The Family Journal

The Family Journal publishes special issues that address topics held to be of great importance by the members of the editorial board. This special issue on adoption and foster care explores the experiences of children and adults who have been affected by adoption or foster care. The authors discuss counseling implications and interventions.

This article presents an interview with Dr. Robert L. Smith, Executive Director of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. Smith discusses the development of his interest in marriage and family therapy, his integration of career development with a family systems approach, recent trends in Marriage and Family Therapy, and his personal experiences as an adoptive parent.

A disruption in the initial attachment formed between an infant and a primary caregiver often leads to some type of disordered or disorganized attachment. While research has been conducted on the etiology, symptoms, and effective forms of therapy regarding this disorder, much definitive information remains unknown or unclear. With the increasing use of foster care in America and the frequency of adoption, it is becoming obvious that more attention is needed in the area of how to best appropriately approach a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder. This article will discuss current trends and implications for mental health professionals working in the field of foster care and adoption settings.

The system of foster care that is currently in operation throughout the United States can present many challenges for counselors as they work with families toward positive outcomes. This article will endeavor to describe common issues and struggles currently facing children and families experiencing foster care and how these difficulties might influence the counseling process, as it relates to the goal of reunification from an Adlerian theoretical perspective. One of the most complex issues facing families and counselors is the commonly sought goal of reunifying children with family members following a placement in foster care. An Adlerian family counseling model will be presented to provide a framework to assist counselors in facilitating this delicate and sometimes capricious process.

Working with children and adolescents in the foster care system whose biological parents’ parental rights have been, or are soon to be, terminated can present numerous challenges for counselors. Children in these situations often struggle with identification of conflicting feelings, grief resulting from the absence of the parent/parents, and reorientation to life in a new family. In this article, a case from the author’s clinical experience is presented and related to the stages of grief suggested by Kübler-Ross and to Worden’s tasks of mourning. Practical applications and interventions are considered.

Children with hearing loss are considered a low-incidence disability population, yet abuse among this population is up to 4 times that of children who are typically developing. The needs among this population are significant, but resources in communities across the nation are few. The authors discuss barriers to disclosure, school-based concerns, and problems with the current child welfare system. A case study offers readers insight into the experience of children with hearing loss in the system. Finally, specific recommendations for marriage and family counselors are offered to improve the foster care experience of children with hearing loss.

This article provides a review of the literature regarding transracial adoption and counseling families formed through transracial adoption. Recommendations are reported according to essential awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary in work with this client population. The need for counselor competency in addressing client racial and ethnic identity development is a salient theme highlighted throughout the literature.

The utilization of postadoption services among adoptive families has been an emerging topic of discussion over the last decade. However, what is often not discussed is the utilization rate of services among African American and transracial families who have adopted children from foster care. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent of the use of nonfinancial support services (e.g., participation in support groups or individual/family counseling) by African American, transracial, and White American adoptive families. Implications for family counselors will be presented.

Previous research on Korean-born adoptees suggests that exploring one’s ethnic identity may increase one’s psychological well-being. Existing research also suggests that some adoptees may not engage in ethnic identity exploration because they wish to avoid feeling different because of their adopted status. The current study sought to integrate these findings and investigate associations between experiential acceptance of adoption-related thoughts and feelings, ethnic identity, and psychological well-being in a Korean-born adoptee population (N = 91). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that experiential acceptance significantly contributed to both psychological well-being and development of a positive ethnic identity. Clinical implications for therapists and families are discussed.

Foster youth face a number of challenges as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Emancipation for foster youth occurs between the ages of 18 and 22, during which those successful in this transition are required to make well thought out decisions and act in their own best interest. However, few foster youth have learned the skills necessary to act as self-advocates. This in-depth phenomenological study explored the perceptions of three emancipated foster youth who were judged to be more effective self-advocates than their peers, concerning how prepared they felt to act as self-advocates. Research findings highlight the fact that many emancipated foster youth are rarely taught self-advocacy skills explicitly but rather learn the skills themselves through trial and error or happenstance and suggest ways that therapists can make the process. Research findings also suggest that acting as a self-advocate may enhance the educational choices and familial relationships of transitional foster youth.

Adopted children may present with a wide range of disruptive behaviors making it difficult to implement holistic therapeutic interventions. The number of primary caregivers, disrupted placements, and repeated traumatic events contribute to the overall mental health of the adoptee and greater number of occurrences increases the risk of maladjustment. Adoptive parents are faced with the challenge of developing a relationship and helping the child experience that relationships can be safe and trusting. Child–parent relationship therapy (CPRT) is a structured, time-limited approach that trains caregivers to be an active participant as a therapeutic change agent in their child’s life. CPRT therapy offers an empowering treatment modality for families striving to feel connected and secure.

The purpose of this article is to explore the application of filial therapy as a means of strengthening relationships between foster parents and adolescent foster children. Adolescents in foster care experience a number of placement disruptions and while a number of therapeutic interventions are implemented to assist adolescents in foster care, very few are aimed at strengthening the foster parent–foster child bond. Studies have repeatedly shown filial therapy as an effective method for strengthening parent–child relationships. Filial therapy is discussed as an intervention for improving the relationship between adolescents in foster care and their foster parents. A review of the literature is presented as well as a description of filial therapy and the adaptations necessary to implement filial therapy with adolescents and their foster parents.

While adoption can build strong family ties, many challenges can also develop both during and after the adoption process. Parent/Parents and adopted children face a variety of challenges within the newly formed family unit. Parents struggle with the adoption process, while adoptees from various backgrounds often wrestle with identity development and feelings of loss and grief throughout their life resulting from relinquishment. Our purpose here is to offer a solution in the form of two group interventions: a prevention-based group to help parent/parents navigate effectively through the adoption process and a counseling group aimed at helping adopted adolescents develop a positive identity.

As adoption in our society continues to increase, mental health professionals are faced with working with the coexisting intrapersonal, familial, and social issues. The formation of an adoptive identity is one of the more critical and complicated tasks facing adoptees. Existentialism is a counseling theory that is well suited to address the issues related to adoptive identity formation in adulthood. An overview of the philosophy of existentialism as well as a detailed exploration of how to use the givens of existence along with the authentic relationship is provided as a framework for helping adults explore and develop a healthy self in context.

This review presents various resources about working with adult adoptees in order to inform counselors in their practice. Topics covered include basics of adoption, including types of adoption and adoption statistics; possible issues adult adoptees may face; and suggestions and implications for counselors. The article addresses some of the serious emotional and psychological issues the adult adoptee can bring to the counseling relationship. Also included is a discussion of the search process for birthparents and the counselor’s possible role in this process.