or a place to have a cigarette.
Depending on the size of the group, leaders may wish to have everyone introduce themselves and talk about why they are at the workshop and what they hope to learn during the workshop. This is also the time to pass out any pertinent written materials that have been prepared and to answer general questions.
The program should begin with individual presentations on the topics that will be discussed. For larger groups, it is a good idea to have an overhead projector so that people can see and read what is being discussed. Work with divorce workshop attendees to perform any hands-on activities. Make sure presentations move forward in a timely fashion and that breaks are offered during longer workshop programs.
Ending a Divorce Support Workshop
At the end of the divorce workshop, answer any questions the attendees may have. Wrap things up with a hopeful conclusion and provide a list of good resources (such as counselors, mediators, attorneys or divorce support groups) that they can take with them. Let them know about any upcoming workshops or groups that may be helpful to them. Ask everyone to fill out a short feedback form to help increase the effectiveness of subsequent seminars.
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Janice Fahy - Janice Fahy is a freelance writer who is comfortable researching and writing on just about any topic under the sun.
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