The Happy Stepcouple - How Couples with Stepchildren Can Strengthen Their Relationships

Designed to help couples with children from prior relationships navigate the challenges of stepfamily life, The Happy Stepcouple is an indispensable self-help guide that instructs couples how to establish realistic stepfamily expectations, communicate effectively, and handle stepfamily problems in ways that strengthen their emotional connection.

List of contents

Introduction

STEP 1: REVISE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
1 Stepfamily Fallacies
2 Expectations of Your Relationship
3 Finances
4 Redefine the Role of Stepparent

STEP 2: IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
5 The Relevance of Emotional Attachment Styles for Stepcouples
6 Understand Each Attachment Style and Its Unique Coping Reaction
7 The Clash of Emotional Attachment Styles
8 The Stepcouple Shuffle
9 Bolster Your Security Level
10 Modify Your Reactions
11 Don't Let a Grudge Weigh You Down
12 Gain Courage to Express Feelings with Confidence
13 Communicate Effectively
14 Boost Your Partner's Security
15 Go Gently into Conflict
16 Dance the Waltz of Intimacy

STEP 3: ADDRESS YOUR SPECIFIC STEPCOUPLE CHALLENGES
17 Manage Insider/Outsider Issues
18 Tame Your Partner's Green-Eyed Monster
19 Construct Healthy Boundaries
20 Balance Power in Your Relationship
21 Further Steps

Closing Words
Acknowledgments
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

About the author

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.

Product details

• Authors: Rachelle Katz
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 18.09.2025
• EAN: 9798881806286
• ISBN: 979-8-8818-0628-6
• No. of pages: 240
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 216 mm x 14 mm
• Weight: 286 g
• Illustrations: 3 tables
• Subjects: Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Lifestyle, personal development; FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Love & Romance, SELF-HELP / Communication & Social Skills, Assertiveness, motivation & self-esteem, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Stepparenting, Dating, relationships, living together & marriage, Advice on parenting, Separation & divorce, Parenting: advice and issues, Separation and divorce: advice and issues, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Marriage & Long-Term Relationships, Soft skills and dealing with other people