[The child in conflictual stepfamilies]

Family recomposition complicates parental separation and, even when it goes well, requires a clarification of the issues, roles and conflicts of loyalty; the noisy manifestation of the problems is not negative in itself but sometimes requires a psychotherapeutic support of the child, and guidance from all adults surrounding the child. This is an area where reflection, dialogue, questioning, psychic work is better than advice (which I still give as a precaution) because the passionate nature of the situations sometimes defies all reason and the experience of the past. The child may be forgotten when he becomes the stake or the instrument of this passion.