Abstract
The growing literature on the effects of parental separation and remarriage has focused almost entirely on children under the age of 18. However, clinical observations suggest a marked rise in the number of adults presenting to professional services, requesting help with adjusting to parental remarriage that is occurring later in the family's developmental lifecycle. This trend suggests that adult children are also significantly affected by family reorganisation and require interventions tailored specifically to their needs. The aim of this paper is to identify some of the dilemmas experienced by adult children who are becoming part of a stepfamily. Through grounding these dilemmas in well-established psychological theories of human development (in particular, attachment theory, schema theory and lifespan development), the paper identifies frameworks that can assist therapists with a more systematic approach to assessment and intervention.
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