Counseling Center for the Adoption Family

When is it needed?

Adoption is a lifetime process which affects us continually and in different ways as we move through different stages in our lives. Those involved in the adoption process constitute a high risk group for behavioral, emotional or relationship problems; therefore they have a special need for effective, appropriate services. When we are in a particular stage of personal and family development, counseling can help us to maximize our potentials and resolve our resistances to constructive functioning; during transitions which are fraught with anxiety and confusion it can stabilize, clarify and support and during specific crises and challenges it can enlighten and guide us to new levels of understanding and achievement. For prospective adoptive parents, counseling can be essential preparation for parenthood, for new parents it can help facilitate a smooth transition, for parents of tweens and teens and adult adoptees it can aid in understanding and ameliorating the stresses accompanying independence and separation.

Above all, the most important factor influencing satisfying and successful results is the quality of our personal relationships and it is here that adoption counseling can enhance our understanding and skills in communicating which strengthen our attachments and bonds; increases our self knowledge, brightens our self esteem and facilitates the development of plans for continued satisfying relationships throughout a lifetime. This work results in an increase in emotional intelligence and resiliency which is the biggest predictor of personal and vocational success.