Heather Emerson-Young
 

Specialties 

• Blended Family & Step-Parenting Support

• Co-Parenting & Divorce Recovery

• Parent-Child Relationship Challenges

• Couples Therapy for Blended Families

• Emotional Regulation & Conflict Resolution

• Neurodivergence in Blended Families
   

My Personal Experience: Growing Up in a Blended Family

Blended families come with unique challenges—challenges I know firsthand.

 

After my parents divorced when I was four, I grew up in a blended family. Both my mom and dad remarried, and suddenly, I was navigating new family dynamics, custody disputes, complicated visitation schedules, and shifting household rules. My family faced resentment, suppressed anger, and even the stress of a stepparent’s illness.

Through it all, we worked hard to find stability, and the turning point came when we sought support. It was therapy and internal family growth that helped us work through these struggles.

Over time, I learned that healing in a blended family isn’t about making things “perfect”—it’s about learning how to communicate, set healthy boundaries, and embrace the unique dynamics that make your family yours.

My personal experience, combined with formal education and independent study, allows me to help families navigate communication struggles, establish new family rules and rituals, break cycles of intergenerational trauma, and develop family acceptance and gratitude.

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The Reality of Blended Families

Merging families is both an exciting new chapter and a complicated adjustment.

The challenges of blending different households, parenting styles, and past relationships can be overwhelming. Many families struggle with:
 

• Different Parenting Styles & Discipline Approaches – Finding balance between different expectations for parenting, discipline, and household rules.
   

• Managing Relationships with Ex-Partners – Navigating co-parenting challenges, legal agreements, and setting boundaries while prioritizing the children’s well-being.
   

• Loyalty Conflicts & Divided Family Loyalties – Supporting children who feel torn between two homes, two sets of parents, and two different expectations.
   

• Helping Kids Adjust to New Family Structures – Easing transitions for children and helping them feel safe and included in their evolving family.
   

• Strengthening the Couple’s Relationship – Keeping the partnership strong amid the stress of managing stepfamily dynamics.
   

• Overcoming Resentment, Grief & Frustration – Addressing emotional wounds from past relationships, shifting roles, and unexpected tensions.
   

Blended families often expect things to “fall into place” over time, but without support and open communication, misunderstandings can grow. Therapy provides a safe space to work through challenges, set realistic expectations, and develop a family dynamic that works for everyone.

 

Let's Build a Family That Works for You

Blended families don’t need to be “perfect” to be successful. They need understanding, structure, and open communication.

Therapy can help your family:
 

• Develop clear family roles, rules, and expectations
   

• Improve communication between parents, stepparents, and children
   

• Address unspoken resentment and conflict in a safe environment
   

• Help kids and parents adjust to change and transitions
   

• Strengthen your partnership to keep your relationship at the center of the family
   

If your blended family is struggling, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Therapy provides the tools and support to help your family grow stronger, together.
 

Approaches & Modalities

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Healing family dynamics and past wounds
   

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Strengthening emotional bonds
   

• Gottman Method (Levels 1 & 2) – Building strong, resilient relationships
   

• Narrative Therapy – Helping families reframe challenges and create new stories
   

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Developing emotional regulation and communication strategies
  
   

Education & Credentials

• Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy

• Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees in Communication

• Doctorate in Education

• Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452

• Employed by New Path Couples Therapy Inc.