I found this book while going through my own divorce after 22 years of marriage, and I can honestly say it changed the trajectory of my life. Full of fear and rage, I imagine I would have unknowingly placed my children smack in the middle of the battle. Instead, Debbie walked me through an incredible step by step process that allowed healing and growth and the ablility to help my girls through that painful time. Using the tools in this book, I was able to understand that I could choose my perspective about how this divorce would affect me, which in turn would affect my daughters. Without Debbie's book I don't think my ex and I would be friends today or be able to still spend time together (all four of us) as a family. This is a MUST read for anyone going through or considering a divorce.

When my mother was going through her own divorce I gave her this book. She had been attending therapy, talking to friends, family etc....she was doing ok. But until she discovered the gifts of her own divorce was she then able to heal completely and forgive her ex-husband. My best friend also just broke up with her LTB and says she is now reading Spiritual Divorce and it's helping her. So I would encourage anyone going through a divorce or break-up to read this book or seek some sort of support systems.

Don't let the title of this book convince you that it's only for people who are divorced or divorcing. The content and concepts of this book can be valuable for anyone experiencing significant loss or separation of any kind. The 'Seven Spiritual Laws of Divorce' that form the foundation of the book, can easily be read as 'the seven laws of spiritual healing', or similar. The provide a step by step process for moving through the healing of a broken heart, no matter what the cause.

Though I'm still happily married to the only woman I've ever wed, I often reference the laws and concepts of this book to assist me in living responsibly, creatively and gratefully. The Law of Surrender is one of my favorites, as it regularly helps me remember to cease resisting my life as it is, and trust that I'm loved held and supported by something larger than myself.

If these ideas resonate with you, please go to: www.debbieford.com for information on other useful materials and trainings.

I knew within a few short months that my marriage was in trouble. For 9 years I did nothing but let the pain and resentment build. Do I stay married and let the pain and loneliness continue? What would it do to my children? Or do I get a divorce? If I do, then what? What would happen to me? How would I be able to survive on my own?

When I listened to my inner wisdom, I knew divorce wasn't for me. My husband wanted to make things work and so did I. But how? I wanted to find a way to grow from my mistakes. I wanted to find a way to bring more romance and fun into my life. I wanted an extraordinary marriage! Do you want this too?

How?

Read Spiritual Divorce and heal your heart.

Spiritual Divorce was the turning point in my marriage and I avoided reading it for months because of the title. This book gives you practical steps to take to use your relationship struggles as a catalyst for an extraordinary life instead of your sturggles using you.

By reading Spiritual Divorce, I realized that I co-created what was going on around me in my marriage. Once I came to this realization, my reality shifted. I realized that because I control my own destiny, I truly had the choice of being happy or being miserable.

So it should come as no surprise that my favorite Spiritual Divorce Law is the Law of Choice. It states, "Having taken responsibility, we can choose new interpretations that empower us..."

I could have easily chosen a Negative Interpretation of my marriage: My husband is only here on this earth to make me miserable. He gets a kick out of ruining my life! He is a horrible husband!

But thankfully, I instead chose a Positive Interpretation of my marriage. And now, thanks to that very same husband, I can now stand on my own! Because of the turmoil in my life, I am now in a position to support others going through similar pain.

What a truly powerful gift I received from my husband -- AND such a gift from Debbie Ford! Thank you for having the courage to write this book!

Wow. That is all I can say after reading this book. Wow wow wow wow wow. At first, I didn't think this book would apply to me. I haven't been divorced. I haven't even been married. But when I started to read the book, and in particular the spiritual laws Debbie Ford outlines in it, I could actually feel my heart begin to heal from the losses and the pain I've suffered in my life. My life after reading the book is not the same as before. I can use the spiritual laws in all kinds of situations. The title alone doesn't do it justice. This is one of the most important spiritual books of our time. I feel lucky to have opened its pages. And for those of you who are divorced, I've heard that Debbie and her staff do amazing support calls and have great coaches to support you in the process of healing your own heart. Wow.

Whether going thru a divorce, divorced, or in a happy, forever after marriage this book is a must read.
It addresses relationship, marriage and family in a way that heals the deepest wounds as well as encouraging true happiness.

