Blended Family Counseling in Michigan
Blended family counseling helps stepfamilies build stronger bonds making each individual in the family feel emotionally safe, loved, and valued.
We are now accepting new clients for virtual therapy and in-person sessions.
Here are just a few of the many challenges facing blended families:
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Deciding where to live: Blending two families usually involves changing neighborhoods, schools and the security of familiarity for some or all the family members.
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Resistance from the children: Some children do not want their parents to remarry or do not get along with their step-siblings. Children often will act out in some way against the natural parent and/or the step-parent.
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Implementing Rules and Discipline: Determining the structure of rules and discipline can be very challenging for the Blended Family and may also include challenges over disciple disagreement with the ex-spouses. This is a difficult time for children due to having different rules at different homes in addition to having to adjust to the reality of losing the family they had and adjusting to a new one being created.
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Deciding how the children will address their step-parent: Deciding how to address a step-parent can be an important aspect of the relationship between the step-parent and child.
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Continuing relationships with friends and family members associated with past marriages: Setting boundaries with these relationships is important to the health of the blended family unit as well as the marital relationship.
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Ongoing interaction with former spouses: Co-parenting can be very challenging and is often the source of discord within the new marital and blended family relationships.
What should we do if we are already a blended family having problems?
If you are already in a blended family and didn’t have the opportunity to benefit from pre-marital counseling. Don’t worry, there is still hope. Make an appointment for counseling as a couple to assess any areas of crisis and prioritize your issues. After the initial counseling session, you and your counselor will work together to create a family structure plan specific to your unique family. Once your family structure plan is in place, continued sessions will help you address the specific areas of your marriage and family to move you toward the harmony and family unit you wish for. Remember…there is no perfect family! All families have difficulty and every family can learn ways to have structure and peace within the home and their relationships.
Let’s Work Together
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