A Case Study of a Stepfamily’s Relationship Experiences Before and After the Death of a Custodial Biological Parent

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the traditional family of mother, father, and shared biological children as the dominant structure of a family has been replaced by the modern family—the stepfamily. The present study explored a stepfamily for the purpose of understanding a phenomenon, that is, a stepfamily’s experiences before and after the death of a custodial biological parent. This article, therefore, presents the findings of the examination of the stepparent–stepchild relationship and the effects of the death of the custodial biological parent on the stepfamily as individuals and as a family unit. Findings demonstrated the premises of Minuchin’s structural theory and Bowlby’s attachment theory as theoretical frameworks and Social Constructionism as the philosophical framework, respectively. Family counselors in their role as clinicians will be informed of a stepfamily’s relational associations, interactions, and cultural worldviews, thereby providing direction for clinical interventions from an empirically based perspective. Moreover, the findings will inform better practice through the understanding of how the death of a custodial biological parent affects continued association between a stepparent and stepchild (children).