Approved Adoption Counselling

 

"In December 2010, the law changed so that only counsellors and psychotherapists registered as an adoption support agency (ASA) with Ofsted are able to offer specialist adoption services.  These amendments to the Adoption and Children's Act of 2002 were designed to ensure that the one in four UK individuals affected by adoption in some way, are provided with support and services from practitioners who hold the proper qualifications and experience.  The introduction of this legislation now means that any counsellor working with a client for whom any aspect of adoption is the main focus, must be registered with Ofsted (or RQIA in Northern Ireland) and subject to regular inspections.  You can check an individual's registration on Ofsted's website...Some counsellors may offer adoption counselling under contract with an Adoption support agency, such as Barnardo's Link Counselling Service or PAC-UK (in Northern Ireland these organisations are called Voluntary adoption agencies)."  The Counselling Directory (2018).

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How could counselling help with adoption?

 

If you have been affected in some way by the experience of adoption whether as an adoptee, an adoptive family or as a birthparent of an adopted child then you may benefit from seeking help from an Approved Adoption Counsellor or psychotherapist such as myself.  The emotional impact of the adoption process is understood to be life-long.  I can help people to:

 

 

• understand and explore the way they are feeling

• develop new coping strategies

• find ways of managing stress

• learn more about the life long effects of adoption.

 

Therapy with me is always tailored to each individual's particular needs.  I draw on person centred and psychodynamic therapies in particular including Attachment Theory.  These are commonly used in this area because they are based upon an individuals past thoughts and perceptions and how these affect their current thinking and behaviour.  For example, a depressed adult who was adopted as a child may benefit from exploring their attachment patterns - a modality that focuses on an individual's unconscious deep-rooted responses to care givers that were developed during childhood.  Using this understanding, clients can then seek alternative behavioural responses to current experiences that may be causing them distress.