Bonus Family Counseling

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Bonus Family Counseling

Whether you refer to them as Stepfamilies, Blended Families or Bonus Families (we prefer to call them Bonus Families), this family structure is becoming the norm in our society! Bonus Families face unique challenges that require unique approaches to create healthy relationships. Bonus Families more often than not are born out of loss – whether through divorce or death – and therefore must address the issues of loss as well as adjustment to a “new family” structure.

Did you know that:

About 75% of those who divorce will remarry, most within two years.
Psychologists say it takes four to eight years for a remarried family to “gel” and feel like a family (destroying the myth of “Instant Love”).
The divorce rate for remarriages with children is almost 65%, with most divorces occurring within the first four years – before the family has had time to blend.
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Some of the more common blending challenges are:

Remarried spouses often make their biological children a greater priority than their new spouse, creating undue stressors on the new marriage relationship.
Children of divorce routinely resist connecting to the new family in meaningful ways.
Discipline from a stepparent often results in opposition, frustration, and disrespect.
Remarried spouses often find it difficult understanding or adapting to the new role as a stepparent.

Mark and Vanessa have created a successful Bonus Family (established in 1991) and continue to learn and grow as the blending process expands to include in laws and grandchildren. Our goal is to help your Bonus Family become the warm, loving and successful unit you desire!