Understanding Stepfamilies

Understanding Stepfamilies takes a large step toward achieving integration of the many variables presented in understanding the stepfamily system. The book examines the dynamics and resources within these complex family systems. It helps clinicians and researchers understand the underlying structural patterns and dynamics of stepfamilies, promoting more successful, positive treatment outcomes. Chapters in Understanding Stepfamilies offer clinicians and researchers an international perspective, including contributions from the U.S., Canada, Israel, and The Netherlands. Readers learn of unique theoretical approaches to understanding stepfamily typologies and behaviors and specific clinical models for assessment and intervention, as well as more empirically-based findings regarding parent-child interactions.

Everett, Craig

Contents Introduction - Incomplete Institution or Culture Shock: Institutional and Processual Models of Stepfamily Instability - The Clarity and Content of the Stepparent Role: A Review of the Literature - Three Types of Stepfamilies - Role Strain Prediction in Stepfamilies - The Relationship of Remarriage to Post-Divorce Co-Parenting - The Importance of Mother-Child Relations in Studying Stepfamilies - Influences on the Quality of the Stepmother-Adolescent Relationship - Adolescents from Stepfamilies, Single-Parent Families, and (In)Stable Intact Families in the Netherlands - Using Social Construction Therapy with the REM Family - Stepfamily Assessment: An Integrated Model - Communication--Family Characteristics: A Comparison Between Stepfamilies (Formed After Death or Divorce) and Biological Families - Reference Notes Included