RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

WHEN TO SEEK HELP

Sometimes, despite our very best efforts, we need to ask for help in managing our relationships within the family. Professional support is available for you, no matter how little you may have in the way of financial resources. You will know it’s time to get help when:

• any of the children have not been able to adjust, and continue to exhibit physical and emotional symptoms of stress
• your family finds that they don’t seem to have any ‘good times’ together any more
• either you or your partner seem unable to cope, and are having trouble sleeping
• any family member finds they are no longer enjoying previously-enjoyable activities like work, school, hobbies, seeing friends, etc.
• anyone in the family is abusing drugs or alcohol
• resentment is being expressed in the form of verbal abuse by anyone in the family
• anyone in the family is being physically or sexually abused in any way, by any person
• it just all feels too much of a struggle to try and make things work.

RESOURCES

FAMSA (Family and Marriage Society of South Africa)
www.famsa.org.za

Office of the Family Advocate
www.justice.gov.za/fmadv/f_main.htm

Guide to divorce and separation
www.divorcelaws.co.za

South African Association of Mediators (SAAM)
www.saam.org.za

FAMAC (Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape)
www.famac.co.za

KAFAM (KwaZulu-Natal Association of Family)
www.kafam.org/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bray, J.H., & Kelly, J. (1998). Stepfamilies. New York: Broadway.

Ganong, L.H., & Coleman, M. (2012) Step-family relationships: development, dynamics, and interventions. New York: Springer Science.

Robinson, J. (2012) Resilience in remarried families. South African Journal of Psychology. 42: 114–126.

South African Department of Justice: Annual Report 2012/2013. http://www.justice.gov.za/reportfiles/anr2012–13.pdf

StatsSA: 2010 Report http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0318/P0318June2010.pdf

Walsh, F. (2006) Strengthening family resilience. New York: Guildford Press