Stepfamily Central – Rachelle Katz, Ed.D.

Today on Stepfamily Central, Rachelle continues her conversation with Dr. Jeannette Lofas, and talks to her about the pros and cons of joint custody when couples divorce. Jeannette is affectionately considered to be the wise woman of the stepfamily community and is a leading authority on stepfamilies. In fact, she won a presidential award for her work. She has written … Read more about this episode...

Kids are vulnerable when their parents divorce and can be effected by it for many years. Today on Stepfamily Central, Rachelle discusses what children can experience when their parents divorce, as well as how they can be helped, with Dr. Jeannette Lofas. Jeannette is affectionately considered to be the wise woman of the stepfamily community and is a leading authority … Read more about this episode...

In stepfamilies, it’s common for biological mothers and stepmothers to compare themselves to each other; sometimes intense rivalries can develop. Biological dads and stepfathers are not immune to competitive and jealous feelings. Today on Stepfamily Central, Rachelle talks to Joel Schwartzberg about a biological dad’s perspective of stepfathers. Joel is a father of three, and is an award winning humorist … Read more about this episode...

Divorce is a tough situation, especially if you have kids. It’s difficult to be away from them, whether it’s for a small or large amount of time. Since non-custodial parents spend less time with their children, they have fewer opportunities to get to know what makes them tick. This can be extremely frustrating for that parent. Today on Stepfamily Central, … Read more about this episode...

Babies are such wonderful additions to any family. Before their births, they can bring up a host of emotions for families to experience, ranging from excitement to anxiety. While babies are welcomed with as much love into stepfamilies, these family members can experience a more diverse set of emotions. Rachelle talks about the variety of emotions a new baby can … Read more about this episode...

Babies are such wonderful additions to any family. Before their births, they can bring up a host of emotions for families to experience, ranging from excitement to anxiety. While babies are welcomed with as much love into stepfamilies, these family members can experience a more diverse set of emotions. Rachelle talks about the variety of emotions a new baby can … Read more about this episode...

On this show Rachelle talks to Jenna Korf about her new book, Skirts at War: Beyond Divorced Mom?Stepmom Conflict. This book is an exciting addition to the stepfamily field. It focuses on how you can help yourself when the biomom or stepmom in your life doesn’t meet you halfway. Jenna and coauthor, Jennifer Newcombe Marine help women identify what … Read more about this episode...

Stepfamily life can be very challenging as anyone who has been part of one can attest. However, many relationships do endure the complexities and challenges of stepfamily life, and in fact thrive. What characteristics do these couples share? Rachelle discusses some of the qualities that happy, healthy re-partnered couples possess with Dianne Martin, a certified stepfamily counselor and social … Read more about this episode...

Many of us spend a good portion of our day feeling anger and resentful as a result of the challenges in our stepfamilies. Even though our feelings may be justified, they aren’t doing us any good. They may be contributing to all kinds of physical problems, such as heart disease and stomach ailments, and harming our relationships. Today on Stepfamily … Read more about this episode...

To protect our privacy and personal space, we all need to establish clear boundaries by being able to say no to certain requests that are too difficult for us to complete. Boundaries are important in all areas of life, at work, in friendships, but they are especially important in stepfamilies, since there are so many members involved, each with a … Read more about this episode...

Our expectations play a large role in how we experience the present and anticipate the future. When couples remarry, most have expectations of what will take place. If these expectations don’t match the reality of what does happen, frustration, disappointment, and pain often develop. Today on Stepfamily Central, Rachelle discusses a few of the more common unrealistic expectations held by … Read more about this episode...

Do you know what emotional intelligence is? It’s an intelligence that has to do with discerning and understanding emotional information, relating well to others, and achieving your goals. Rachelle discusses the importance of emotional intelligence and how stepmothers can develop more of it with Joan Sarin, a social psychologist who specializes in emotional intelligence training for children and parents. … Read more about this episode...

Bullying is such a bad problem that it can cause victims to commit suicide. Rachelle discusses bullying among stepsiblings and what to do about it with Dianne Martin, a certified stepfamily counselor and social worker. Not only does Dianne work with stepfamily members in her private practice in Canada, she also runs workshops and seminars for stepfamilies, and is … Read more about this episode...

