Therapy for Adoptee-Trauma

Do you feel caught between two worlds — struggling to navigate the complexities of identity, belonging, and the unanswered questions that come with being a transracial or intercountry adoptee?

Have you felt pressure to stay silent about your adoption struggles, afraid it might seem ungrateful or disloyal to your adoptive family?

Do you carry a quiet grief or sense of loss — especially around cultural disconnection or not seeing yourself reflected in those around you?

Are you struggling to reconcile the conflicting emotions surrounding your adoption story and sense of self?

Does this sound familiar?

Adoption is often painted as a beautiful story of love and belonging. But for many transracial and intercountry adoptees, the reality is far more complex. Beneath the surface, there is a whirlwind of emotions—anger, grief, gratitude, relief, fear, and deep ambivalence. You may struggle with a profound sense of loss, racial isolation, or feeling like an outsider both in the culture you were raised in and the one you were born into. Questions about identity, belonging, and self-worth may linger, even when everything seems “fine” on the outside.


You may have learned to suppress your pain, fearing that acknowledging your struggles could be seen as ingratitude. Maybe you’ve wrestled with internalized racism, feeling disconnected from your birth culture yet never fully accepted in your adoptive one. The thought of searching for your birth family might bring hope, but also fear—what if you’re not wanted? What if you uncover painful truths? Even reconnecting with your country of origin can feel both exciting and alienating, leaving you caught between worlds with no clear place to call home.

Your emotions are valid, and your experience is real.

Healing as an adoptee doesn’t mean choosing between gratitude and grief — it means making space for all of it.

Therapy offers a place to explore your identity, process complex emotions, and work through the challenges of racial isolation, cultural reconnection, and birth family search.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Your story deserves to be fully seen, heard, and supported.

Therapy for adoptee trauma can help you achieve…

Affirmation of complex emotions — Feel seen and supported in holding the full range of adoptee emotions — grief, anger, confusion, and love — without guilt, shame, or pressure to be “grateful.”

Healing from identity fragmentation — Explore your racial, cultural, and adoptee identity in a safe space, and begin to integrate the parts of yourself that have felt split, hidden, or lost.

Freedom from internalized shame and self-doubt — Challenge beliefs that you’re “too much” or “not enough” for any culture, family, or community, and begin to see your story through a lens of strength and resilience.

Stronger connection to your roots—on your terms — Navigate birth family search, cultural reconnection, and visits to your country of origin with emotional grounding and support, honoring both the hope and the grief.

More authentic relationships — Build healthier boundaries and communicate more openly with adoptive family, friends, or partners — no longer hiding your struggles to protect others’ comfort.

A deeper sense of belonging to yourself — Cultivate an internal sense of home, identity, and worth that isn’t dependent on fitting into others’ expectations, but rooted in your own truth and healing.

You don’t have to choose between gratitude and grief.

Your story is valid, and your healing matters.