Ep. 14: Emotional Aspects of Adoptive Parenting

Honest Mamas Podcast

Welcome to episode fourteen of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to MereAnn Reid, a counselor who specializes in therapeutic play, adoption support, and early childhood.

MereAnn works with children—from toddlers to teens—and collaborates with whole families in managing stress, loss, life transitions, feeling connected, and understanding themselves better. A combination of child development, mindfulness, and family systems informs her work supporting parents and kids. MereAnn uses play therapy, sandtray, narrative-storytelling tools, practical skill building, and parent coaching in her practice.

In addition to graduate training in counseling psychology, MereAnn has worked in youth advocacy and education for nearly 20 years. She brings these skills to her counseling work, serving as an ally and consultant to individuals and families in her practice. She is a registered intern with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, member of the national Association for Play Therapy and Oregon Association for Play Therapy, and volunteer with non-profit groups supporting new moms and foster youth. As a professional and as a community member, MereAnn is committed to growing support resources for families impacted by foster and institutional systems of care. As a parent, MereAnn believes heartily in supporting and connecting parents to help kids thrive.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• The importance of the correct use of language around this issue
• How grief shows up in this area
• Why it’s ok to have feelings of anger, grief and frustration through this process
• Ways in which adoptive parents can best make connections
• Knowing when / if you’re ready for family therapy
• Supportive tools available to adoptive mothers

Resources

http://www.northwestadoptionsupport.com/