What is Enmeshment

There are approximately 13 million women in the United States who are currently stepmothers, yet the literature on the lived experiences of stepmothers remains scant, and existing literature disproportionately emphasizes the challenges. This chapter explores the lived experiences of women working to stepmother consciously and effectually as they navigate some of the complex family dynamics inherent to stepmotherhood in a psychotherapy setting. Among the dynamics unique to stepmothering that will be explored are the role ambiguities stepmothers face when there is a biological mother, managing feelings of powerlessness, and emotionally attuning to stepchildren's concerns about being replaced by their father. Implications for clinical strategies and key areas of consideration that may benefit women looking to “successfully” stepmother are underscored.