A collaborative, client-centred space to explore adoption-related experiences at your own pace. Registered Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), and Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA). In-person and virtual sessions across Alberta.

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When You Are Not Sure Whether to Reach Out

You may be wondering whether what you are carrying actually counts as something worth talking to someone about. Adoption touches lives in ways that are difficult to summarize neatly, and the emotions that come with it do not always match what other people expect you to feel. Maybe you have been told you should be grateful, or that everything worked out fine, while something quieter inside you says otherwise.

You might notice a persistent sense of not quite belonging, even in relationships where you are clearly wanted. You might find yourself pulling back from people who care about you, or feeling a tension around family gatherings that you cannot fully explain. Perhaps you are a parent navigating the complex dynamics of an adoptive family and wondering whether the friction at home is something you should just push through on your own.

These experiences are more common than most people realize, and they make sense given what adoption can involve: shifts in identity, changes in family structure, unanswered questions, and emotions that may not have had a safe place to land. They do not mean something is permanently wrong with you or your family.

If you are weighing whether counselling could help, this page describes what adoption issues counselling looks like at Wholesome Psychology and what you might expect. You are welcome to read at your own pace and decide whether it feels relevant.

Who We Help

Adoption issues counselling at Wholesome Psychology may be a good fit for:

• Adults who were adopted and want space to explore identity, belonging, or relationship patterns
• Adoptive parents experiencing stress, uncertainty, or communication challenges within the family
• Prospective adoptive or foster-to-adopt parents preparing for family transitions
• Birth family members working through grief, loss, or questions about contact and boundaries
• Couples navigating decisions or changes related to adoption
• Families who want support with adjustment, roles, or communication across the household
• Youth and adolescents exploring questions about identity or family history

This service may not be the right fit for:

• People in immediate crisis or danger. Please see the crisis resources below.
• Situations requiring forensic assessment, legal evaluation, or custody determination. Wholesome Psychology offers separate assessment services for these needs.
• Court-mandated programming for perpetrators of abuse. Your therapist or the admin team can help identify appropriate referral pathways.

Crisis Support

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or unable to stay safe, please contact one of the following resources:

• 911 for immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Adoption issues counselling is a space to talk through adoption-related experiences with a trained therapist. It is not a legal service, an investigation, or a crisis intervention. It is also not the same as a psychological assessment. Assessments are a separate service offered at the clinic.

The focus of counselling depends on what matters most to you. Some people come in with a specific concern, such as strained communication in the family or questions about identity and belonging. Others want a space to reflect on experiences they have not had the chance to process before. Your therapist works with you to identify priorities and build a plan that fits.

The pace is always set by you, not by the therapist. You decide what to share, when to share it, and how quickly to move through difficult topics. Confidentiality is reviewed at the start of services, along with informed consent and an initial discussion of your goals.

This page provides general information about adoption issues counselling. It does not provide a diagnosis, personalized medical advice, or a substitute for individualized assessment.

Signs Adoption-Related Experiences May Be Affecting You

People affected by adoption-related experiences may recognize some of the following patterns. These are not diagnostic criteria. They are common experiences that people describe when they reach out for support.

• A persistent sense of not fully belonging, even in close relationships
• Difficulty trusting others or letting people get close
• Questions about personal identity, heritage, or family history that feel unresolved
• Tension or conflict within the family that seems difficult to name or talk about
• Feelings of grief or loss that come and go without an obvious trigger
• Frustration or exhaustion as an adoptive parent, especially when usual approaches to connection or discipline are not working
• A tendency to withdraw from situations that bring up strong emotions
• Sensitivity around conversations about family, roots, or "where you come from"
• A sense of guilt or confusion about having mixed feelings toward adoption

Having these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. Many of these patterns reflect common responses to complex family situations, and they can shift with the right kind of support.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Use the Match Tool or browse therapist profiles to find someone whose approach fits your needs. You can also call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for guidance.
• Book your first session. Your first appointment includes a conversation about confidentiality, informed consent, and what brings you in. Your therapist will ask about your goals and priorities so you can begin building a plan together.
• Build your plan together. Therapy plans at Wholesome Psychology are co-created. You and your therapist decide together what to focus on, what approach to use, and how to measure progress. Your input shapes every step.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are typically 50 minutes and scheduled weekly or bi-weekly, though the frequency can be adjusted as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews how things are going on a regular basis. Plans are adapted as circumstances evolve or new priorities emerge.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Some people benefit from a short period of focused work. Others find that longer-term counselling fits their situation better. The structure is flexible and guided by what works for you.

Evidence and Approaches

The evidence base for adoption-specific counselling outcomes is still developing. The approaches described below draw on research that is relevant to adoption-related experiences, though much of the literature examines foster care and adoption together rather than adoption counselling as a standalone topic. Your therapist will recommend an approach based on your situation and goals.

Parenting-Focused Interventions

What it helps with: Parenting stress, discipline challenges, and sensitivity in caregiving relationships within adoptive and foster families.

Evidence summary: A meta-analysis of parenting interventions in foster care and adoption found positive effects on parenting sensitivity, discipline practices, parenting knowledge, and parenting stress, as well as child behaviour problems (Schoemaker et al., 2019). These findings suggest that structured parenting support can meaningfully help caregivers, though the research examined a range of intervention types rather than one single approach.

Limitations: The same meta-analysis did not find significant effects on child attachment security, cortisol regulation, or placement stability (Schoemaker et al., 2019). Results varied across studies, and most research combined foster and adoptive populations.

