Selecting an Adoption Therapist

Adoption has a life-long effect on you, the adopting parents, on the adoptee, and on your immediate and extended families. Sometimes, as concerns or problems arise, you or your child may need professional help and counseling. Timely intervention by a professional skilled in adoption issues may prevent issues common to adoption from becoming serious problems.

There are many types of therapeutic intervention and as many approaches to therapy as there are practicing therapists. Some therapists prefer to work with the child alone and others will see the parents with or without the child.  Since the adoptee and the adoptive family often confront issues of belonging, loyalty, entitlement, and attachment, many therapists experienced with adoptive families prefer to work with the whole family.

Problems experienced in your family may or may not be related to adoption. That is one of the factors that makes a counselor experienced in adoption so important.  But finding a good therapist can be a difficult task. Ideally the therapist should not only have professional training in psychology, social work, or psychiatry, but should be knowledge about adoption, how adoption impacts on children of different ages, and be aware of the different types of help and resources that are available.  This extra knowledge and sensitivity on the part of the therapist can help insure adoption issues are not overlooked, underestimated or overestimated.

Typically help can be provided by a professional falling into one of several categories (see Psychologist Anywhere Anytime for a description of each of these):

Psychologist
Psychiatrist
Pastoral Counselor
Clinical Social Worker
Marriage and Family Counselor
Family doctor or health care provider

Resources to help you find a qualified professional include adoption support groups your state child welfare agency, local mental health center, the state Department of Education or Department of Health, national or state professional associations such as the Psychological Association, Psychiatric Association, Association of Social Workers or Directory of Mental Health Professionals.

Visit the links Adoption Emotional Issues and Explaining Adoption as well as Adoption and Child Development Issues.  You may also find it helpful to read the Child Welfare Information Gateway article Tips on Selecting an Adoption Therapist. 

For additional help with adoption therapy, please contact Dr. Vince Berger, who is a PhD Psychologist and adoption specialist, and visit the website Psychologist Anywhere Anytime.  Also, please visit our home page to read about our commitment to assist adoptive parents like you as well as pregnant women and birth parents.