Divorce statistics in the U.S. are staggering: 876,000 occur each year — one every 36 seconds. While going through a divorce can be gut-wrenching, the process doesn't have to be deemed a tragedy, says Christina Pesoli, author of Break Free From the Divortex: Power Through Your Divorce and Launch Your New Life and longtime CultureMap Austin contributor.
In her new book, the Austin-based lawyer and divorce coach guides women through the divorce process. The goal? To get through the divorce with sanity — and finances — intact. Pesoli, who has experienced divorced firsthand, hopes the book will help women avoid the pitfalls that she fell into.
"The main thing I'd like women to realize is that divorce is a really hard thing, but it's not a tragedy from which they will not recover," says author Christina Pesoli.
"In the early days of my divorce, I was completely knocked flat," Pesoli explains. With no guide to show her the way, Pesoli stumbled. "I made lots of mistakes before I eventually started figuring things out," she admits.
It didn't take long for Pesoli to realize that she wasn't alone. "I discovered that [other women] were struggling with many of the same issues I had struggled with, and making many of the same mistakes that I had made," she says. "I thought to myself, 'Hey, someone should write a book to help women get through divorce so everyone doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel.'"
Pesoli's Break Free From the Divortex is an easy-to-follow guide that offers practical tips and deep emotional support. In addition to guidance on choosing the right divorce attorney and communication tips, Pesoli delves into strategies for rediscovering one's personal identity and dating when the divorce is final.
"The main thing I’d like women to realize is that divorce is a really hard thing, but it's not a tragedy from which they will not recover," Pesoli says. "It’s important not to give it more power than it deserves.
"It's more like a broken leg than a broken neck. It will take effort to get back to normal, but just like recovering from a physical injury, if you do the work, you'll get there."
Break Free encourages women to use divorce as a means to start fresh and create the life they want. "Divorce presents an incredible opportunity to take stock of your life and correct course in all sorts of different areas," Pesoli advises. "Don't squander it."
Christina Pesoli is a longtime contributor to CultureMap Austin.
Pizza at Centrale Italiia. Google/Siqi Wang 