Help Parents Navigate Divorce with Kids
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.
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.
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.
