Divorce and Healing Ceremonies by

Creative Life Celebrations

Having a Divorce Ceremony

When a marriage or long-term relationship ceases, the feelings that arise can range from extreme grief and loss to a sense of relief. A simple ceremony can be a first step in the rebuilding process of your new life. We can work with you to determine the most appropriate way for you to express your feelings about the relationship that has ended and take you through a ritual renewal into the next stage of your growth.

When children are involved in a separation and divorce, their feelings may range from abandonment, to anger, fear and retreat. Involving children and young adults in the ceremony allows them to express their feelings and re-establish their confidence in the structure of the new family. Expressing forgiveness is a powerful force that allows healing to start and the new life to begin. Forgiveness can start the process of closure and brings strength to continue.

As a society, we are not always good at acknowledging how we felt about a particular relationship and the research evidence indicates quite strongly, that participating in an expressive ritual or ceremony can aid the recovery process in a very positive manner.

Ceremonies of Healing

There are many other times in our lives when a ceremony of healing would be appropriate. In particular we consider these times:

• recovery from a major health challenge;
• ending of an abusive relationship;
• resolving a drug or alcohol problem - to name just a few.

In these circumstances, we create personal or group ceremonies that help us to reflect on our situation, how we have traversed the path and how we have recovered.

These ceremonies are events of major significance as they allow us to bring closure to past events and integrate our new future into our consciousness. Each of us can bring our own personal story to this event and reconcile our past to our present and future.

Recent research into health and well-being has clearly demonstrated the beneficial aspects of a healing ceremony. The national ‘Sorry’ ceremony and the recognition of the ‘Forgotten’ children are evidence that even Governments can recognise past mistakes, ask for forgiveness and move on positively.