The Stepfamily Handbook

Recommended by the Estonian Association for Family Therapy.
Winner of the BESTSELLER Literature Contest 2015 in the non-fiction category.

The handbook is available in Estonian only.

Nearly twenty years of work as a family therapist has shown me how deeply childhood relationships shape us: how we value ourselves, what we expect from others, whom we choose as partners and how we raise our children.

Second and third partnerships are now common. Adults have the right to seek a life in which their hearts can breathe, but separation does not end a child’s need for a secure relationship with both parents.

This handbook looks at stepfamily (blended family) life from the perspectives of the parent with children from an earlier relationship, the new partner, former partner, children and grandparents. It offers guidance for keeping heads cool and hearts warm while building a family structure in which relationships can grow.

The book draws on therapeutic experience, international research, personal experience of blended-family life and stories inspired by real cases. The final chapter brings the main practical recommendations together.

When you feel that the problems in your stepfamily pile up, it is best to discuss those in family therapy.