Adoption is a lifelong identity- not a single event.

Adoption shapes our lives and experiences in many ways, including our sense of identity, belonging, family, connection, etc., in ways that are often difficult to recognize or explain. Adoption-focused therapy provides a space to explore these experiences through an adoptee-centric lens, where you don’t have to explain the basics and there are no expectations or assumptions. Adoptees often report feeling judged or invalidated in therapy- my goal is to centered your experience and your voice and, above all else, help create a safe space for reflection, growth, and healing.

I am, and while our stories and experiences are likely different in many ways, my personal experience as an adoptee is what lead me to become a counselor. I have struggled myself to find mental health care that addresses my needs as an adoptee, and I want to help support our community- if I can help you find other resources, please let me know!

That’s totally normal, and not necessary to start therapy. We can explore your experience from where you are right now, with curiosity, including questions about identity, belonging, and relationships, or even feelings that may be difficult to connect to your adoptee experience.

If you identify as an adoptee, or if the experiences described here resonate with you, welcome. Adoption focused-therapy is appropriate for people whose experiences fall outside a traditional narrative, including kinship care, informal arrangements, foster care, guardianship, and other experiences of family separation. I look forward to hearing your story.