Blended families can bring a lot of love, but they can also bring confusion, tension, and emotional complexity, especially when children are navigating divorce, new caregivers, and loyalty conflicts.

This week, Regina sits down with Maria Natapov, a co-parenting and step-parenting coach, to talk about what it really takes to create a healthier foundation for families after separation or divorce.

Maria shares why communication, structure, emotional awareness, and clear roles are so important for both adults and children, and how step-parents can show up with care without overstepping. They also discuss rapid resolution therapy, how past experiences can shape present-day reactions, and why Maria sees her work as helping families build safer, more supportive systems for the next chapter.

Episode Highlights:

0:31 - Episode open

0:57 - Meet Maria Natapov

1:16 - Creating workable family systems

2:55 - Navigating the role of a step-parent

4:17 - Advocating without adding conflict

5:53 - Learning parenting without a playbook

7:18 - Understanding emotions as information

9:20 - The reality of overstepping

10:06 - What children carry after divorce

12:09 - Rapid resolution therapy

14:19 - Helping the body recognize safety

17:37 - Where to find Maria

18:05 - Learning to stop playing small

18:44 - Maria's vision for retirement

ABOUT REGINA MCCANN HESS

Regina is the author of Super Woman Wealth: How to Become Your Own Financial Hero. As an advocate for women's financial freedom, she wrote this book to help empower women to take a bigger role in handling their money.

Regina has appeared on Schwab TV, Yahoo Finance, Forbes.com, NTD Television, CBS 3 Philadelphia, Fox 29 Philadelphia, King 5 Seattle, KTLA 5 Los Angeles and Scripps News. She has also been quoted in numerous articles in publications such as Forbes, Business Insider, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, USA Today, USA Wire, Word in Black, WTOP News, Mind Body Green, Money Digest, New York Post, Defender, Authority Magazine, GoBankingRates.com, Scripps and The Muse.

As Founder of Forge Wealth Management, Regina utilizes her 25+ years of financial services experience to help individuals plan, preserve and diversify their wealth. She focuses on educating her clients while building long-term relationships with them and their families. Her experience throughout major shifts in the markets, enables Regina to structure balanced portfolios to address specific financial goals.

CONNECT WITH REGINA

Website: https://www.forgewealth.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginamccannhess/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForgeWealth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgewealthmanagement/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@forgewealth

Email: [email protected]

CONNECT WITH MARIA NATAPOV

Website: https://synergisticstepparenting.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marianatapov

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC www.finra.org, www.sipc.org Third-party posts found on this profile do not reflect the view of LPL Financial and have not been reviewed by LPL Financial as to accuracy or completeness. For a list of states in which I am registered to do business, please visit www.forgewealth.com.