Stepfamilies

One in three people today in the UK are involved in some sort of stepfamily. The traditional image of a couple who marry, have 2.4 children and stay together forever is now far from typical. Families are increasingly diverse and by 2010 the vast majority will consist of adults living in a married or unmarried relationship with children living with them or visiting, who may or may not be related to both those adults. Remarkably, it has been estimated that around 72 different forms of stepfamily exist. Suzie Hayman, a Relate-trained counsellor and a leading expert on stepfamilies, knows that many of the difficulties stepfamilies face are common to all families. Using real life examples, she helps the reader through such problems and suggests a variety of exercises and techniques to help family members understand what is happening, and so bring the new family together. STEPFAMILIES is the definitive guide for parents, children and members of extended families who may each need support in new and challenging roles.