Step by Step

• 1,300 new stepfamilies are forming every day.
• More than 50 percent of U.S. families are the result of remarriages or re-couplings.
• One out of two marriages will end in divorce.
• About 75 percent of divorced people eventually remarry.
• 60 percent of all remarriages eventually end in divorce.
• 66 percent of those who are living together or are remarried break up when children are involved.
• 80 percent of remarried or re-coupled partners with children both have careers.

Sources: The Stepfamily Foundation and the National Stepfamily Resource Center at Auburn University.

Common Issues that Arise

• Children's allegiance to the biological parent, whether new family was formed through divorce or death of a parent.
• Joining families too quickly and disappointment that things didn't go smoothly.
• Varying emotions, from anger, sadness, frustrations, jealousy, hurt feelings, anxiety over parent sharing love with others, guilt in preferring step parent to bio parent, etc.
• Communication styles and habits.
• Discipline styles and beliefs.
• Money, allowances, loans, etc.
• Yours, mine, and what about "ours?"
• Parenting roles and style differences.
• Extended family members.
• Ex-spouses
• And many more!

Nearly one-third of US weddings today give birth to a stepfamily. By the year 2010 there will be more stepfamilies in Americathan any other type of family and it is predicted that one-half of Americans will have a step-relationship at some point in their lifetime (Larson, 1992).

Each stepfamily is different and the issues they face are wide-ranging; however, below are some basic facts about the advantages of stepfamily counseling and how it will benefit the participants. Stepfamily living involves many situations and conflicts that are built-in to the family structure. Many of us hate conflict and hope to avoid it at all costs. Many of us come from previous relationships that had too much conflict. Counseling helps the adults focus on stepfamily issues, break those issues down into bite-sized chunks, and look at them from new perspectives. Most new stepfamily members have no idea about what to expect when beginning their journey as a stepfamily. A lack of understanding of this process and a failure to adjust to it are key elements that cause stepfamilies to fail and couples to re-divorce.

Many children and adolescents bring unresolved losses into their stepfamily. If these losses increase, children and adolescents may get depressed or act out against authority, which can lead to school adjustment difficulties. Counseling for adolescents who need understanding, support, and outside guidance is crucial to their well-being and will enhance the quality of stepfamily life for all members of the family. Stacie helps the new family develop a map of the unfamiliar terrain, and shows each member methods to traverse the process of stepfamily development.

Stacie looks forward to meeting you and your stepfamily and helping you overcome the major issues facing modern stepfamilies.To learn more about Stepfamily Counselling, contact me today so that we can talk about your concerns.

Stacie Crochet, LCSW
13740 Research Blvd. Ste. U-4, Austin, Texas 78750
Direct: (512) 921-5925 email: info@staciecrochet.com