In this practical book, Michelle McColm takes the adoptee and birth parent carefully through the process of adoption reunion; drawing on extensive interviews and the experience of her own reunion.

By comparing a group of adopted people who searched for birth relatives, with a group who did not, this is the first study to provide real answers to the fascinating subject of why adopted adults decide to search or not. Based on the experiences of 500 adopted people, the research exhaustively looked at all the possible influences on search decisions.

The book describes the experiences that people have had when tracing their birth parents, as well as offering practical advice on how to go about searching and what to expect emotionally. Each section has an advice box which summarizes key points, notes issues to pay particular attention to, or offers draft letters that readers can adapt for their own needs. The appendix contains useful addresses and weblinks, and includes checklists for searching and for the reunion. Chapters include reunion with birth fathers and birth siblings, as well as with birth mothers, the relationship with the adoptive family and dealing with reunions that break down.

What happens when an adoptee decides to locate a birthparent or a birthparent wants to find a child given up long ago? How does one search for people whose names one does not know? And what happens during a reunion? In 1983, Jean A. S. Strauss was faced with these questions when she began her search for her birthmother, and in this inspiring new handbook, she shares her experience. Strauss will help you throughout this significant time. Brimming with important reference sources and dozens of true-life stories, this valuable resource will guide you in: · Making the difficult decision to search · Navigating through the emotional turbulence of a reunion · Dealing with the impact of the search on the adoptive parents Compassionate and insightful, Birthright is for anyone seeking to connect with someone long lost.

Like Passages, this groundbreaking book uses the poignant, powerful voices of adoptees and adoptive parents to explore the experience of adoption and its lifelong effects. A major work, filled with astute analysis and moving truths.

There may be times when adoptive parents need guidance-plus real insight, real knowledge, and the voice of an expert. Only adoptees can truly unravel the complexities of the adoption journey. Rooted in Adoption: A Collection of Adoptee Reflections is a collections of short narratives from those who have been adopted. Adoptees of various ages, backgrounds, and experiences discuss the joys of adoption and the struggles of living a life of secrecy and lost identity. Internationally recognized trauma expert, motivational speaker, and psychotherapist Jules Alvarado, shares her insight on adoption related trauma.

A unique book describing the coersion of pregnant women to surrender their babies to adoption, the personal holocaust suffered by them, and strategies for healing

Julie is adopted. She is also a twin. Because their adoption was closed, she and her sister lack both a health history and their adoption papers—which becomes an issue for Julie when, at forty-eight years old, she finds herself facing several serious health issues. To launch the probe into her closed adoption, Julie first needs the support of her sister. The twins talk things over, and make a pact: Julie will approach their adoptive parents for the adoption paperwork and investigate search options, and the sisters will split the costs involved in locating their birth relatives. But their adoptive parents aren’t happy that their daughters want to locate their birth parents—and that is only the first of many obstacles Julie will come up against as she digs into her background. Julie’s search for her birth relatives spans eight years and involves a search agency, a PI, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey’s end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest—one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.

Originally published in 1993, this classic piece of literature on adoption has revolutionised the way people think about adopted children. Nancy Verrier examines the life-long consequences of the 'primal wound' - the wound that is caused when a child is separated from its mother - for adopted people. Her argument is supported by thorough research in pre- and perinatal psychology, attachment, bonding and the effects of loss.