Adoption Counselling in Mount Isa, QLD

Photo of Sophie Therese Birgan - Heal & Transform: Psychotherapy by Sophie Birgan, Psychotherapist, ACA-L4
Heal & Transform: Psychotherapy by Sophie Birgan
Psychotherapist, ACA-L4
Serves Area
Effective and profound therapy is safe, interpersonal, and restorative. It is a way to connect the dots finally. It reveals what has been missing, what's been kept secret, or what the unconscious mind has repressed. It allows a person to see what's been absent, understand the inner self better, and restructure their thinking around the narrative so that a paradigm shift is felt.
Effective and profound therapy is safe, interpersonal, and restorative. It is a way to connect the dots finally. It reveals what has been missing, what's been kept secret, or what the unconscious mind has repressed. It allows a person to see what's been absent, understand the inner self better, and restructure their thinking around the narrative so that a paradigm shift is felt.
(07) 4839 7634 View (07) 4839 7634
Photo of Michele Chaseling, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, AMHSW
Michele Chaseling
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, AMHSW
1 Endorsed
Serves Area
Women and men with illness related to psychological distress or trauma often represent a demographic that experiences complex, intertwined challenges, where physical health issues are closely linked to emotional and psychological well-being. This group typically includes people in their 40s to 60s, many of whom are navigating significant life transitions, such as menopause, caregiving responsibilities, or changes in career or family dynamics. These transitions can exacerbate underlying emotional pain, especially when combined with a history of trauma or unresolved psychological distress and can lead to chronic illnesses.
Women and men with illness related to psychological distress or trauma often represent a demographic that experiences complex, intertwined challenges, where physical health issues are closely linked to emotional and psychological well-being. This group typically includes people in their 40s to 60s, many of whom are navigating significant life transitions, such as menopause, caregiving responsibilities, or changes in career or family dynamics. These transitions can exacerbate underlying emotional pain, especially when combined with a history of trauma or unresolved psychological distress and can lead to chronic illnesses.
(02) 5926 2307 View (02) 5926 2307
Adoption Counsellors

Does my adopted child need therapy?

Not every adopted child needs therapy. However, many can benefit from seeing an adoption-informed therapist, especially if they were victims of abuse or neglect, appear withdrawn or disconnected, have behavioural or developmental issues (which may or may not be related to their adoption), are struggling with feelings of grief or loss surrounding their birth parents, or find it difficult to establish an identity, a challenge that often becomes most apparent during adolescence.

When should adoptive parents seek therapy?

Prospective parents can benefit from therapy even before an adoption—for example, to voice worries and fears; to reconcile infertility struggles, if relevant; or simply to prepare themselves for parenthood. After the adoption, parents who are struggling to bond with their child; are unsure how to talk about adoption or related issues, such as race; or whose child is dealing with developmental, behavioural, or psychiatric concerns can address these and other issues with the help of an adoption-competent therapist.

Is family therapy appropriate for adoptive families?

Family therapy can be invaluable for strengthening the bond between adoptive parents and children, helping the latter feel more secure in their place in the family. Family therapy can also help adoptive families navigate complex communication issues—for example, parents who feel uncomfortable discussing race with their child, who in turn feels invalidated by their silence, or a child who has questions about his birth parents but avoids asking them out of fear of hurting his adoptive parents’ feelings.

What therapy is not appropriate for adoption issues?

A discredited therapy known as “attachment therapy” (sometimes called “holding therapy” or “rebirthing therapy”) should not be used to treat adopted and foster children, though it was largely designed for this population. Attachment therapy involves restraining, coercing, and punishing the child in order for them to “release” negative emotions and attach to their new caregivers—techniques that are abusive and dangerous and have even proven fatal in some cases.