When Parents Struggle to Attach to Their Adopted Child

Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Abbie Smith, LCSW specializing in adoption and the Director of Clinical Services at Holt International.

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One of our most popular and poignant blogs was based on a question we received. Title is “I Feel Like a Beast, but I Don’t Love My Adopted Child“
Attachment is a two way street.
How often do you see families where it is more that the parent than the child that is struggling to attach?
What are some of the reasons you see for parents not feeling attached to their adopted child?
Not enough time has gone by-growing in love vs. falling in love.
How long does it take to form the bonds of attachment after you adopt a child?
Unrealistic expectations.
Feeling unappreciated by the child.
Impact of trauma, including physical or emotional trauma and prenatal exposure.
Mismatched temperament.
Post adoption depression. What are some signs? How long after the adoption?
Unresolved infertility grief.
What are some signs of a failure of parental attachment?
What can a parent do when they do not feel attached?