Therapy Resources for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Families
Raising a child who comes to you through adoption, foster care, or kinship care can bring a mix of both gains and losses to families. Some children feel the losses acutely, while others do not. Some kids carry the scars and pain of loss, abuse, or neglect into their new homes. Many kids struggle with the long-term impacts of prenatal exposure. Behaviors may be confounding or challenging for parents and caregivers to understand and manage. It’s common for children impacted by trauma to struggle to form attachments to new parents or caregivers. Trust does not come quickly. It’s also not uncommon for new parents and caregivers to struggle to attach to their new children.
The good news is that help is available. Therapists trained to treat issues related to adoption, foster, or kinship experience can work with parents and children to help smooth out the bumps that sometimes occur in these relationships.
The resources we’ve compiled here will help you find a therapist that suits you and your child’s needs and equip you to ask the right questions to get the right fit. We use the term “adoption-competent” here to simplify the conversation. However, please know that many of the issues foster and kinship families experience are similar and benefit from the same professional care.
Podcasts
Podcasts on Therapy Resources
Articles
Articles & Tipsheets on Attachment
Suggested Books

Free Courses
**Inclusion on this page of resources does not imply an endorsement of any provider, organization, or resource. CreatingaFamily.org recommends that parents and professionals do their own research to find a mental health provider that suits their needs and values to find the right fit.