Adoption support
Adoption support addresses the feelings, early experiences and relationship difficulties that can affect adopted children, their parents and others affected by adoption. As a LINK adoption counsellor and Full DDP Practitioner, I help families consider how loss and earlier care experiences may influence trust, behaviour and closeness. Work may involve parents, a child or joint sessions, depending on what is needed. We explore ways to understand each other and respond to difficult interactions, with some appointments available online where suitable.
When family life needs more support
You may be finding it difficult to comfort your child, manage conflict or understand a response that seems much bigger than the situation. You might also be exhausted by trying approaches that have made little difference.
We can talk about what life is like at home without expecting you to present a complete explanation. Your child’s history matters, and so does your experience as a parent now.
Understanding what adoption means in your family
Adoption can involve questions about identity, belonging and loss that change over time. The things a child asks about at one age may be different when they become a teenager.
I pay attention to the person and family in front of me. We can explore the experiences that remain difficult to talk about and what support would help you manage those conversations.
Working with parents and children
The work may involve appointments with parents, sessions with a child or teenager, or time together. We’ll discuss why a particular arrangement might help before deciding how to proceed.
My DDP practice focuses on relationships between children and their parents or carers. I also draw on Theraplay training, using structured interaction where suitable. These are approaches we can consider, rather than requirements for every family who contacts me.
Support for you as a parent
You may understand why your child struggles and still find yourself angry, hurt or unable to respond as you intended. We can look at those moments without treating them as a failure of commitment.
I help parents consider what they need as well as what their child needs. That can include noticing when an interaction is escalating and thinking through how to return to it.
Questions about adoption support
Can I contact you as an adopted adult?
Yes. Tell me what you would like to explore and we can discuss whether my individual counselling work is suitable for you.
Do we have to attend as a whole family?
No. The arrangement depends on the work we agree. An initial conversation with a parent or individual can help us decide who should be involved.
Can you confirm funding for therapy?
Funding must be checked with the organisation responsible for your support. Contact them about eligibility and authorisation, and speak to me about whether I can provide the proposed work.
Can we meet online?
Online work is available where suitable. We will consider the family members involved, privacy and the type of support before agreeing this.
Start with what is difficult now
Tell me what prompted you to seek support and what you would like help understanding. We can discuss an initial appointment without deciding the whole course of therapy in advance.
Welcoming people across Sussex
I see families in Brighton, Lewes, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Hassocks and Chichester and welcome enquiries about adoption support across East Sussex. You can come to my Brighton practice to discuss your family’s needs. When attending is difficult, some work with parents can be considered online, using a quiet and confidential setting. We will agree the arrangement according to the child and the support proposed.
