About adoption
Browse therapists who list adoption as a specialty to find professionals experienced with adoption-related challenges, from attachment to identity and family transitions. Use the listings below to compare approaches, languages, credentials, and experience before reaching out.
What to compare in entries
| Credentials | A US state licence, or membership of a professional body such as BACP or NCPS. They are different kinds of thing; each profile shows what was supplied. |
|---|---|
| Focus | Whether adoption is listed as a main focus or among the wider list of areas. Entries show both. |
| Way of working | The approaches named on the entry. Two people working with the same concern can describe very different sessions. |
| Time in practice | Years in practice, as supplied. A fact to weigh, not a ranking. |
| Language | The languages sessions can be held in, where that matters to you. |
Common questions
How were these entries chosen?
Everyone listed on this page has adoption among the areas they told the platform they work with. They are not ranked, rated or endorsed by this directory, and the order is not a recommendation.
Do I need a referral to start?
No. You can contact a therapist through their entry directly. A GP referral is not required for independent online therapy.
What if the first therapist is not right?
Changing therapist is normal and expected, and can be done at any point. One session is a small sample of how someone works.
Entries for adoption
Savithri (Savi) Jayaweera, NCPS
Ref 151058
Compassionate counsellor for complex life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Hindi, Sinhala
View listingJoanne Maddison, BACP
Ref 276861
Compassionate counsellor blending insight and practical tools
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Parenting Languages: English
View listingDavid Potts, LCSW
Ref 23255
Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingNicola Claydon, NCPS
Ref 183763
Calm, practical support for complex life issues
Works with: Relationship, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues Languages: English
View listingJoanne Rothery, NCPS
Ref 179003
Compassionate counsellor for stress and trauma
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingJennifer Lee Sylvester, LCSW
Ref 116075
Experienced LCSW offering respectful, practical care
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingSara Lowe, LPC
Ref 104527
Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Depression Languages: English
View listingJulie Peterson, LCSW
Ref 315653
Compassionate, practical support for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingLauren Anzelone, LCSW
Ref 70436
Supportive LCSW guiding practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Anger, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingJade Round, BACP
Ref 180505
Practical, person-focused therapy for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingDestiny York, LPC
Ref 340789
Compassionate, practical counseling for life changes
Works with: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship Languages: English
View listingSarah Anderson, NCPS
Ref 133882
Practical support for stress and life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingFaith Beaulieu, LCMHC
Ref 23986
Somatic-minded counselor for focused change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Relationship Languages: English
View listingAndrea Antrobus, BACP
Ref 121857
Warm counsellor blending practical therapy and listening
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingRose Sanford, LPC
Ref 150546
Practical support for stress and relationship struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingMaria Wilson, LCSW
Ref 138055
Understanding, practical support for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingPaul Bryan, LPC
Ref 175985
Compassionate counselor guiding steady change
Works with: Family, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingDonna Watts, BACP
Ref 219020
Compassionate, practical support for real-life struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingKelley Sullivan, LCSW
Ref 526
Compassionate, practical therapy for real life struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Spanish
View listingDr. Robert Hunt, LPC
Ref 187307
Experienced therapist for life changes and emotion work
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingSally Henderson, ACA, PACFA
Ref 224972
Compassionate trauma and addiction counsellor
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingSusan Sigl, LPC
Ref 82483
Experienced counselor focusing on practical support
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingLisa Spears, LPC
Ref 101050
Hopeful, practical counseling for life
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingChris Rottcher, NCPS
Ref 167547
Compassionate integrative counsellor for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Afrikaans
View listingJamie Finkelstein, LPC
Ref 16744
Compassionate counselor for practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingBrittany Meredith, LCPC
Ref 310847
Practical support for stress and life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingKeith Brown, LCSW-R
Ref 74478
Collaborative, practical therapy for real life
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Depression Languages: English
View listingMichele San Martin, LPC
Ref 84464
Therapist who offers steady practical support
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingLaDreamer Harrison, LCSW
Ref 267200
Supportive LCSW helping people find practical change
Works with: Relationship, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingLeanne Kemp, BACP
Ref 133101
Warm client-centred counsellor with practical focus
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingPuja Attul, NCPS
Ref 173304
Compassionate therapist offering practical tools
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingKimberley Roberts, LCSW, CSW
Ref 103862
Practical support for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingRhonda McEntire, LMHC
Ref 243401
Compassionate counselor focused on practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingElizabeth Wilson, LCMHC
Ref 126846
Everyday support for stress and life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Family Languages: English
View listingStacy Tallman, LISW
Ref 263912
Compassionate, practical support for life's hard moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingWilliam Signey, BACP
Ref 113870
Practical, person-focused counselling for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingDr. Panayiotis Papahristopoulos, HCPC
Ref 158922
Experienced HCPC-registered counsellor
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Greek
View listingCora Benedict, LMFT
Ref 143297
Compassionate practical therapy for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingIoana Mitrache, BACP
Ref 144658
Practical, relational counselling for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Romanian
View listingCara Smith, LCSW, CSW
Ref 126884
Compassionate, practical therapy for real life
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingAfsha Merchant, LCPC
Ref 354619
Practical support for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi
View listingEmma Lewins, BACP, NCPS
Ref 125613
Empathic, person-centred psychotherapy with psychodynamic insight
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingChristopher Gerou, LPC
Ref 45343
Experienced counselor focused on practical coping
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingDeborah Faulkner, BACP
Ref 159288
Calm, practical therapy for life’s hardest moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingLisa Russo, PACFA
Ref 231484
Compassionate counsellor for women
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingTina Resneck, LMHC
Ref 205499
Experienced, practical, compassionate mental health counseling
Works with: LGBT, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingMore about adoption
Understanding adoption and how it commonly affects people
Adoption is a life-changing event that touches many different people in varied ways. For some, it begins as a planned route to parenthood and becomes a gradual family formation process. For others, it brings upheaval, loss, and questions about identity that can emerge across the lifespan. You may be an adoptive parent navigating bonding and attachment, an adoptee exploring questions of origin and belonging, or a birth parent managing grief and complex emotions. Each of these experiences can include practical and emotional adjustments like navigating relationships with biological family members, coping with cultural or racial differences in transracial placements, or dealing with information gaps in open or closed arrangements.
