Adoption Search and Reunion: A Clinical Perspective Training
With adoptees and birth parents doing adoption search and reunions at a rate like no other time in history, mental health clinicians need to be informed on the emotional issues surrounding adoption reunions. The training begins with a look at the reasons birth parents and adoptees search for their relatives and how to prepare clients for their reunion. Discussion includes understanding the complexities of adoption reunions relationships including family members’ reactions, reunion obsession, and genetic sexual attraction. The information provided is done within the context of how trauma impacts birth parents and adopted persons and their relationships. The training will end with a discussion on how to work with clients in individual and family therapy. Visit the adoption search and reunion page to learn some of the information presented in the adoption search and reunion workshop. Presentation and learning objectives are adjusted for presentations for adoption conferences and support groups.
Learning Objectives Search and Reunion Workshop
Participants will be able to:
- Participants will be able to identify the reasons adoptees and birth relatives want a reunion with their relative
- Participants will learn about society, the business of adoption, and extended family’s influences on adoption triad members and reunion relationships
- Participants will develop an understanding of how relinquishment trauma and other adoption traumas can negatively impact birth parents and adoptees
- Participants will learn about the complexities of reunion relationships including integration of relatives into families, reunion obsession, and genetic sexual attraction
- Participants will learn key factors of successful reunion relationships
- Participants will learn about working with clients on reunion issues including secrets, loss, grief, identity, obsession, opening closed adoption for adopted youth, and overcoming trauma.
Training Details Search and Reunion Workshop
Training modalities: In-Person Workshop or webinar
Training Time: Minimum 3 1/2 hours including breaks
Additional 1 hour 30 minutes for showing the documentary First Person Plural
Feel free to call or email Marie to discuss this training program or other adoption workshops at 518-281-8884 or email Marie using the form on the contact page. To learn more visit the adoption training page to see a full list of adoption training programs Marie does and organizations Marie has done presentations for. Marie’s background can be found on the about page.
