Are your children or step children causing conflict between you and your spouse / ex-spouse?
Do you feel emotionally drained by the challenges of being in a blended / step family?
Do you sometimes doubt if your relationship will succeed?
Remarriage, especially when children from the previous relationship(s) are involved, can be a land mine for conflict.
Becoming a step family has lots of moving parts and an equal amount of emotions. When two families combine, there is lots of room for disagreement. Not every family is successful at “blending,” especially when it comes to the priorities of the marriage and children.
An intact nuclear family starts with a marriage and then adds children to the mix.. but in a blended family, the children are there at the beginning; they pre-date the marriage. This brings a much different dynamic to the table.
Blended families are a challenge, but I have seen blended-family marriages thrive when the husband and wife keep marriage a priority and respect their children. Building something that extends far beyond the child rearing years gives your children a foundation to build upon for themselves.
The good news is that most remarried couples can beat the odds of divorce and build a successful blended family if they know how to overcome the unique barriers to marital intimacy in a blended family and if they understand step family dynamics.
In other words, learn to beat the odds of divorce by “getting smart.“
Counseling for Blended Families
If you’re in the midst of a blended family, support and guidance from an experienced and compassionate licensed therapist may be critical to the success of your relationship and your family.
Blended family counseling gives you the opportunity to make space and time for your relationship. It also demonstrates to each other that, while in the midst of chaos and conflict, working through your family issues is a priority.