First you need to know when….
Some
reasons you may need to seek professional support:
•Helping your child unpack their adoption
story, no matter the age.
•Nurturing a positive relationship with your child’s
birthparent(s),
birth family or former foster families.
•Advocate for any special needs for your
child within
an academic setting.
•Addressing reoccurring trauma triggers
(such as monthly caseworker visits) in your child.
•Meet any special medical, learning,
behavioral, emotional, or mental health needs of your child, especially if early
childhood trauma
was
experienced.
•You
especially want to consider intervention if these are impacting more than one
domain of their live (school, home, church, peer relationships).
•Providing you (as parents) the tools to
provide your child a
safe and open environment where they can express some of the painful emotions or
questions that can come with adoption.
•Processing your own feelings of loss, grief or
rejection. It is important to find a way to work through these and still be
available and engaged to help your child.
There are so many……
Where do you begin the search?
Finding
a good therapist can be challenging, but utilizing other resources you know can
be really helpful:
oPost adoption
Service Agencies
oSupport
Group
Participants
oOrphan
Care Leaders/Ministries
oPediatric
Adoption Medicine Clinics
oState/County
Case Workers
oPrivate
Agency Case Workers
oProfessional
Organizations (listed in Resources)
oPediatricians
oSchool
Special Education Dept.
oOccupational
Therapist
oOther
adoptive/foster Families
oReFresh
Resource List
oPost
Graduate Cert Programs in Adoption Therapy*
o*Portland
State University, University of Denver, City University of New York,
Rutgers University
Effective Evidence Based Treatments for
Trauma:
oTrauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (TF-CBT)
oAddressing Post Traumatic Stress in
Adopted Children (ADOPTs)
oParent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
oFunctional Family Therapy (FFT)
Other
Evidence Based and Promising Practices are Listed on the Traumatic Stress
Network Website (see resources for links).
Do your homework- your
time has value so take the time to research
•Find a licensed mental health therapist
in your area—be sure they are fully licensed (not in training/associate).
Psychologist, Social Worker, LMFT, LMHC
•Research their web page. What does it say?
•Do they specialize in children? Do they
appear to have certification in what your child needs?
•What is their treatment approach or
training in? Does it say?
•Are they convenient enough that you will
be able to get their in your busy life and make it work for your family?
•Do they take your insurance?
•What type of therapeutic intervention do
they offer and where were they trained? In what evidence-based treatments have they
been trained?
•What is your experience with complex
trauma in children (or what ever it is your child’s needs are).
•Who do you do clinical supervision
or consultation
with?
•What will be expected of me for the treatment
to work the best?
•How long should we plan the treatment to take?
•How do you decide when the treatment has
worked or has been successful or when it may need to be changed because there
is not enough progress?
•What are your fees and how to you take
payment?
•How long is your waitlist?
Intervention
According
to
Dr. Judith Cohen, MD Medical Director, Center
for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents at
Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Any form of child
intervention related to anxiety/trauma need to involve parent—the best
interventions include the following: PRACTICE
·
Psycho-education
of parents-increase parents knowledge/awareness
·
Relaxation
Skills-for child and family.
·
Affect
Modulation-Identification of feeling using words to describe emotions
·
Cognitive
Coping Skills-understanding the thoughts behind the behavior
·
Trauma
Narrative-having the child share their story
·
Invio-Mastery
of Trauma Reminders
·
Conjoint
Sessions with Parents
·
Enhancing
Safety
Resources
Adoption Medicine Clinics Search Tool:
Selecting
and Working with a Therapist who is Skilled in Adoption
Choosing
Therapy
for Adopted Children and Youth
Finding
and
Using Post Adoption Services
Professional Organizations:
•District
branches
of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) : Click here to find your APA district
branch online.
•The
psychiatry or psychology department at a teaching hospital or medical school in
your community.
•American
Psychological Association (APA) for a list of psychologists in your area: Call
1-800-964-2000 or access APA's list online.
•American
Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Child
and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder.
National
Child Traumatic Stress Network Evidence Based and Promise Practice
Treatment Models
License
Search
Washington
State: Provider
Credential Search
Oregon
State: Social Worker
License Verification
Paulette Caswell, LICSW
Director,
Bethany Christian Services Serving children and families throughout the Pacific Northwest
1501 N. 200th St. Ste. 103 Shoreline, WA 98133
O – (206) 367-4604 x7972 F – (206) 367-1860
www.bethany.org/washington
pcaswell@bethany.org
