Stepping Stones to a Healthy Stepfamily

Whether you are considering becoming a part of a stepfamily or have been married for many years, Stepping Stones to a Healthy Stepfamily is the roadmap you've been looking for. With insight, wisdom and compassion, counselor Janet Nicholas, LPC LCDC EAP, will guide you through your journey of stepfamily life, alerting you to obstacles along the way. In this book, she will help you understand and possibly remedy: - Healing past wounds that may be impacting your present relationships - Presenting new skills, direction and hope that will greatly improve how you handle conflict - Why stepfamilies are programmed to "merge," not blend and what you can do to see things differently - Specific tools to help with the unique challenges of adult stepfamilies - How to deal with difficult exes - Learning how to talk so your spouse will listen - Why "acting like a parent" to new stepchildren-in your new stepfamily-is not always a good idea - Understanding your children and stepchildren's behavior - Learning to balance marriage with the demands of career, parenting, and stepparenting - Tools for making sure your relationships not only survive but thrive As someone who's "been there," Janet presents her signature straight talk on everything pertaining to complex stepfamily systems. Stepping Stones to a Healthy Stepfamily is your ultimate reference guide, including easy-to-understand tips and suggestions, helpful case histories, and ways for you and your family to improve the way you communicate.