Navigating Divorce with Care, Compassion, & Clinical Support

Divorce and separation represent some of the most sensitive transitions a family can experience. At Soma House Counselling & Wellness, we understand that the end of a relationship is not simply a legal process—it is an emotional, relational, and often deeply grief-filled journey that affects every member of a family system. Children, parents, and extended family all feel the impact in unique ways.

Our role is to support individuals, children, and families as they navigate the emotional landscape of change, uncertainty, and rebuilding. We approach divorce-related counselling with respect, attunement, and evidence-based therapeutic practices anchored in safety and nervous-system regulation.

Divorce often activates stress responses, grief, and a profound sense of loss. Even when separation is healthy or necessary, families may experience:

• Shifts in identity and role
   
• Emotional overwhelm or mood changes
   
• Communication challenges and conflict
   
• Changes in routine, home, and relationships
   
• Attachment-related fears or behaviours in children
   
• Difficulty managing co-parenting demands
   
• Anxiety, guilt, or uncertainty about the future
   

At Soma House Counselling & Wellness, we hold space for all of these emotions with a steady, grounded, and non-judgmental presence. Our therapeutic approach includes:

• Trauma-informed care
   
• Emotion-focused and strengths-based counselling
   
• Somatic and nervous-system regulation strategies
   
• Play-based and expressive therapies for children
   
• Parent coaching and co-regulation support
   
• Education for developmentally appropriate communication
   
• Evidence-based modalities including EMDR for trauma and grief
   

We respect that each family’s experience is unique, and we collaborate to support healing at a pace that feels safe.

Children do not always have the words to express confusion, fear, anger, or sadness. Their distress may show up in other forms, such as:

• Emotional outbursts or withdrawal
   
• Changes in sleep or appetite
   
• School or peer challenges
   
• Somatic symptoms (stomach aches, headaches)
   
• Difficulty with transitions or separation
   
• Heightened need for reassurance and routine
   

At Soma House Counselling & Wellness, our therapy space has been intentionally designed to foster trust, emotional safety, and expression. Through play, art, storytelling, sensory tools, and somatic practices, children learn to:

• Understand and name their emotions
   
• Build emotional regulation skills
   
• Strengthen resilience during change
   
• Develop confidence in navigating new routines and relationships
   

We also work closely with parents and caregivers—offering guidance on how to support children outside of sessions, respond to emotional needs, and establish secure co-parenting communication practices where possible.

For parents, divorce often brings competing responsibilities: protecting their own well-being while caring for their children’s emotional needs. Adults may seek support for:

• Emotional processing and grief
   
• Trauma or stress response
   
• Boundaries and communication
   
• Identity changes and family restructuring
   
• Co-parenting dynamics and conflict navigation
   
• Healing from betrayal, trauma, or emotional wounds
   

Whether meeting individually or in a family format, counselling provides a grounded space to explore emotions, strengthen coping tools, and build a clearer, calmer path forward.

At Soma House Counselling & Wellness, healing happens in a warm and welcoming environment rooted in dignity, connection, and respect. Our therapy space includes creative and sensory materials, and our therapy animals—Sir Courtland the cat and Braya Bear the golden doodle—often provide gentle comfort and nervous-system support.

Our guiding belief is simple: Families can move through change and come out stronger, more connected, and more emotionally attuned with the right support. Separation is not the end of a family—rather, it is the beginning of a new chapter.

Whether you’re a parent navigating separation, a child adjusting to new routines, or an individual finding your footing after loss, support is available — and healing begins with connection.

At Soma House Counselling & Wellness, we offer a compassionate, non-judgmental space to explore what you’re experiencing and begin to rebuild with clarity and confidence.

Book a free 15-minute consult with Farnaz Farrokhi-Holmes, M.A., RCC, CCC, to learn more about how counselling can support you or your family through this transition. Together, we’ll discuss your needs, answer your questions, and help you take the next step toward healing.

In-person in Nanaimo (and in Duncan through Island Clinical Counselling) | Virtual sessions available across British Columbia