This book is helpful for any type of split, separation, or end of important personal relationship. A great book to help you move forward.

I love to read, and I read very well, but this book is difficult to follow. It is wordy, contains one analogy after another and quotes from various people, all of which confuse the point the author was trying to make. I started reading it thoroughly, then began skimming, then reading the first sentence or two of paragraphs that weren't describing the author's divorce, then I finally quit, and threw it away. I hate to throw away a book, but this one is blather.

Personally, I did not find this book helpful or uplifitng - the content is too "fluffy" during a time when difficult decisons are being made. Might be a better read down the line after the divorce is final and you are moving on. Maybe it's the book for you if you are a big Debbie Ford fan. Books can be trial and error - this was an error for me.

I seized on this book after reading the first line of the Forward: "There is no such thing as divorce." Ford goes on to make her case that we do not end relationships, we change them. It is impossible, she states, to end relationships. Facing the end of my own 23-year marriage, I was hungry to hear more about this concept, that perhaps I could continue some kind of relationship to this man, this very dear friend, with whom I was suffering and struggling in marriage. What I found in this book were platitudes. No small wonder, as the author is very inexperienced in marriage. She'd lived with one partner for a short time, then another man by whom she became pregnant and married shortly after. That marriage ended after just a couple of years. In my opinion, Ford has no authority or enough experience to help someone like me, a woman in a longterm marriage that is ending. Her "examples" of how the "Universe provides support" and "The Law of Responsibility" that states we "find our perfect partners to teach us the perfect lessons" fell far short of comforting or instructing me as I face financial difficulties, tearful arguments over splitting up the photo albums and such. In the initial, tender stages of accepting that my marriage was ending, buying this book was a baby step toward acceptance of this sad fact and looking at my reality. But I found the book itself completely unhelpful. Save your time and money -- buy "Divorce for Dummies" right off the bat. It's practical and remarkably sensitive.

This book is amazing. It allows you to heal and work through a lot of the issues you have surrounding your divorce. Even if you aren't getting divorced I would recommend this book because it's inspirational and exceptional. I'm now on my third Debbie Ford book and I love her style and ease of writing. She's fun to read and always get's me going ready for a new day!

wow! the information and suggestions in this book really have helped me to mature and reach beyond myself. ford writes in an excellent style that inspires you to greater things. i was very impressed with this work. for many guys, her approach and vocabulary might be seen as a pie-in-the-sky approach. while probably true, if you can look beyond that to the message that she offers, it is well worth it. this book is very affordably priced and is worth the purchase, new or used.

This is a book that adopts elements of spiritual transformation that are proven successful. It misses the mark completely by implying that divorce "happens" rather than being the result of the shortcomings of one, or both, partners, and forgoes an investigation of what these shortcomings could be, and how to heal them. Yet, it is right in expressing the force that a traumatic event like divorce can have on an individual, normally the one being "dumped", to promote personal transformation. If the divorce is the result of a consensual split, the couple will likely learn little. Likewise, the "dumper's" learning from the experience tends to be precious little too, so much so that statistically the same errors are then replayed in other relationships.
Outside of chemical abuse, physical abuse, severe mental illness, marriages are as a rule repairable, through the commitment to be compassionate, understanding, forgiving and appreciative of the other. It is the childish self-centeredness of many of us that destroys marriages, the unwillingness to be loyal and forgiving, and the lack of desire to give to the partner what one desires to receive. We are all keen to demand what we want, but stingy in behaving the way we would want our partner to behave with us.
This book is in many ways naive. A useless exercise that skips the meat of relationships, including the need to identify what led us to select the partner we married, and how this points to what needs to be healed in ourselves.
I do NOT recommend this book. Focus instead on "Real Love in Marriage" by Dr. Baer, and "Is it love, or is it addiction" by Brenda Schaeffer, to understand the how and why relationships break down, and, most importantly the lessons to be learned. Being in sintony with one's values, that is DOING (acting) in such a way that life follows the course of you deepest values is a most difficult exercise, that however, will bring true freedom. Most cases of divorce hinge on one , or both, partners succumbing to the shadow (in a Jung-ian sense), and being at its mercy, rather than refocusing and acting in harmony with what your deepest beliefs are, as well as exposing and understanding our dark side.

