Sabrina Sosa

Hello! I was born and raised in Miami, FL. My boyfriend, Orlando, and I met at a Christian dating event almost 2 years. We are strong Christians and practicing purity. I am 41, never married, childless, and following Christ as a single since 2005. Orlando had one divorce and a few years later lived with a girlfriend for 4 years who is now the mother of his only child, a 10-year-old girl, Chloe, who has Separation Anxiety Disorder (severe). She still suffers being away from her mom (dwells and grieves it) even though her parents have had shared custody (50/50) for the last 8 years of her life. Orlando was saved (reborn) just after they had broken up due to her infidelity). By the time I entered the picture, Chloe had just turned 9. Since day 1, she was overly affectionate and demanding of all my attention (I looked like the mom when we went out and he looked like the boyfriend). Chloe has rejected her father all of these years who has been so good to her. I felt like she was using me as a buffer when she had to be with him and at any moment she would leave us for her mother if she could (she is counting down the days she turns 18 so she can choose to live with her mom). This summer, she got her menstrual cycle for the first time and after 1.5 years of being overly demanding and affectionate, she flipped a switch and has been very cold towards me (hot and cold). Chloe was very spoiled by him from ages 2-8 since it was only them during that time and no girlfriend. I taught him the token economy system and helped him make a list of house rules and a list of rewards/consequences, which he has been using for the last year. Chloe gets good grades and she can be obedient when she wants to be. Her dad and I need to be able to work as a team and there needs to be a proper parenting system in place before we can move forward. I feel very clouded, blinded, and hurt by his daughter lately. She is consuming me and pushing many of my buttons when I'm around her. I'm a licensed mental health therapist in Florida and have my own practice, Restored Hope Counseling (www.myrestoredhope.com). I want to really learn your parenting system and get it good.