PTC

Experience working with children in foster care transitioning into adoptive homes and helping adoptive families navigate this transition by working through complex thoughts and feelings which arise to complete the tasks of clarification (what has happened to me), integration (membership in multiple families, making meaning of roles), and actualization (visualizing a lifelong sense of belonging).

Adoption can be a wonderful experience, but also a very frustrating one. Having adopted five children, all at different ages and for different reasons, I've walked this road you are on (or a similar one). I have also taken extra classes on Attachment and have 30 years of experience with the foster care system that many are involved with prior to adoption.

If you are an adoptee, were carried by a surrogate or conceived with a donor egg or sperm, I am honored to provide you with a compassionate place to explore how your conception, birth or adoption relates to your identity as an individual and within your family and community. I also support adoptive and birth parents, donors and surrogates.

I do not consider myself an expert in adoption, but I have worked with many families pre and post adoption, as well as helping children with attachment issues.

Many people have been touched by adoption in some form – either as a birthparent, adoptive parent, child, or extended family. I offer you space to explore your story and identify how it is impacting your relationships, your feelings of yourself, and your daily life. I can help you find a path that allows you to integrate your adoption experience into your life in a healthy and fulfilling way.

Children who have experienced trauma or disrupted attachment may have unique vulnerabilities or behavioral challenges. I work to support families with understanding and responding to their child\'s needs through a trauma-informed lens. I have completed certification training on Family Therapy for Foster and Adoption, provided by PSU and DHS.

I worked as an adoption social worker for 12 years, and also have 3 children through foster care, so I understand both personally and professionally the challenges of adoptive parenting. I also have been certified as an expert in attachment theory and have worked with many children with attachment issues and Reactive Attachment DisorI der.

Folks in the adoption constellation deserve a therapist that \'gets\' the richness and complexity of lived experience. I welcome adoptees, birth parents, siblings, adoptive parents, etc to explore ambiguous loss, belonging, split loyalty, racial identity, grief, attachment and so much more with emotional honesty, nuance, and openness.

I completed the Adoption and Foster certification through PSU in Jan. 2018. The certification process included specialized trainings in attachment, trauma, fetal alcohol effects, and life story work.

The adoption umbrella can cover a lot of ground. My work has been primarily with adoptive parents and birthparents, and I have particular experience navigating the rich, challenging and sometimes fraught relationships involved in open adoptions.

I have completed a post-graduate certificate in Family Therapy for Foster and Adopted Children through PSU, supported by Oregon Child Welfare.

Eight years experience in preparing, placing, and supporting adoptive children and families.

I'm certified in therapy with foster & adoptive families. My experience includes supporting early trauma, attachment, grief & loss, child development, and complex family stories. I'm familiar with all types of adoption, often work with prospective adoptive parents, support transracial families, provide search & reunion support, and help navigate post-adoption resources in private sessions & groups

I have specialized training and experience in supporting adoptive and foster families. As a foster parent, you deserve the space to sort through the complexities of navigating broken and heartbreaking systems. As an adopted adult, you deserve to make sense of a fragmented story and wounds that perhaps were never given space to heal.

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 received advanced training in therapy with foster and adoptive families and enjoy working with adopted adolescents and their families.

I have worked with adoption and foster families for 3 years and with each member of the triad. I have studied adoption counseling specifically and am working on a certification as an adoption counselor.

Adoption often comes along with major shifts in family dynamics, relationship changes, and parenting challenges. In addition to my private practice, I provide assessment services for children and families who are currently or were previously involved in the child welfare system.