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Drustrup, David • March 01, 2016

“You’re so lucky.” These three simple words have been heard repeatedly by almost every adoptee. While adoption is often the best solution available to a challenging problem, these words fail to address the emotional difficulties adoptees may experience, including conscious and unconscious feelings of loss, shame, and abandonment. Without help from a mental health professional, these difficulties may impede healthy psychological development (Verrier, 1993).

References & Citations

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Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (2002). 2002 National Survey. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. New York. 

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Verrier, N. (1993). The primal wound: Understanding the adopted child. Baltimore: Gateway Press. 

Verrier, N. (2015a). Information for adoptees. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://nancyverrier.com/information-for-adoptees/ 

Verrier, N. (2015b). Information for adoptive parents. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://nancyverrier.com/information-for-birthmothers/ 

Wiley, M., & Baden, A. (2005). Birth parents in adoption: Research, practice, and counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 33(1), 13-50.