You meet someone, and you fall in love. If one or both of you already have children, you may be excited to create a new family as things get more serious, but everyone may not share your enthusiasm. Or maybe you’ve been together for a while, but happily ever after is a little more challenging than you thought it would be. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Stepfamilies are increasingly common, but they’re also very complex and often need support.

Despite the best of intentions, what intuitively makes sense rarely works in blended families due to conflicting needs and other complicating factors. That’s where I come in. As a therapist, I’ve always had a keen interest in stepfamilies because I’m a stepmom myself. Unfortunately, most therapists, even experts who have been in practice for decades, just don’t know the research on blended families, nor do they have training with this population, so they can miss some things or make mistakes in therapy. I’ve put in the work to do things differently.

I’m a big fan of Dr. Patricia L. Papernow’s approach to stepfamily counseling and have trained in her approach to make sure my clients get what they need; she advocates for psychoeducation, interpersonal skills development, and inner work to support people in blended families. Using these tools and the latest research, I help couples and stepparents navigate their family challenges and create their own version of happily ever after.