How about couple's therapy? New survey reveals how divorced, separated and widowed singles are seeing a second chance at love

For people seeking love after divorce separation or losing their partner the journey is not just about surrendering to fate or approaching it with blind optimism The secondchance seekers are treating emotional compatibility as a process that deserves active effort and not just chemistryIn a consumer study by Indian matchmaking and matrimony app Rebounce previously married singles opened up about their journey of healing and finding love again and couples therapy came out as the hero element of their journeyThe survey reveals a sharp openness toward therapy and couples therapy among the divorced separated and widowed singles looking to remarry or seeking a longterm serious relationship More than 44 per cent of these individuals called it a proactive relationship investment for a better futureThe study was conducted among 8673 divorced separated and widowed individuals who were between 27 and 45 years Participants came from metros and smaller Indian cities The survey showed that 91 per cent of the respondents are employed while 9 per cent were homemakers The detailed analysis of the study shows a quiet change in the secondchance seekers world with the majority seeking emotional counseling to break the pattern avoid repeated emotional exhaustion and deal with unresolved resentment toward their past experienceRavi Mittal who is the founder and CEO of the matchmaking app commented Previously married singles are far more conscious in their approach we say this over and over again They have not only worked around the taboo of ending a marriage that did not deserve to be carried any longer but also the judgment around seeking professional help to sort out their emotions It is inspiringTherapy after the end and before a new beginningOver 38 per cent of divorced and separated singles in their 30s clearly stated that they have been to therapy after their marriage ended and in the journey to finding a compatible partner for remarriage they would strongly consider visiting a couples therapist in case there is any lapse in communication or emotional trigger surfacing during their courtship period with a serious match In the survey widowed individuals spoke of therapy before committing to someone new as an emotional checkpoint as opposed to the crisismanagement view of the same from the divorced singles perspective The difference in stance mostly stemmed from how their marriage endedUnhealed baggage can be a deal breakerOne of the strongest insights from the survey showed that for approximately 57 per cent of the previously married singles from both Tier 1 and 2 cities their matchs unhealed trauma from the previous marriage is acceptable but the refusal to work on it and sort it out before committing to a new relationship is not This major shift in secondchance relationships shows that they are prioritising emotional accountability over societal labels Anushree 33 from Delhi said I dont mind that my match has a rough past which has shaped him in some ways I do too But I would start minding it if he refused to reflect on it and go to therapy to resolve those sensitive issuesCouples therapy expectationsInterestingly 28 per cent of divorced separated and widowed individuals who found love for a second time revealed that they opted for couples therapy before saying yes to the relationship They clarified that therapy should not only be done after the damage is done it can be preventive too For 12 per cent of these people the therapy helped build healthy boundaries that they were unable to create in their previous marriage Ajay a single father from Indore said We expect health checkups before marriage so why not emotional checkups too It is not something to be addressed only when an emergency strikes Maintenance is very important especially for people like us who havent had a pleasant experience with love previously7 out of 10 previously married singles who found love again and are considering remarriage explained that they dont purely depend on blind compatibility and compromise anymore They also disclosed that after their marriage ended therapy was just as embarrassing as the failed marriage But they no longer look at it as a tool for failing couples but rather they associate the same with emotional guidance by a professional