Stepfamilies: A Multi-dimensional Perspective

Roni Berger

Psychology Press, 1998 - Family & Relationships - 254 pages

Combining theoretical, empirical, and clinical knowledge, Stepfamilies: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective contains recent research and information that will help mental health practitioners, family therapists, psychologists, and counselors understand the characteristics, dynamics, needs, and issues of nonclinical stepfamilies. Based on direct experiences with diverse types of stepfamilies, this book gives you new guidelines and strategies that will enable you to offer more successful sessions to your clients and improve your effectiveness as a practitioner.

Developed to give you a more realistic understanding of stepfamilies, this text helps you avoid the stereotypes and false perceptions that often surround stepfamilies. Offering methods and strategies aimed at making your clients feel comfortable about themselves and their situations, Stepfamilies: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective examines several aspects of these families that you need to know in order to improve your effectiveness with them, including:

• the definition and description of stepfamilies and recognizing historical and social changes in the stepfamily structure
• critical reviews on the present knowledge of stepfamilies
• describing the complexity of family structure, the ambiguity of boundaries and roles, and the struggle with the diverse phases of the life cycle
• discussing key issues for stepfamilies, such as past orientation and acceptance/rejection of differences from non-stepfamilies and focal subsystems
• the profile, characteristics, and case studies of an innovative typology of stepfamilies that includes integrated families, invented families, and imported families
• aspects of ethnically and culturally different stepfamilies, including American stepfamilies, Israeli stepfamilies, and immigrant stepfamilies from the former Soviet Union
• social perceptions and attitudes of stepfamilies in schools, social services, community organizations, the media, and with the law
  
  Offering case studies and data on a variety of families and situations, Stepfamilies: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective will show you that all stepfamilies are not the same and cannot be helped by just one practice method. Complete with principles and instruments to assess patients and the success of sessions, Stepfamilies: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective works to promote an understanding of stepfamilies that will result in effective and positive therapy for your clients.

Contents

• Who Are They?: 9
• Characteristic Features of Stepfamilies: 19
• Key Issues of Stepfamilies: 51
• TYPES OF STEPFAMILIES: 65
• The Everest Family: 80
• The Time Is: 87
• Invented FamiliesWhose Invention?: 97
• Summary: 103
• Denying Differences from NonStepfamilies: 112
• Summary: 120
• Black Stepfamilies: 137
• Gay and Lesbian Stepfamilies: 149
• 28: 158
• HELPING STEPFAMILIES OF DIVERSE: 161
• Choosing with Whom: 181
• Summary: 201
• Strategies and Techniques for Working: 203
• Using Collaborative Conversational Approaches: 210
• Summary: 230
• 60: 241
• Index: 245

About the author

Roni Berger, PhD, CSW, is Assistant Professor at the Adeiphi University School of Social Work in Garden City, Long Island. She is also the Supervisor of Group Work in the Russian Adolescent Program of JBFC'S. Dr. Berger serves on the Advisory Boards of International Conferences of Family Therapy and is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, the Council on Social Work Education, and he Adelphi University Senate. She is the author or co-author of five books, numerous journal articles, and has spoken at several conferences on social work with families and with groups. Her current research interests include cross-cultural aspects of stepfamilies, immigrant stepfamilies, and adolescent immigrants.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Stepfamilies: A Multi-dimensional Perspective; Haworth marriage and the family
• Author: Roni Berger
• Publisher: Psychology Press, 1998
• ISBN: 0789002809, 9780789002808
• Length: 254 pages
• Subjects: Family & Relationships / Education; Family & Relationships / Parenting / Stepparenting; Psychology / Mental Health; Psychology / Psychotherapy / General; Social Science / Social Work