Course Benefits

What You Will Learn
  • Characteristics of the different types of merged families
  • Ways to manage idealistic expectations
  • Steps to find encouragement in the journey
  • How to recognize which phase your family is in

What You Will Get
  • Tools to build a healthy stepfamily
  • Video-based training with application questions and activities
  • Small group lesson plans
  • Advice from experienced family coaches

Course Curriculum

    1. Message from the Instructor

    2. What You Will Learn

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Optional survey - Tell Us About Yourself!

    4. Before You Begin...

    1. Manage Expectations by Surrendering: An Act of Worship

    2. What are Your Expectations?

    3. Manage Expectations: The Family

    4. Manage Expectations: Financial and Living Arrangements

    5. Manage Expectation: Parenting Issues

    6. What About You?

    7. Manage: Control

    8. What About You?

    9. Manage: The Past

    10. Manage: Parental Authority

    11. Where Do We Go From Here?

    1. Educate Ourselves by Training: An Act of Discipleship

    2. Preparing for the Journey

    3. The Journey: Self Control

    4. The Journey: Gentleness

    5. The Journey: Faithfulness

    6. The Journey: Goodness - Kindness - Patience

    7. What About You?

    8. Reaching Our Destination: Peace

    9. Reaching Our Destination: Joy

    10. Reaching Our Destination: Love

    11. Recapping the Journey

    12. What About You?

    1. Recognize Where We Are and Embrace It: An Act of Fellowship

    2. Recognize: Crisis Phase

    3. Recognize: Stable Phase

    4. Recognize: Healthy Phase

    5. What About You?

    1. Get Ready Through Preparation : An Act of Minsitry

    2. Get Ready: For the Past

    3. Get Ready: For the Present

    4. Get Ready: For the Future

    5. What About You?

    1. Encourage Others Through Sharing: An Act of Evangelism

    2. Encourage: Becoming a Role Model

    3. Encourage: Personal and Community Relationships

    4. What About You?

About this course

  • $72.00
  • 45 lessons
  • 6 hours of video content

Meet Your Instructors

Stephen Kaech

MA, Marriage & Family Therapist

Stephen is currently a Child & Family Therapist with CFC. He has a master’s degree in Psychology with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. Stephen has worked with Stepfamilies for almost 20 years and co-led the Stepfamily Life Ministry at Saddleback Church. He has been in his stepfamily, married to his wife, Deanna, for 24 years.

Deanna Kaech

BS Psychology, Certified Life Coach

Deanna is currently a Stepfamily Life Coach and also has a minor in Christian Counseling. Prior to working as a life coach, she co-led the Stepfamily Life Ministry at Saddleback Church where she was on staff and worked with stepfamily small groups. Deanna has been working with stepfamilies to build better inter-family relationships for close to 20 years and has trained hundreds of families during that time. As a stepmom for the last 24 years, she offers a unique insight into developing relationships with pre-adolescents, adolescents, and adult stepchildren.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why should I take this course?

    If you are looking for coaching from an experienced blended couple and tools to assist you in developing a healthy family system with a firm foundation... this course is for you!

  • Will I receive a certificate of completion for the course?

    Yes! Every course comes with a certificate of completion that has been approved by the Arizona Department of Child Safety when the last lesson is reached. This certificate will have the learner's name, the title of the course, the credit hours, and the date of completion.

  • Can I watch the courses together with my spouse or do we each have to have our own log in?

    Just like our in-person courses, the pricing is based per participant. Each purchase should be logged under an individual’s name, and only that name will be tied to the proof of participation.

  • What is the format of the course content?

    Each of the courses are made up of a variety of modules with lessons within each. These lessons are made up of short videos to watch. Learners must complete the video before they can advance to the next lesson. There is also a variety of “process questions” throughout each lesson to help learners apply lessons from the videos. Each learner must also complete a final assessment quiz to receive a certificate.

  • Can I interact with other people/instructors in the course?

    Yes! Each lesson has a forum where learners can either post or answer a question for discussion to keep the learning going.