POULSBO — Once upon a time, Anne Sagaris was an evil stepmother.

But she lived happily ever after and she wants to help others do the same.

The owner of Stepfamily Solutions, which opened late last year in Poulsbo, Sagaris offers counseling for couples, families, kids and other individuals struggling with stepfamily issues. Through a variety of techniques, she said she hopes to impart the lessons she’s learned and help people avoid the well-intentioned mistakes she’s made herself.

“I had always wanted to do this. I had had a passion for stepfamily issues since my husband and I tried to get our families together,” she explained.

Sagaris and her current husband were married 13 years ago. She had an 11-year-old daughter and he had a 15-year-old son. The parents were in love and they figured the family would meld easily because they had good intentions.

“And the kids rebelled,” Sagaris recalled.

The family visited three different counselors, all of whom treated them like a nuclear family and didn’t seem equipped to address the particular issues of a stepfamily. After a great deal of research, Sagaris eventually found some help through the Stepfamily Association of America (SAA). Sagaris said the first thing she found out through the association was that it usually takes about four years for stepfamilies to blend successfully.

“My husband and I kept thinking, ‘Why isn’t this easier? Why isn’t it going faster?’” She recalled.

Though the family lived on the East Coast for a few years, Sagaris had owned a home on Bainbridge Island for 25 years before recently moving to Kingston. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Boston University, a master’s in psychology from Antioch University, a child mental health specialist designation from the University of Washington school of social work and a certification from the SAA. Prior to opening her own practice, Sagaris worked as a rape counselor on the East Coast and as lead technician at the Adolescent Treatment Unit at Kitsap Mental Health Services. Though she has heard of other counselors who include stepfamily issues within their treatment range, Sagaris said she is the only one she is aware of on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas specializing in the subject.

Sagaris uses techniques like John Gottman’s couples work, sand tray work with children and adolescents, Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing Techniques, Francis Shapiro’s Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and solution-oriented work. Her small office off Hostmark includes two rooms — one set up for couples, children and individuals and another set up for families and support groups. Counseling includes marriage and premarital sessions for couples with children; dealing with ex-spouses in the stepfamily; easing children into the new household; and she has even counseled a grandmother who was adjusting to a stepfamily situation.

“I enjoy all the interesting kinds of people I meet,” Sagaris said of her work. “I admire them for trying to really deal with their difficulties in life rather than just trying to ignore them. I admire the courage I see and I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping people nourish that courage.”

A stepmom support group was also recently added to Sagaris’ lineup. The six-week experience uses a curriculum called “I Didn’t Grow Up to Become an Evil Stepmom” and includes support for stepmothers and the opportunity for homework that includes the whole family. Sagaris said she felt there was a need for such a gathering when she thought back to her own wicked stepmother days.

“When I was going through it, there was not one of my friends who were going through the same situation,” she commented. “Stepmoms can feel very alone. My hope is at the end, they would have forged solid enough relationships that they can continue to get together.”

In the future, Sagaris would also like to offer a married couples support group and host engagement encounters in the community.