Description: Designed to help couples with children from prior relationships navigate the challenges of stepfamily life, this book is an indispensable guide that instructs couples how to establish realistic expectations, communicate effectively, and handle problems in ways that strengthen connections.
Brief description: Rachelle Katz, EdD, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and stepfamily expert. She is the author of The Happy Stepmother, a self-help guide for stepmothers. Katz also hosted a podcast, Stepfamily Central, and ran support groups and workshops for stepcouples. She continues to coach stepmothers and their partners and writes articles for StepMomMagazine.com. She lives in New York City.
Review Quotes: Experienced therapist and stepmother Katz advises those (re)marrying with children. Her message is simple: settle for less than perfect, and you will be happier. Katz explores the myths of supposedly ideal blended families, in which all children happily accept new family structures, and adults are all on great terms, eagerly spending time with one another . . . Because of many examples drawn from her therapeutic work, readers will likely identify themselves in these pages and come away with new ideas for reducing conflict in their homes.