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Adoption is a wonderful thing. Adoption brings absolute joy to an adoptive family, comfort to a birth
parent, and security and safety to an adopted child. It does, however, come with very specific issues
that need specialized training and understanding.
As an adoptive parent, you enter into adoption with the hope and expectation
you will be the only family your child ever needs and wants. You may be happy to talk to your child about his birth family. You may even be
willing to help him search for and find his birth family. You hope he always sees you as his parent,
and might not know exactly how to talk to him about these things.
As a birth parent, you may have struggled to make that final adoption decision. You wanted your child to have what you
feel you could never provide. You never forget your child, and always question whether you made the right
decision.
As an adopted person, you love your adoptive family and are devoted to them. But, now, as you enter into
adulthood, you may begin to have questions about where you came from, who you
look like, and why your birth family could not raise you. You might feel guilty
about having these thoughts, and wonder if your curiosity will hurt your adoptive family.
As an adopted person in reunion, you have felt euphoric since making the connection to your birth family. For the
first time, you are physically reflected in someone else, and it feels fantastic. All of a sudden, your reunion has
become overwhelming. You may be having feelings of anger that you don't understand,
or, you are sad, but are not sure
why.
As a married couple considering adoption, you have probably been through extensive infertility treatments. You
aren't sure how you feel about adoption, and are not sure what kind of adoption is most appropriate for you. The
information on the internet can be overwhelming. You just know that you want to start a family.
As the parent of an adolescent, you never want to hear your daughter tell you that she is pregnant. When you do,
everything else in your life is put on hold. You are not sure where to turn, or how to help her.
All of these circumstances feel overwhelming, and can cause great anxiety. At the same time,
all of these situations
can have a positive outcome. You can emerge feeling more fulfilled than you did before you were faced
with them. It is possible, and it will happen, if you are willing to let it. Come talk to me. We will do it together. |
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