Growing Intentional Families Together Blog
Read our blog to find out the latest on adoption.
Lived Experience Offers Insights for the Adoption Constellation
Adoption is not a solitary experience. It is a family experience that exists within a system—one which Jean challenged us to improve. She made several interesting points about what triad members need.
An Adoption Evolution: from the Dark Ages to an Adoption Attuned Approach
Can we assert that there has been an evolution in adoption from the Dark Ages to an Adoption Attuned Approach? What evidence can we offer? And what does an Adoption Attuned Approach actually entail?
Being an Open and Safe Space
If you could consistently build a safe, welcoming and open space, how might your relationships improve? What would you be willing to do to ensure your loved one experienced you as a source of comfort, security, acceptance, and safety?
Open Adoption Isn’t Easy AND It Was So Worth It!
Living open adoption for 30 years, Linda wrestled with the inherent complexities, saw how every person involved carried emotional burdens and coped with trauma, loss & grief. it wasn’t easy but she asserts, “For my children’s sake, it was so worth it!
Navigating the Holidays When Adoption Is Part of the Picture
It’s the time of year when decorative lights brighten our world and holiday music greets us everywhere. Adoption can...
What Happens When Beliefs are Reexamined or Questioned?
When we step into the shoes of other triad members, and imagine feeling their emotions, wrestling with the circumstances from their point of view, empathy grows. We begin to see them as human beings and it becomes far more difficult to treat them transactionally. In the process, we are often able to reevaluate and rewrite our limiting beliefs. And that is a very good thing.
The Wisdom of 50+ Years as an Adoption Therapist
Imagine the invaluable wisdom that 50+ years of professional experience embody especially when it is coupled with the...
A “Good” Adoption: Perspective on the Paradox of Adoption
In addition to benefits that accrue from adoption, clear challenges are also part of the equation. That’s the “Adoption Paradox” Many things coexist, in adoption, for example, grief and loss, emotional complexity, identity challenges, rejection sensitivity and parental missteps to name just a few. These factors impact the way adopted persons, think and feel. They shape their beliefs, filter their experiences, and affect their mental health.
Are You Asking the “Right” Questions?
When we are curious about our children’s behavior and choices, we start asking some questions. Which ones will lead to connection, growth, and better understanding? How do we stay regulated and engaged with our values and goals? How do we foster problem solving, the making of good decisions and choices?
8 Things That Foster Success in Reunion and Open Adoptions
Here are 8 things that foster success in reunion and open adoptions: empathy, mutual respect, good communication, noticing joy, staying flexible, creating and honoring clear boundaries, going the extra distance, and sustaining trust. What does that involve?
