Adoption

As a trained Attachment Focus Counsellor, I offer support to adoptive parents who are having difficulties around attachment and separation with their children. Attachment Focused Counselling involves a combination of emotional support and practical recommendations. The sessions start with the parent/s, sometimes with the child and parent. Rarely with the child alone.

Attachment Focus Counselling supports parent/s to care for their child in times of stress, to resolve conflict and initiate the break/repair cycle. It helps the parent/s and child self-regulate and co-regulate. This therapeutic work with adoptive parents and through them with their children becomes the source of secure attachment to their child and resolve parent/child relationships. Attachment Focus Counselling helps parent/s to offer understanding, acceptance and empathy and to hold reasonable expectations with discipline to match.

The work also looks at how to avoid isolation, reduce shame in their children and to learn to view a child’s behaviour as communication. I offer Therapeutic Life Story Work to children who have been adopted.