I am passionate about helping children and families who have come together through adoption.

There are myriad complex and challenging situations that may arise for the child and the family in adoption and it’s critical to address those concerns.  No one is to blame when there is trouble in an adoptive family—it’s about coming together to better understand the needs and best ways to support everyone in the family.

An adopted child—regardless of their age or birthplace—may struggle with the nature of their identity, sense of belonging, grief and loss, fear of abandonment, shame, low self-esteem and effects of trauma.  These complicated and scary emotions may be internalized as anxiety, depression, hyper-achieving, or eating issues; or externalized as aggression, defiance, destruction of property and stealing.

Adoptive parents are faced with managing the reality of their child’s history, even if they were adopted at birth.

You might have questions like,:

• How do I talk to my child about the birth family? 

• Should we continue contact with the birth family? 

• When is it a good time to talk to my child about the reasons they were given up for adoption?  What should go in a Lifebook? 

• How do I simply communicate with my child? 

• How can I honor their culture?  

• How do I build a connection when they seem withdrawn or independent? 

• How do I help them cope with the trauma they experienced? 

• How do I set boundaries while respecting my child’s needs?

Together we can find answers to these problems that respect both your family and your child.