Adoption Issues

I have provided services to those in the world of adoption including a support group for foster and adoptive parents, helping bio sibs adjust to foster sibs being returned to their families and working with adoptive children and youth in mental health crisis. In addition, I am an adoptive mother of three all of whom were adopted at older ages.

I have worked with not only adoptees, but birth parents, adoptive parents and related family members who have been impacted by adoption. It is important to know and understand the complexities of adoption, including separation, loss, grief, trauma and related issues. I work with adults and teens in all aspects of adoption, pre and post adoption and search and reunion. I focus on the 7 core struggles in adoption (loss/abandonment, rejection, grief, guilt/shame, identity, intimacy and control)

I’m here to support you through the unique challenges and emotions that often come with adoption. For adoptees, first parents, or adoptive parents, therapy can help process grief and loss, heal trauma, build identity, and foster connection. Whether you have been hurt by the institution, are pursuing reunion, are reeling from traumatic experiences, or just want to feel more connected to yourself or others, we’ll create a safe, adoption competent, non-judgmental space to move toward your goals.

I’m an advocate for adoptees and families impacted by adoption. I have an extensive background with foster care and adoption and have worked with all sides of the triad, including adoptees, birth parents, foster and adoptive parents. I understand how difficult and complex these issues can be and the significant impact on families.

The impact of adoption comes up a different times throughout the lifetime - starting school, graduation, moving away, getting married, starting a family. As an adoption competent therapist, and transracial adoptee myself, I know having better understanding the separation and loss caused by ambiguous losses of adoption can be so painful. Adoptees hear messages like, "you should be grateful" instead of holding space for the loss which can lead to anger, hopelessness, guilt, and isolation.

As an adoptee, you often wonder if you are in the wrong. You second guess your conversations with coworkers, new acquaintances, and even friends. You're wanting to build self confidence and self esteem. You may notice unexpected emotional reactions to situations that typically wouldn't elicit deep visceral responses from colleagues, adoptive family, or friends. You want to explore these with someone who has similar lived experiences. You hope for stronger connections and exploring your past.

As adoptees, we know better than anyone that the impact of adoption lasts a lifetime. As an adoption competent therapist, and transracial adoptee myself, I know having better understanding the separation and loss caused by ambiguous losses of adoption, developmental trauma, and confusion about identity. Adoptees hear messages like, "you should be grateful" instead of holding space for the loss which can lead to anger, hopelessness, guilt, and isolation.

I have a special passion for providing support and services to adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, resource parents and anyone from the foster, adoption and kinship circle. As an adoptee myself, it is an honor for me to be able to give back to the community I am also a part of. I have completed the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification (PACC) and Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) training to become an adoption-responsive/aware therapist.

I work with adopted and foster children, teens, and adults. I am an adoptee myself and have specialized training to serve this community from my participation in Portland State University's Foster and Adoption Therapy Certificate Program.

I have personal experience of being adopted and adopting a child, which I feel makes me feel uniquely qualified to discuss the process, pain and triumph that comes with both.

I’m here to support you through the unique challenges and emotions that often come with adoption. For adoptees, first parents, or adoptive parents, therapy can help process grief and loss, heal trauma, build identity, and foster connection. Whether you have been hurt by the institution, are pursuing reunion, are reeling from traumatic experiences, or just want to feel more connected to yourself or others, we’ll work together to reclaim your life’s story.

As an adoptive parent and member of an extended birth family in reunion, I bring my own experiences and sensitivity to the task of providing adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth family members the support they need to tackle the complex issues inherent in adoption. I provide support groups, individual consultations on adoption-related issues, parenting coaching, and ongoing psychotherapy. I work primarily with teens and adults, both adoptees, first family and those parenting adopted children.

I was an adoption social worker for many years. I have experience in all aspects of the adoption process and specifically attachment disorders.

As a therapist who is adopted myself, my role in post-adoption support is to help you navigate the complex emotions and experiences that can arise from adoption. Whether you’re an adopted person processing identity, a first parent facing grief and loss, or an adoptive parent seeking to build stronger family bonds, therapy offers a safe space to explore your feelings, improve communication, and foster healing. Together, we work toward understanding, acceptance, and emotional well-being.

I have a special passion for providing support and services to adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, resource parents and anyone from the foster, adoption and kinship circle. As an adoptee myself, it is an honor for me to be able to give back to the community I am also a part of. I have completed the Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification (PACC) and Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) training to become an adoption-competent therapist.

I have additional training as well as personal experience with adoption. I have experience dealing with adoption from a variety of perspectives including the challenges associated with adopting or with placing a child for adoption.

I have completed the Center for Adoption Support and Education's accredited training in Adoption Competency program (TAC) and have supported adoptees of all ages and their families working on identity, grief and loss, and life transitions. In my work, I often support adoptees and their families going through the search and reunion process, processing trauma, and understanding neurodivergence.

If you are adopted, it is likely the experience of being adopted is one of the most significant influences in your life. Many adults who were adopted as infants or young children, and were loved, accepted and valued by their adoptive families, still struggle with feelings of melancholy, grief and fear of loss, or are anxious about their capacity to belong, despite the experience of having loving adoptive parents and families. It seems that even with a wholesome family experience, the primal separation and loss that is a part of every adoption experience can fuel many anxieties in adoptees, especially fears of loss and abandonment and confusion about identity. Being adopted can influence a person throughout their lives. It is common for these influences to appear – or reappear. If you are seeking support to explore and process the impact of adoption in your life, having a therapist who understands both personally and professionally can be especially helpful. I'd like to help.

I have lived-experience with adoption and birth parent and adoptive parent support.

While working previously as a home study evaluator, I first became familiar with the interpersonal dynamics and adjustments that families encounter when deciding to grow their family by adoption. Since then, I've undergone additional training on adoption issues and read anything I can get my hands on related to adoption! I take an adoptee-centered approach and support adoptees in positive identity formation, exploring grief and loss, and bravely sharing their unique stories.