Help for Step Families
Families in Australia are under pressure and divorce rates are high. These rates climb to over 50% for second marriages. Step families with children have the highest rates of all.
Unfortunately most people wait too late to ask for help. When disputes have escalated and entrenched, some family members are often no longer prepared, or feel able to work at staying together.
Early intervention in disputes is the key to resolving them. Complex family dynamics, competing priorities and relationships, different rules, power struggles, families of origin, children spending time with other parent - and their new partner and their children, new siblings, new places, new schools, step parents, parents struggling to balance the day to day difficulties, step children trying to stay visible or out of sight, the environment can become toxic if not managed early and appropriately.
Step children can suffer serious and permanent psychological damage if affected. Step parents can feel stressed, anxious, irritated, angry, frustrated, and step families can be torn apart.
All families have issues, and blending families does not occur easily. Becoming a successful step family requires understanding, acceptance and often help from those who are experienced in helping with unique step family issues.
With the right attitude and a willingness to seek assistance from skillful helpers, becoming a step father or a step mother can be a blessing. Step children can feel included and important members of the step family. InterMEDIATE Dispute Management takes a multidisciplinary approach in consideration of the almalgamated needs of each family, and the individual needs of each step family member, and where possible the extended family and families of origin.
With the agreement of all parties, new partners as well as former partners are welcome to attend mediation together to help resolve their issues. Family mediation assists with helping each family member understand the needs of the others, and the others to understand them, with a view to defining boundaries, resolving disputes and making agreements, that will help them to live together in a healthy cooperative environment.
Counselling may assist step family members who are struggling to manage their emotional and psychological wellbeing. To enable the authentic voices of step children to be heard, Child Inclusive Practice can bring their concerns into the mediation. Family therapy can help the parents and children to communicate with a more therapeutic focus and wholistic approach and, are generally limited to one or two objectives.