Adoption is a gift for both the adoptive family and the child. But the gift doesn’t always turn out to be what was expected. Every child who is adopted has experienced a significant break in attachment; and research shows that interruptions in attachment can change the structure and chemical activity in the brain. What adoptive parents often see as willfully bad behavior may simply be symptoms of a brain that has been impacted by these attachment difficulties.
Mothers and fathers have room in their hearts for as many children as they bring into their lives. A child has room in his or her heart for one mother and one father. Transitioning from one parent or set of parents to a new set – who are strangers – is traumatic in and of itself. There are things adoptive parents can do to ease the transition and increase the likelihood of their adoptive child to bond.
If your child’s adoption did not take place at birth, it is important to remember that your child has a history that you are not part of, and that history is a significant and formative part of this child. It is vital to accept and acknowledge that. Children who were adopted from a foreign country are also dealing with cultural adaptation and a new language process. Everything is different for the child who is adopted from overseas.
Therapy can help a child resolve some of the trauma experienced in the attachment interruption; it can also assist the child to adapt to his or her new family and environment. It may also be helpful to adoptive parents who are struggling with a process that is not turning out the way they had hoped.
Fonda is TBRI trained and loves helping adopted children and their families get to thriving. BrainPaint neurofeedback – brainwave training – is a highly effective method of reducing symptoms and increasing regulation for children.
Some of the issues BrainPaint can effectively resolve: Trauma/PTSD; attachment issues – including RAD; anxiety; ADHD, dysregulation, oppositional defiance; sleep issues – and many more.
Please refer to the BrainPaint page of this site for more information.