Adoption therapy
Skillful, Sensitive, Personalized Support
for Adoptees and Their Family Members
for Adoptees and Their Family Members
When you're an adoptee, it can be incredibly complicated and overwhelming to sort through all the ways this experience has shaped you. Working with a knowledgeable clinician to walk alongside you in that process is a transformational and worthwhile journey.
Adoption can be one of the most special, meaningful, confusing, and tragic events in a person’s life--all at the same time. Being adopted comes with expectations and stigma regarding how adoptees should feel about their adoption as a whole, adoptive families, and birth parents. These expectations often highlight the true beauty and connection that adoption may bring while simultaneously ignoring or invalidating the pain and loss of family, history, culture, etc. Every adoptee’s story is unique, multifaceted, and not always the beautiful union society expects it to be.
As an interracial adoptee and mental health clinician, I understand firsthand the struggles and complexity that comes with being adopted. Even in infancy, adoption can lead to many challenges in life including difficulty forming close relationships, identity confusion, deep feelings of loss, cultural confusion, and more.
Adoption can be one of the most special, meaningful, confusing, and tragic events in a person’s life--all at the same time. Being adopted comes with expectations and stigma regarding how adoptees should feel about their adoption as a whole, adoptive families, and birth parents. These expectations often highlight the true beauty and connection that adoption may bring while simultaneously ignoring or invalidating the pain and loss of family, history, culture, etc. Every adoptee’s story is unique, multifaceted, and not always the beautiful union society expects it to be.
As an interracial adoptee and mental health clinician, I understand firsthand the struggles and complexity that comes with being adopted. Even in infancy, adoption can lead to many challenges in life including difficulty forming close relationships, identity confusion, deep feelings of loss, cultural confusion, and more.
In my work with you, my goal is to make space and validate every side of your adoption story: the good, the confusing, and the ugly. Together we can explore tools to cope with the distress that comes with adoption trauma, safely explore early attachment, normalize your experience, and find ways to heal and make meaning from your adoption.
Other Roles and Considerations:
Adoption is broad and encompasses many other roles and co-occurring identities. I also work with adoptive and birth parents to deepen your understanding of adoption and to find ways to best support your adoptee. If you are part of an interracial adoption, international adoption, have a disability, etc., exploring the ways that adoption and other identities intersect is an important element of self-understanding.
Along with my passion for and work supporting adoptees, I also frequently work with BIPOC individuals, the queer community, and neurodivergent folks.
Other Roles and Considerations:
Adoption is broad and encompasses many other roles and co-occurring identities. I also work with adoptive and birth parents to deepen your understanding of adoption and to find ways to best support your adoptee. If you are part of an interracial adoption, international adoption, have a disability, etc., exploring the ways that adoption and other identities intersect is an important element of self-understanding.
Along with my passion for and work supporting adoptees, I also frequently work with BIPOC individuals, the queer community, and neurodivergent folks.
If this resonates with you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me for a free consultation or to schedule your first session. I look forward to connecting with you!
Meet MeHi, I'm Hannah O'Rear, LMCHA, ATR-P, a mental health clinician, art therapist, and interracial adoptee who is passionate about providing skillful, sensitive adoption therapy. You can learn more about me here. |
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