I recently experienced betrayal in my life and was faced with divorce. This book helped me to survive the initial pain and begin to build a friendship with my wife. I was able to take the practical and spiritual advice of Debbie Ford and apply it to every part of my life and current situation. I dont know what I would have done without this book. It is a gift that I use in my daily life and also began using it with clients that I see in my psychotherapy practice. I plan on recommending this book to all I come into contact facing a divorce. It will make a difference in many live especially where children are involved. the days of drawn out legal battles concerning divorce and custody are over. It is now time to do these things in a mature and enlightened way and Debbie Ford's book is our blue print for this major paradigm shift. Highly recommended to any seperating or divorcing couples.

How sick and tired I was of telling everyone in my life the sad tale of my divorce. "My husband never came through for me, he wasn't who I thought he was, he let me down..." bla, bla, bla.... Until I read this book and came in contact with Debbie Ford's work, I thought I had no other choice but to drag my victim story around with me. How wrong I was!

Little did I know that hidden within my rage about how my husband never came through for me was the realization that I know how to take care of myself! When I let go of the disappointment that he never provided financially for our family I suddenly unleashed my own earning potential (after I stopped waiting for him to do it!). Honestly, nothing has made such a change in my life - both my inner world and my outer world -- as the process outlined in this book.

If you are a parent and are going through or have gone through a divorce, I would also highly recommend Ford's audio program called The Essentials of Extraordinary Parenting - A Self-Guided Coaching Program.

This book is simply a great way to approach life even if you have never been married and divorced. It is helpful to deal with any kind of loss weather it be from a death or break up. It gives real world examples and useful tools to approach realationships and just learning more about ones self . I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about marriage or is in a serious relationship

I am not going through a divorce, but like everyone else, I have had relationships that didn't work out the way I hoped. A few friends are going through tough times so I read this book to have an understanding of what they are going through and WOW, was I in for a surprise! This book had so much to say to me on ways I can work on myself so that I can have a better marriage and better relationships with kids, friends, co-workers! If both partners care enough early on to follow her wisdom and guidelines, I think you could prevent divorce with this book.

I could not put this book down. As a Christian, I may be talking to a different God than Debbie is, but that didn't slow me down one bit--she has a way with words that cuts through murky, repetetive thoughts and forces you to take responsibility for whatever your situation is in life. I I have read a LOT of self help books, but this one says things in a very practical, non-judgmental way. I can now look at my friends going through divorce, point this book out to them and be happy that there is a bright light at the end of their tunnel. And I believed that before, but I didn't know how to help them believe it until I found this book. Many thanks to you, Debbie.

I am not going through a divorce, but like everyone else, I have had relationships that didn't work out the way I hoped. A few friends are going through tough times so I read this book to have an understanding of what they are going through and WOW, was I in for a surprise! This book had so much to say to me on ways I can work on myself so that I can have a better marriage and better relationships with kids, friends, co-workers! If both partners care enough early on to follow her wisdom and guidelines, I think you could prevent divorce with this book.

I could not put this book down. As a Christian, I may be talking to a different God than Debbie is, but that didn't slow me down one bit--she has a way with words that cuts through murky, repetetive thoughts and forces you to take responsibility for whatever your situation is in life. I I have read a LOT of self help books, but this one says things in a very practical, non-judgmental way. I can now look at my friends going through divorce, point this book out to them and be happy that there is a bright light at the end of their tunnel. And I believed that before, but I didn't know how to help them believe it until I found this book. Many thanks to you, Debbie.

This book was recommended to me as I just recnetly ended a 4 1/2 year relationship. At first I thought "why am I reading this book?" I'm happy about my decision and I'm not hateful towards my ex. I stuck with it though and am now very glad I did. I found the contents of this book to be so helpful that I just purchased five more copies to give to people I know. This is a book I want to keep so I can refer to it often. Although it is an "easy read" I would suggest only reading a chapter/section at a time in order to give yourself time to digest the material. This is just simply a "good book" - even if you are not going through a divorce. Truly a "must read" - for anyone.

