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 information provided is done within the context of how adoption traumas impact birth parents and adopted persons and their relationships.
Workshop Content
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 reunion relationships, including family members’ reactions, reunion obsession, and genetic sexual attraction. The training will end with a discussion on how to work with clients in individual and family therapy. Furthermore, presentation and learning objectives are adjusted for presentations for adoption conferences and support groups.
Learning Objectives
Participants of the Search and Reunion Workshop will be able to achieve the following:
- 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 Modalities and Details
The training is designed to be flexible and comprehensive, following these specifications:
- Training modalities: In-Person Workshop or webinar
- Training Time: Minimum 3 1/2 hours including breaks