Life After Divorce: Grief, Growth & Finding Love Again

By Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Founder of Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.

Divorce is messy.

The grief goes deep. The guilt creeps in. The identity crisis is real.

When I separated from my husband of 13 years in 2018—and later finalized the divorce—it felt like my world cracked open. Not just mine, but my entire family’s. We didn’t just untangle a

relationship; we had to navigate loyalty conflicts, co-parenting pain, and watching our children struggle with something no one ever wants their kids to go through.

It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t, some days. But what I’ve learned is this: there is life after divorce.

And not just life—but joy, love, and purpose, too.

The Grief is Real—and So Is the Growth

Divorce isn’t just the loss of a marriage. It’s the death of dreams, routines, security, identity. It’s grieving a life you once believed in—and the person you were inside it.

There were moments I wasn’t sure who I was without the role of wife. There were days I

questioned everything—my worth, my choices, my strength.

But grief is also a teacher.  It strips you down to the bones and dares you to rebuild yourself

with intention. And I did.

Finding Myself—Before Finding Anyone Else

Between 2018 and 2021, I poured everything I had into healing—therapy, reflection, learning to love the parts of me I used to shame. I learned to listen to my needs, set boundaries, soften my inner critic, and be proud of the woman I was becoming.

And then… in 2021…

I decided to take a chance.  Dating.  (EEK!)

I was nervous. I had no idea what the modern dating world looked like. But I was also

excited—for the first time in a long time, I knew who I was, what I needed, and what I would

never settle for again.

And Then Came Justin

I met my now-fiancé, Justin, and from the beginning, it felt different. Not perfect—real.

Teaching someone how to love you the way you need to be loved is hard work. It takes

vulnerability, communication, patience, and a willingness to unlearn old patterns.

But Justin met me there. He saw my strength and my softness, my ambition and my anxiety, and never once asked me to shrink.

Together, we’ve built the strongest relationship I’ve ever experienced. We communicate deeply.

We laugh every day. We share the little things—household chores, family meals, coffee

chats—as much as we share the big things, like building Venture Counselling & Therapy

Inc. into an award-winning clinic.

He believes in me—fully. And being truly seen, accepted, and supported like that? It’s

everything. Soulmates do exist. True partnership is real.

Divorce in Canada: You’re Not Alone

If you’re going through a separation or divorce in Canada right now, you’re far from alone.

According to Statistics Canada, around 40% of marriages end in divorce. In Nova Scotia,

thousands of families go through this each year, navigating complex legal, emotional, and

financial systems.

It’s not a failure. It’s a transition. And it can be a gateway to the most authentic, fulfilling

chapter of your life—if you let it.

There Is Life After Divorce.

If you’re in the thick of it, I see you. You’re not broken. You’re in a season of shedding, searching, and becoming. Give yourself time. Do the work. Find your people. Love your kids through it.

And when the time is right, love yourself into something new.

Because healing is possible.

Because love is still out there.

And because the best relationships are born from the truest versions of ourselves.

With hope and heart,

– Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.