Perspectives on Challenged Family Building

Brenda and Steve adopted two boys from Eastern Europe. Bryce, adopted at age 1 ½, entered therapy at age 5 due to lengthy temper tantrums during which he would slap, punch, kick and bite. Brenda stated, “Each time that he hits me, flashes of my abusive father instantly appear in my head.”
Brenda is a very [...]

It’s time! November is Adoption Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about adoption, adoptive families and the children who are in need of adoptive homes (North American Council on Adoptable Children, 2001.) This post is to provide ideas for those of you who want to do something in honor of this special month for [...]

In Part 1 of this blog, we learned that adoptive families often experience a cognitive dissonance—a discrepancy between what they expect and what they experience. This can be particularly true in cases in which the adoptee’s mental health issues seem “invisible” to teachers, extended family members, neighbors, mental health professionals, etc. Mothers, fathers, brothers and [...]