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Adoption

Adoption
Adoption is an ancient, honourable, and universal means of creating families, providing for children without parents, and building community.

The adoption circle includes the adopted child, the biological family, and the adoptive family including parents, siblings and extended family. In all these aspects of the family circle, if issues or difficulties arise there are therapists with experience who may be able to provide help.

First of all, families may seek help and support in any stage of the adoption process, in coming to terms with fertility issues, and in preparing their families for an adoptive child. Biological parents or parents-to-be may seek help in making the difficult decision to give up a child for adoption and in dealing with it afterward. Families may also seek help in dealing with developmental, emotional and behavioural issues that come up for a child after the adoption.

Children and adolescents of adoption may benefit from help in dealing with struggles over issues such as acceptance, feelings of isolation or difference, and other struggles as listed above. If there has been trauma, neglect, abuse or unfair treatment either before or during their adoption experience these will present ongoing challenges as well.

Adults who were adopted in childhood may still be struggling with some of the same issues.

With the new legislation in Ontario that opens the adoption registry and makes reunion possible, many issues to do with reunion may surface for each of the members of the adoption circle.

In summary, the process of adoption affects people differently. Each person has their unique experience as they go through their journey. They may have strong residual emotions that make current related life decisions difficult. This applies to whether the person is the adopted child or birth parent, foster family or extended family.

The following therapists who work with adoption issues can help with these topics. Please read each profile, including their articles and/or professional development pages, to determine which therapist seems most relevant to your circumstances. Contact them with questions via email and meet with them for a consultation for further information.


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