Childless and child-free stepmothers face unique challenges compared to stepmothers who have biological children of their own. Rachelle discusses the various emotions they encounter and ways to deal with them with international speaker and author, Laura Petherbridge. Laura wrote When ‘I Do’ Becomes ‘I Don’t': Practical Steps for Healing During Separation and Divorce and The Smart Stepmom with stepfamily … Read more about this episode...

How ironic that Mother’s Day, a day meant to celebrate the contributions of mothers to their children’s lives, can be so painful for so many of the 15 million stepmothers who have stepchildren under the age of 18. These women don’t want much from their partners and stepchildren, just a simple acknowledgement of appreciation will do. Because of their stepchildren’s … Read more about this episode...

Divorce and remarriage can be very difficult for children to handle. In fact, twice as many children from divorced families experience academic, behavioral, or interpersonal problems when compared to children from intact families. Even those who don’t have any obvious problems, still experience loss when their parent’s divorce, and must undergo some adjustment when their parents remarry. Today, Rachelle talks … Read more about this episode...

Are you comfortable having the conversation about money with your partner? Many remarried couples avoid this topic like the plague even though their future security is at stake. Listen to Rachelle discuss stepfamily finances with Emily Bouchard, an expert in stepfamily dynamics. Emily Bouchard, MSSW, is a managing partner at Wealth Legacy Group, and founded www.Blended-Families.com in 2003. She … Read more about this episode...

Special occasions, like weddings and graduations, are wonderful and joyous milestones that deserve to be celebrated. Vacations are also fun times to spend with family members. For stepfamilies, however, these can be extremely awkward events and can cause a lot of pain and anxiety. Rachelle discusses how stepfamilies can navigate both special occasions and vacations with Brenda Snyder, a … Read more about this episode...

If you think bullying is something that only happens on a playground and among kids, think again. Experts say adult bullying is on the rise. We all have heard horror stories about bosses, neighbors, and even adult family members who bully. Rachelle and Dianne Martin, a Canadian social worker, stepfamily expert, and writer for Stepmom Magazine, discuss the … Read more about this episode...

How often do you feel guilty? Many stepfamily members, from remarried dads, stepmothers, to biological mothers are burdened by feelings of guilt, and this can wear a person down in addition to harming their relationships with other family members. Listen to Rachelle Katz discuss the negative impact of guilt along with ways to overcome these feelings with Dr. Diana Weiss-Wisdom… Read more about this episode...

Every stepfamily is unique, and has its own set of challenges, which is corroborated by the fact that 60 to 75 percent of remarried couples divorce. Listen to Rachelle talk to one stepmother, Dina, and be inspired by her story. She has successfully managed to keep her family running smoothly despite having to overcome many obstacles in their path. If … Read more about this episode...

Many remarried dads feel like a deer in the headlights when it comes to parenting their children. They have few role models to turn to for help and advice. Joel Schwartzberg, the author of The 40-Year Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad is a great resource. He is an award-winning essayist and screenwriter, national champion public speaker and … Read more about this episode...

Do you ever wonder what therapists really think and feel about the problems their stepfamily clients have, and what changes they would implement to improve their clients’ lives if they had the power to do so? Listen as Rachelle Katz and Mary T. Kelly, two marriage and family therapists discuss the most common problems remarried couples face, and the … Read more about this episode...

We all know that being a parent is the hardest job in the world; few realize that being a stepparent is just as challenging if not more so. We’re not going to talk about this in the abstract, we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of what makes being a stepparent so difficult by listening to Rachelle Katz coach a … Read more about this episode...

Few people know as much about the lives of stepmothers as Brenda Ockun, founder and publisher of Stepmom Magazine. She has the inside scoop of what really matters to stepmothers after five years of working with the leading experts in the stepfamily community, and speaking with countless stepmothers on the Stepmom Magazine Facebook page. Listen as Brenda discusses the … Read more about this episode...

The words we use are powerful, and shape our attitudes and feelings. “Blended” is one word that negatively affects all stepfamily members. Find out why the word “blended” is so damaging to stepfamilies by listening to our guest, Dr. Wednesday Martin who is a social researcher and author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and … Read more about this episode...