Debbie Ford shares her divorce experience throughout the book. She explains how her own divorce awakened her spiritually. I found great comfort in this book. It guides you on a journey of self reflection. During divorce, when we are feeling most vulnerable, it is easy to feel like the victim and blame our spouse for the demise of the marriage. After reading this book, you will learn how to forgive your spouse not for his sake, but for your own. Ultimately the anger we harbor for another will always cause us our greatest misery. By releasing these negative emotions you will come away feeling empowered and better able to cope with your divorce.

Debbie Ford shares her divorce experience throughout the book. She explains how her own divorce awakened her spiritually. I found great comfort in this book. It guides you on a journey of self reflection. During divorce, when we are feeling most vulnerable, it is easy to feel like the victim and blame our spouse for the demise of the marriage. After reading this book, you will learn how to forgive your spouse not for his sake, but for your own. Ultimately the anger we harbor for another will always cause us our greatest misery. By releasing these negative emotions you will come away feeling empowered and better able to cope with your divorce.

Debbie Ford provided some excellent ideas to focus on making divorce a life affirming catalyst for your future. During this time we all find it difficult to see how to view divorce as a positive step, we feel have failed. But her ideas and exercises help you see how everything is happening as it should and how to take the lessons learned to design a happier future. I found it useful in reframing my thoughts to focus on forgiveness as well as designing a new life that works for me. A great addition for everyone considering divorce or already finding themselves in the midst of one.

This is a very insightful, sensitive and comprehensive map to help anyone deal with pain in general, not relationship pains only. I loved it! I also love the idea of turning negative events into something positive for yourself. Thank you Debbie.

This is a great book for someone who has never been aware of their spiritual nature through out a divorce. I found it redundant and a bit boring a slow read. I read alot of Deepak Chopra books. i got the impression she was trying to mimic his style - not possible. I then learned that she was a student of his. It may resonate with you I hope that it does. Best of luck to you in your transition to a good life.

It's never an easy thing to discuss. Ms. Ford does a brilliant job of avoiding the 'he said, she said', that regardless of outcome, we were 'meant to be' for awhile. And that we need to live and learn through having loved. The reading helps provide a platform for courageously moving on...and becoming who we are truly meant to be.

Debbie Ford has taken a subject as painful as divorce and created a very simple structure to move quickly through the emotional process. As I completed the exercises at the end of each chapter my heart began to heal. Almost magically, as my heart healed I was able to not only see an inspiring future but to create that incredible life at the same time.
If you are ready for a great life buy this book!!

I was given this book by my daughter. I had been divorced for over 20 years ... I thought I don't need this book. But at her urging I read it and what I discovered was it allowed me to heal old wounds and resentments that I had been caring for 20 years ... many of which I am sure lead to my heart dis-ease. This is a book about finding your spiritual connection no matter what caused you to get disconnected in the first place.
I am forever grateful to Debbie Ford and her vulnerability fo sharing her own life wounds in this book to help us all heal.

Every once in a while a book comes along that changes and redirects lives in a new and empowering ways. Spirtual Divorce is one of those books. Whether you are currently going though a separation, experiencing a loss or suffering from carrying resentment from a previous break-up, separation or loss, Spiritual Divorce has the formula for healing your emotional wounds and giving you back an inspiring and powerful vision for your life. This book is a must read for anyone wanting heal from any emotional wound.
Read it or forever be trapped in resentment and blame

When I went through my divorce 5 years ago I encountered this book and it CHANGED my life! This book stood out from the dozens of other self-help/divorce books by the results I created in my life because of what this book taught me. Spiritual Divorce gave me a roadmap for using this devastating emotional experience as a powerful springboard to a new, more inspired, loving and positive expression of myself. So if your heart has been broken through divorce, or if you've struggled in any kind of relationship, you must read this book. It will guide you, step-by-step, on how to turn lead into gold. As she points out, if we don't get the lessons of why we created these relationships in the first place, we'll simply keep on repeating those patterns in future relationships. Debbie Ford - on behalf of my three young children and myself, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for writing this incredible book!