Kids in the Crossfire of Divorced and Blended Families

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Steven O'Brien, PsyD Related seminars and products

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Steve O’Brien, PsyD is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in his Clearwater, Florida practice. He is a respected national consultant for mental health professionals seeking guidance on the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and adjustment challenges in divorced and blended families.

Since 2017, Dr. O’Brien has provided continuing education and professional training for mental health clinicians, focusing on evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression, and neurodevelopmental disorders in youth. He is the author of The Essential Guide to Treating Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety, a clinical manual designed to enhance treatment outcomes.

His integrative-systems approach combines CBT, interpersonal techniques, and exposure/desensitization strategies, all tailored to the developmental needs of young clients and their families. Intensive parent consultation – emphasizing psychoeducation, communication skills, and behavior modification – is a cornerstone of his therapeutic work.

Dr. O’Brien has worked in numerous healthcare environments, including community mental health, psychiatric, inpatient/residential, substance abuse, and medical facilities. He also served as associate professor of child-adolescent studies at the Florida School of Professional Psychology. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. O’Brien is an app developer (Life@Home by Psychtouch.com) and a frequent guest on local news outlets for his expertise on childhood anxiety. Visit obrienpsychology.com for more information.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Steven O'Brien maintains a private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Steven O’Brien is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Florida Psychological Association.

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Objectives

1. Identify developmental manifestations of childhood distress secondary to divorced/blended family stressors.
2. Discover effective methods of rapport-building with children and parents/step parents to enhance treatment outcomes for anxious, depressed and oppositional children.
3. Utilize semi-structured interview and observational formats for obtaining developmental, emotional and behavioral information about distressed children in divorced/blended families.
4. Recognize five typical emotional/behavioral responses in children coping with stressful divorced/blended family dynamics.
5. Implement developmentally appropriate cognitive-behavioral techniques with anxious/depressed children facing family transitions.
6. Apply individualized behavior management and communication techniques for reducing oppositional behavior in children seeking control.
7. Develop family-focused therapy techniques to reduce distress and disruptive behavior in children.
8. Recommend classroom management strategies teachers can utilize for responding to children’s highly emotional or disruptive behavior at school.

Outline

CHALLENGES FOR CHILDREN FACING DIVORCE & FAMILY TRANSITION

Multiple Losses, Multiple Reactions

• Divorce Do’s and Don’ts: How Kids Cope with Parental Missteps
• Reduce Children’s Distress due to Dysfunctional Co-Parenting
• Helping Kids Cope with Parents’ New Relationships
• Divorce-related Grief and Loss

• ”Blood is Thicker than Water”
• Through Children’s Eyes: Residential Invaders and Parent Stealers
• Healthier Family Functioning via Management rather than Resolution
• Guidelines for Smoother Stepparent-Child Relationships
• Strategies for Relationship Protection and Semi-Integration

TREATMENT TECHNIQUES FOR KIDS IN THE CROSSFIRE

Intervention Strategies for Anxious Children

• The 3-R Approach to Anxiety Management
• Daily Relaxation Rituals
• Child-Friendly CBT (No Homework!)
• Family-Focused Play/Art Therapy
• Transition-Management Skills for Dual Households

• Root Causes of Oppositional/Defiant Behavior
• Defiance as expression of Anxiety and Depression
• Social-Emotional Behavioral Assessment
• Cooperation and Consequences vs. Compliance and Punishment
• Creative Alternatives to Traditional Behavior Modification

• Effective Rapport Building and Interpersonal Approaches
• Child-Friendly Mood Management Skills
• Game Play Therapy for Family Dynamic
• Therapeutic Technologies
• Emotive Communication Skill-Building

• Vindictive/Revengeful Behavior
• Physically Destructive Behavior
• Aggressive/Violent Behavior
• Suicidal/Self-Harming Behavior
• Non-Suicidal Self Injury
• Repetitive Substance Abuse
• Socially Rejected/Excluded Children

• ”BASE” Method for Assessing Childhood Functioning
• Family-Related Stress and Academic/Learning Problems
• How Family Conflict Leads to Defiance at School
• Classroom Management for Disruptive Behaviors
• Special Accommodations for Highly Sensitive Children
• Feedback/Discussion Guidelines with Challenging Parents
• School-Wide Solutions for High-Risk Students

Target Audience

• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Counselors
• Teachers
• School Administrators
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Other Helping Professionals who Work with Children

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