UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH OFFERS HELP FOR STEPFAMILIES

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 29 -- One of the country's noted educators in the dynamics of stepfamily relationships will speak at the University of Pittsburgh on Monday, Nov. 1, and Tuesday, Nov. 2, in the Kurtzman Room of the William Pitt Union, 3939 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

Hosted by the Pitt School of Social Work, Elizabeth Einstein will present a special evening for stepfamilies on Nov. 1, from 7 - 9 p.m. Admission for "The Stepfamily Journey" is $10 a person, $15 for a couple or family. This event will help these blended families better understand the resentment, guilt, and conflicting parenting styles they must sometimes confront.

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, Einstein will conduct "Strengthening Stepfamilies," an all-day workshop for social workers, psychologists, and other human service professionals, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Recent figures show 11,575 stepchildren currently live in Allegheny County. With high rates of remarriage following divorce, approximately 1,300 new stepfamilies are formed daily across the country. Einstein is a marriage and family therapist, author, and lecturer. Her first book, The Stepfamily: Living, Loving & Learning, won a National Media Award from the American Psychological Association. Her books and education programs have been used throughout the country by single parents, remarried couples, and professionals. She herself is a stepchild, a stepmother, and a biological mother.

Einstein's appearance is co-sponsored by the Stepfamily Association of America. For more information about either event, call (412) 624-3711.

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