ONLINE THERAPY FOR FORMER FOSTER YOUTH & ADOPTEES IN CALIFORNIA
Empowering you to discover your authentic self and build meaningful relationships.
As someone who spent time in foster care, you lived through:
Neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, parental death, or parental incarceration.
Being separated from your parents, siblings, extended family, and friends.
Changing schools and loss of community connections.
Multiple foster care placements.
Fear, confusion, loss, grief, anger, insecurity, and resentment.
These experiences have led you to have difficulties trusting people, managing stress and anxiety, regulating your emotions, navigating challenging situations, and responding to conflict. Sometimes you feel like the pain is too great and the hurdles are too high. You feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster. You lack a sense of control and stability. You are trying to overcome the trauma and find yourself and your place in the world.
You don’t have to explain what it was like to be in foster care; I understand the complexities and difficulties you faced.
As an adoptee, you have struggled with:
Loss - starts the journey of adoption. It is a crisis and/or trauma that creates the circumstances that led to the necessity of adoption.
Rejection - you feel unwanted, different, not good enough.
Shame and guilt - rejection has led you to have feelings of shame and/or guilt.
Grief - you have questions about the circumstances surrounding your adoption and may be grieving the absence of a biological connection.
Identity-you grapple with questions about your identity, such as your genetic background, heritage, culture, and biological relatives.
Intimacy - you struggle with getting close to and trusting people.
Adoption starts with a trauma. You feel abandoned and rejected. The feelings of grief and sadness are overwhelming. There is an overwhelming sense of loneliness and emptiness. You struggle with feelings of being different or not fitting in. You have a hard time trusting others, fear abandonment, and have difficulties with relationships and intimacy. You want to know your roots, but you don’t want to hurt your adoptive family. You were told to be grateful that you were adopted.
You want to uncover the layers of your identity and move towards a sense of self-acceptance and empowerment. You want a therapist who understands the intricacies of of adoption, the implications of trans-racial adoption, and has knowledge of the adoption constellation.
Uncover your unique story and find healing.
Foster care and adoption are complex experiences. Your journey through foster care or adoption started with trauma, instability, loss, and confusion. You struggle with anxiety, depression, or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and you don’t quite feel understood. You struggle with feelings of guilt and confusion about your experience.
You feel disconnected from yourself and relationships. You want to have relationships, but you’re terrified of being abandoned. Navigating relationships is tricky and challenging and you want to make meaningful connections.
The experience of foster care and adoption can have lasting effects on your mental and emotional well-being and the ability to form healthy relationships. We will navigate the intricacies of your journey, addressing feelings of loss, abandonment, and identity confusion. We’ll use Brainspotting to help process your difficult experiences, past trauma, and unhealed attachment wounds.
We will work collaboratively to unravel emotional barriers, process unresolved grief, and cultivate a positive self-image. By exploring your unique experiences, we will uncover the resilience within you and help you develop coping strategies to overcome any challenges that may arise. With empathy and unwavering support, we will explore the complexities of your story, empowering you to embrace your authentic self and create meaningful connections with others.
What we’ll work on:
Healing your trauma and attachment wounds
Regulating your nervous system and emotions
Grieving your past
Forming healthy relationships and prioritizing your own needs
Uncovering the layers of your identity
Cultivating a sense of self-worth and self-acceptance
Reach out, feel heard, and empowered.