Attachment-Informed Practice

What it helps with: Patterns of connection, trust, and emotional safety within caregiver-child relationships.

Evidence summary: The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) identifies attachment as a key developmental factor in children and names several evidence-supported approaches for strengthening caregiver-child relationships, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Circle of Security (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2022). A Cochrane review protocol has been registered to evaluate video feedback interventions for parental sensitivity and attachment, though results from this review are not yet available (O'Hara et al., 2016).

Limitations: These resources provide general guidance on attachment, not adoption-specific outcome data. Individual responses to attachment-informed work vary, and not all adoption-related concerns involve attachment difficulties.

Collaborative, Client-Centred Counselling

What it helps with: Identity exploration, family communication, grief, emotional processing, and adjustment to life transitions related to adoption.

Evidence summary: Client-centred and collaborative approaches are widely used in counselling for adoption-related concerns. These approaches emphasize the therapeutic relationship, the client's own goals, and flexible pacing. While direct evidence for adoption-specific outcomes is limited in the available research, professional and clinical frameworks support the use of collaborative, relationship-based therapy for complex family and identity issues.

Limitations: The evidence base for adoption-specific counselling outcomes remains limited. Claims about effectiveness should be understood in the context of general counselling research rather than adoption-specific trials.

What Results to Expect

Recovery and growth in counselling are rarely linear. Some people notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions. Others find that adoption-related experiences require longer-term exploration, particularly when they involve deep questions about identity, family history, or trust.

What you experience in therapy depends on many factors: the nature of your concerns, your current life circumstances, your relationship with your therapist, and how much time you have had to process your experiences before starting. Some people find relief from just 2-3 sessions focused on a specific concern. Others benefit from ongoing work over several months.

No therapy guarantees specific outcomes. What counselling can offer is a structured, confidential space to explore your experiences with someone trained to help. If your current therapist or approach does not feel right, you are always welcome to discuss changing to a different clinician or method. Therapeutic fit matters, and the clinic supports you in finding it. You can learn more about getting started on the Getting Started page.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in therapy is confidential. Psychologists are bound by ethical standards set by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA), and Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). In Alberta, your personal health information is protected under the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

There are a limited number of situations where confidentiality may be overridden by law. These include:

• Risk of serious harm to yourself or others
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child (mandatory reporting under Alberta law)
• A court order requiring disclosure of records

Your therapist will explain these limits clearly during your first session, before you share anything personal. You are welcome to ask questions about confidentiality at any point during the therapeutic process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. You are never required to share more than you are ready to. Your therapist can work with the concerns you are experiencing right now, including present-day patterns in your relationships, emotions, or family dynamics, without needing a detailed account of your past. The pace is always yours to set.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes. Counselling at Wholesome Psychology is confidential, in line with Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA) and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). There are limited legal exceptions, including risk of serious harm to yourself or others, suspected child abuse or neglect, and court orders. Your therapist will explain these at the start of your first session. See the Confidentiality and Privacy section above for more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed answer. Some people find that a few focused sessions help them work through a specific concern. Others benefit from longer-term counselling, particularly when exploring questions about identity, family relationships, or patterns that developed over many years. Your therapist will check in regularly and adjust the plan as needed.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Therapeutic fit is one of the strongest predictors of a good counselling experience, and not every match works on the first try. If your therapist does not feel right, the admin team can help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available for anyone located in Alberta. They follow the same confidentiality standards and therapeutic approach as in-person sessions. Many clients find virtual counselling convenient, especially for ongoing work where travel to a clinic is not practical.

What if I am still in an unsafe situation?

If you are in immediate danger, please contact 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. You can also reach the Alberta Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 (24/7) or the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free). Counselling is not a substitute for crisis services, but your therapist can work with you on safety planning and connect you with appropriate resources when you are ready.

Is adoption issues counselling only for adoptees?

No. Depending on the situation, this kind of counselling may be relevant for adoptees, adoptive parents, prospective parents, birth family members, couples, and families. The focus is shaped by whoever is in the room and what they want to work on.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology's team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychological Association (CCPA). Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Provisional psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Many clinicians on the team have training and experience in areas relevant to adoption, including family dynamics, attachment, parenting, identity, grief, and life transitions. Because the team is large and diverse, there is a good chance of finding someone whose background and style match your needs.

You can browse individual profiles on the Our Therapists page, use the Match Tool for guided recommendations, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for help choosing.

Children and Youth

Adoption-related experiences can affect children and adolescents in ways that look different from how they affect adults. Young people may express their feelings through behaviour, withdrawal, school difficulties, or changes in how they relate to peers and caregivers.

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Therapists working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches and involve caregivers as collaborators in the process. Supporting the child's environment, including the adults around them, is often a key part of the work.

Next Steps

If you are considering adoption issues counselling, you can take the next step in whatever way feels most comfortable:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call: 780-904-4880
• Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Learn more about getting started

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Starting the conversation is enough.

References

• Canadian Psychological Association. (2022). "Psychology Works" fact sheet: Attachment in children. https://cpa.ca/psychologyfactsheets/attachment-in-children/
• O'Hara, L., Barlow, J., Livingstone, N., & Macdonald, G. (2016). Video feedback for improving parental sensitivity and attachment (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9), CD012348. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012348
• Schoemaker, N. K., Wentholt, W. G. M., Goemans, A., Vermeer, H. J., Juffer, F., & Alink, L. R. A. (2019). A meta-analytic review of parenting interventions in foster care and adoption. Development and Psychopathology, 32(3), 1149–1172. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419000798
• World Health Organization. (2025). ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics. https://icd.who.int/