The impact of adoption often shows up as a mixture of joy and challenge. You might celebrate milestones while also noticing sudden grief, anxiety, or confusion about identity at different developmental stages. Adoption can bring questions about trust, boundaries, and intergenerational patterns that did not exist before placement. These are normal responses to a major relational change, and talking about them in a thoughtful setting can help you make sense of what you are feeling and find new ways to move forward.
Signs you might benefit from therapy related to adoption
You might be considering therapy when adoption-related feelings start to interfere with daily life or family relationships. If you notice persistent sadness, frequent anger, or anxiety that flares around conversations about birth history, you may benefit from support. Children who were adopted may show changes in behavior, withdrawal, or difficulty with school and peers that relate to attachment or identity issues. Adults who were adopted often describe waves of curiosity or loss when life events prompt questions about lineage, medical history, or cultural roots.
Other signs include ongoing struggles with parenting - for example, repeated patterns of discipline that feel out of sync with your intentions, or difficulty establishing emotional closeness with your child. Birth parents may experience unresolved grief or ambivalence that resurfaces unexpectedly. You may also feel stuck when trying to talk about adoption within your family, or find that topics about ancestry and heritage trigger defensiveness and misunderstanding. Therapy can provide a setting to explore these reactions, develop coping strategies, and work on relational patterns that shape your experience.
What to expect in adoption-focused therapy and common therapeutic approaches
What sessions often look like
When you begin adoption-focused therapy, the first sessions typically involve gathering your story - your history, relationships, and the specific moments that brought you to seek help. You and the therapist will explore how adoption shows up in your life now, including emotions, behaviors, and relationship dynamics. Sessions often include both reflective conversation and practical tools for managing strong emotions. If you are coming as a family, therapy may include joint sessions to practice communication patterns and to build shared understanding about adoption-related themes.
Common approaches you may encounter
Therapists who list particular approaches among their methods often blend modalities to meet the needs of adoptive families and adoptees. Some clinicians use attachment-informed strategies to help parents and children strengthen emotional bonds and regulate stress responses. Narrative-focused approaches can help adoptees and birth parents make sense of personal histories by organizing memories and developing a coherent sense of self. Trauma-informed practices may be part of the work if past loss or early caregiving disruptions contribute to current distress. You may also find therapists who list EMDR among their approaches, or who note expressive therapies, play-based work for children, or family systems methods to address intergenerational patterns. Each of these approaches offers different tools, and a therapist will usually explain how they plan to use methods that fit your goals.
How online therapy works for adoption concerns and what to consider
Online therapy can make adoption-focused care more accessible, especially when you are balancing school, work, or caregiving responsibilities. Sessions are commonly held by video, though some clinicians also offer phone or text-based options for follow-up and check-ins. In online sessions you can address many of the same themes that come up in person - attachment work, identity exploration, grief processing, and parenting strategies - while meeting from a familiar setting. This format can be especially useful for adolescents and adults who may feel more comfortable opening up from home or for families spread across different locations.
When using online therapy for adoption issues, practical considerations matter. You may want to find a location in your home that feels calm for conversations and that minimizes interruptions during emotionally sensitive topics. You should expect therapists to outline how they handle records, emergency planning, and communication between sessions. Technology basics like a reliable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone can help sessions run smoothly. Some people appreciate the continuity online work can offer during transitions such as school changes or moves, while others choose a mix of in-person and online sessions when possible. Either way, online care can be a flexible option for engaging with adoption-related therapy.
Choosing the right therapist for adoption work
Finding a therapist who fits your needs often starts with clarifying what you want to address. If your primary concern is attachment and parenting strategies, you may prefer someone who emphasizes parent-child interventions and attachment-informed language. If identity and search questions are central, a clinician who notes experience with adoptee identity exploration and reunification conversations may be helpful. Pay attention to the therapist's listed specialties, the approaches they mention, their professional credentials, and the populations they describe working with - such as children, teens, adults, or multigenerational families. Language access and cultural competence are important too; if your family has cultural, racial, or linguistic needs, look for therapists who mention that experience.
When reviewing profiles you will find different kinds of information to guide your choice. Many therapists note the issues they commonly address, the age ranges they work with, and the therapeutic orientations they use. Because approaches and personal fit matter, it is reasonable to read descriptions and select a few profiles that resonate with your story. You might prioritize someone who mentions adoption explicitly, who discusses themes like attachment or identity, or who has experience with transracial or international placements if those elements are relevant. Ultimately, the right fit is a personal judgment - you can look for a therapist whose description reflects an understanding of adoption complexities and whose approach feels aligned with the support you want.
Therapy can be a helpful resource as you and your family navigate the ongoing questions adoption brings. Whether you are seeking support for a child, working through your own adoptee identity, or processing birth parent grief, connecting with a clinician who lists adoption among their specialties can provide tools, perspective, and new ways of relating. Use the listings above to explore therapists by approach, languages, credentials, and experience so you can find someone who aligns with the work you want to do.