Nicole R. Hill

Blended Families: A Critical Review of the Current Research

Current research on blended families is summarized to address blended family development, communication strategies, and relationships between stepparents and stepchildren. Considerations for family counselors and blended families are addressed. Implications for future research opportunities include multicultural issues within blended families and stepmothers’ relationships with their stepchildren.

Diagnosis in Marriage and Family Counseling: An Ethical Double Bind

The increasing influence of third-party payers over the diagnostic and treatment practices in the field of mental health counseling has created several ethical dilemmas for marriage and family counselors. In particular, the required use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for diagnoses places counselors in the position of misdiagnosing individuals in order to provide counseling for the family. This article is the first of two and overviews some of the primary ethical dilemmas associated with diagnosis in the field of marriage and family counseling. Part 2 will introduce case vignettes and apply an ethical lens to the issues described in the overview.

The Application of an Ethical Lens to the Issue of Diagnosis in Marriage and Family Counseling

The second part of this two-section series presents three case vignettes that promote an ethical dialogue related to diagnosis within the context of marriage and family counseling. Ethical dilemmas are articulated. Important issues to consider are outlined to spark a discourse in the field on the double bind inherent in diagnosing in marriage and family counseling.