Sooner or later, everyone will likely have that friend that will go through a divorce. While divorces are becoming more common, that doesn't mean that they're getting any easier. These are a few suggestions on how you can go about offering support to a friend that's going through divorce.
Reassure Them of How Great of a Person They Are
When a person goes through divorce, it can be easy for them to sink into a feeling of worthlessness. It's your job to help remind them that they are still the same great person they were before the divorce happened; things just didn't happen to work out with the particular person they were married to. Find ways to frequently remind him/her of this.
Offer to Accompany Them Through Their Rough Time
It doesn't hurt to show your support by offering to be with them through the major processes of the divorce. For example, you might consider accompanying them when they go and speak with professionals in legal protection such as the divorce attorneys of Woodruff Law. Merely showing them that they are not alone is a great way to keep them from feeling terrible about what they are going through.
Listen to Them When They Want to Talk
When they obviously want to talk to somebody, be sure that you are there to listen. Part of working through a divorce is venting and talking about feelings, and it helps if a person has a friend that they can rely on for that during the recovery process. Even if there are moments when you don't have answers, simply keep your attention on them and show them you're listening.
Stay Committed to Helping Your Friend
If you make the commitment to help your friend, stick with it for the long haul. Do not back out on your friend midway just because you're sick of hearing about the heartbreak. Your friend will remember how reliable you were during their time of need, so remember that.
Allow Your Friend Alone Time When He/She Needs It
Part of moving through the process of working through a divorce is spending the proper amount of time working through feelings alone. This is why you should never push your friend to hang out with you or spend time with others when he/she obviously just needs time alone. Of course, too much alone time is not healthy, but some can be great for healing.
While these are just some ideas, every friend is different and may need individualized support. Listen to them and hear what they say they need from you and you'll likely be a great help to them.