The Stepmom Diaries | Blended Family & Stepmom Support Podcast

Have you ever left therapy feeling heard, but not truly understood?
Maybe you were told to be more patient, create more family togetherness, present a united front, or step up and discipline your stepchildren. You followed the advice, and somehow things got even harder.
That does not mean you failed.
In this episode of The Stepmom Diaries, Cameron explains why therapy for stepfamilies can go sideways when professionals apply advice designed for first families to blended families.
Most therapists are not given meaningful training in stepfamily dynamics during graduate school or through continuing education. As a result, even a skilled and caring therapist may be working from the wrong family map.
Cameron breaks down the gap between what research tells us about stepfamilies and what actually reaches the professionals supporting them. She also shares four practical questions you can ask to determine whether a therapist understands how stepfamilies really work.
In this episode, you will learn:
• Why traditional family therapy advice can make stepfamily challenges worse
• How stepfamily relationships develop differently from relationships in first families
• Four questions to ask a therapist about their stepfamily training and approach
• What a healthy and realistic stepparent and stepchild relationship can look like
The goal is not to criticize therapy or convince you to leave a therapist you trust. It is to help you recognize whether your family is receiving advice that reflects the research on stepfamily development.
You are not failing because advice created for a different kind of family did not work for yours. You may simply need a therapist who understands the unique structure, pace, and challenges of stepfamily life.
Resources Mentioned
Upgrade your bedtime with Cozy Earth's temperature-regulating bamboo sheets and pajamas, and use code STEPMOMDIARIES at CozyEarth.com for up to 20% off.
Patricia Papernow's research and clinical work on stepfamily development
Todd Jensen's research on stepfamilies and the gap between research and professional practice
Patricia Papernow's clinical book for professionals working with stepfamilies
Stepfamily Solutions and its evidence-based approach to stepfamily coaching
Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/

If you are a stepmom, you know how loud the guilt can get and how quiet you may have learned to be.
But with 14 million stepmoms in America, you have never been as alone as it feels.
The 6th annual Stepmom Summit is back September 14 through 18, 2026, and this year's theme is Out Loud. It is time to find your voice, take your place, and live your life loud and proud.
This free, 100% virtual and 100% live event features more than 30 speakers sharing honest conversations, practical tools, and real support for stepmoms. You will also have the opportunity to ask speakers your questions in real time.
Join the waitlist now and be first in line when registration opens August 24.
Visit www.thestepmomsummit.com to get on the waitlist.

When you became a stepmom, you probably expected your life to change.
What you may not have expected was how easy it would be to lose yourself in the process.
Between navigating stepfamily dynamics, supporting your partner, caring for children, managing schedules, and trying to keep the peace, many stepmoms quietly put their own dreams, interests, and identity on hold.
In this episode, Cameron sits down with former Apple executive, creator of Whole Wellness Mamas, and speaker Amy Nesbitt to explore how curiosity can become one of the most powerful tools for rediscovering yourself. Rather than making massive life changes, Amy shares how small "experiments" can help you reconnect with the person you've always been—and maybe even discover someone new.
They also discuss how curiosity can improve marriages, strengthen relationships with stepchildren, reduce conflict, and help blended families communicate with more empathy.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why so many stepmoms lose their identity after joining a blended family

How curiosity helps you reconnect with yourself

The power of tiny experiments instead of overwhelming life changes

Practical ways to make time for yourself without guilt

Simple ways to connect with your stepchildren through shared experiences

How curiosity can reduce conflict in stepfamily dynamics

Whether you've been a stepmom for six months or sixteen years, this conversation will remind you that rediscovering yourself doesn't require changing your entire life- it simply begins with being curious.
Resources Mentioned
• Learn more about Amy Nesbitt: https://wholewellnessmamas.com
• Follow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholewellnessmamas
• This Japanese American Life YouTube Channel
• Amy Reads YouTube Channel
• Join the waitlist for The Stepmom Summit:
https://thestepmomsummit.com 
• Free Resource: Download our 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms
https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts 
 
Love The Stepmom Diaries?
Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

Finding your stepmom identity can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to figure out where you fit in your blended family. Bestselling author Amy Porterfield knows that feeling well. Long before she became one of the world's most recognized business educators, she was learning the same lessons so many stepmoms face today.
In this candid conversation, Amy opens up about the emotional journey of discovering her stepmom identity. She shares what it was like trying to earn her stepson's love, the pressure she felt to be the "perfect" stepmom, and the moment she realized she did not need to replace his mom to build a meaningful relationship.
If you have ever questioned your place in your blended family or wondered whether you are doing enough, this episode will remind you that your stepmom identity is not something you earn. It is something you grow into over time.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why developing your stepmom identity takes time and why that is completely normal.

How to build a meaningful relationship with your stepchildren without trying to replace their mom.

Why perfectionism keeps so many stepmoms from feeling confident in their role.

How embracing your unique place in your blended family leads to stronger relationships.

Resources Mentioned
Amy Porterfield

Get your copy of Two Weeks Notice

The Amy Porterfield Show podcast 

Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/ 

Free Resource: 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

 
Love The Stepmom Diaries?
Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

One day your stepchild is excited to see you and your spouse... and the next they're distant, angry, or refusing visits altogether.
Is it normal family conflict? Is it the stress of divorce? Or could it be parental alienation?
In this episode, Cameron sits down with internationally recognized researcher and author Amy J.L. Baker, PhD, to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in divorce and blended families. Together, they discuss what parental alienation really is, how it differs from legitimate estrangement, and what parents and stepparents should know if they suspect someone is interfering with a child's relationship with the other parent.
Dr. Baker also explains her evidence-based Five-Factor Model, common parental alienation strategies, and how stepparents can support their partner without making an already difficult situation worse.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What parental alienation actually is, and what it isn't

The difference between alienation and justified estrangement

The Five-Factor Model used to identify parental alienation

Common strategies that can damage a parent-child relationship

If this episode encouraged or helped you, please share it with another stepmom, parent, or blended family who may need to hear this conversation.
Resources Mentioned
Amy J.L. Baker, PhD: https://www.amyjlbaker.com/ 
Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Amy J.L. Baker
Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/ 
Free Resource: 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts
 
Love The Stepmom Diaries?
Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.