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News & Comment – archive

Help and advice for step parents

An expert in stepfamily dynamics at Thames Valley University (TVU) has developed the first ever course in the UK specifically for step-parents who need help finding their feet.

Lisa Doodson is a practising psychologist and a lecturer who conducted extensive research over four years into the psychological impact of becoming a stepmother for her doctorate.  She has written for OneUp magazine on the subject (go to page 24 on view.vcab.com/showvcab.aspx?vcabid=aS7y9jS04fa). Finding that many were struggling with their role and even developing mental health problems, Dr Doodson, a stepmother herself, came up with the concept of a course that would offer professional advice and support to those taking on a step-parent role. She says:

‘Through my research I found that stepmothers were suffering higher levels of anxiety and depression, and experiencing a lower quality of life, than biological mums. They also had less social support, making it even harder to cope with their problems. In view of my findings, and given that stepfamilies are the fastest growing family type in the UK, I felt that there was a need to reach out to this group. The course I’ve developed should help stepmums and stepdads understand their role within the family and the sort of expectations they should have.’

Dr Doodson’s course is being piloted in Slough. It’s free to attend and runs on four consecutive Wednesday evenings starting from 30 September. For more information and/or to sign up for the pilot, please visit: www.happysteps.co.uk.

If the pilot is successful, Dr Doodson plans to submit the course to the National Academy of Parenting Practitioners for accreditation and publication and to roll out the programme nationally.