AdopTalk is a workshop for adoptive and pre-adoptive families that focuses on talking with children about adoption. We will discuss the developmental stages that children go through and how each stage changes their understanding and questions about being adopted. We will also work with you on how to help your kids handle questions about adoption from others outside of your family.

We will help parents think about behavior as the language of children and give research-based tips for understanding a child’s point of view and feelings about adoption. The second half will focus on telling children their story including the answer to questions such as: What should you share? With whom? How should you handle painful or difficult information? What if you don’t know their story, how can you fill in the gaps? Participants will have an opportunity to ask specific questions and share stories.

Featuring guest speaker Dr. David Brodzinsky, nationally reknowned therapist, researcher and author of Being Adopted: Lifelong Search for Self. Dr. Brodzinsky will spend the morning discussing approaches that work to help adopted children explore their feelings about family, connections and origins. In the afternoon we will focus on specific case scenarios and responses to questions from children as well as talking about tools like books and lifebooks, to help children claim and understand their adoption story.

For directions and more information click here.