Help Parents Navigate Divorce with Kids

Interventions for anxious, depressed and oppositional children

Steve P. O'Brien, PsyD

Children caught in the crossfire of divorce and those struggling with a new blended family frequently exhibit emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Dr. Steve O’Brien, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with nearly 30 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and families struggling with divorce and blended family adjustment, presents actionable techniques to help children stuck in the middle.

Watch the video below and learn how you can help parents prepare for some of the communication struggles when it comes to kids and divorce, including validating children’s feelings and addressing their questions.


Do you work with children and families struggling to cope with divorce? Learn more about Dr. O’Brien’s PESI workshop, Kids in the Crossfire of Divorced and Blended Families: Interventions for Anxious, Depressed, and Oppositional Children.
Kids in the Crossfire of Divorced and Blended Families
Kids in the Crossfire of Divorced and Blended Families: Interventions for Anxious, Depressed and Oppositional Children
Children caught in the crossfire of divorce and those struggling with a new blended family frequently exhibit emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Children’s challenges may become exponential when divorce-related conflict is chronic and/or when parents’ new relationships lead to cohabitation or remarriage.

Kids end up stuck in the middle, taking on the role of fixer or therapist. Negative talk about each parent fuels blame games and regression while reunion fantasies persist.

Watch child-family psychologist, Dr. Steve O’Brien, who will provide you with a practical treatment approach for children struggling with anxiety, depression, and oppositional behavior secondary to divorced and blended family stressors.
Meet the Expert:

Steve O'Brien, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist with nearly 30 years of experience treating children, adolescents, families and young adults in his Clearwater, Florida practice. His specialty areas include child-adolescent anxiety/depression, ADHD Autism Spectrum Disorders, and divorced/blended family adjustment. Dr. O'Brien utilizes an integrative-systems model which tailors treatment to the developmental needs of youth and families. Intensive parent consultation and youth-focused family interventions are critical components of his therapeutic approach.

Learn more about his educational products, including upcoming live seminars, by clicking here.

Topic: Children and Adolescent Behavioral | Relationships | Children & Adolescents

Tags: Children

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