The 41st Annual NACAC Conference at Long Beach was a fantastic opportunity to learn from nationally recognized adoption professionals, advocates and practitioners, and to connect with members of our community. Beth Hall, of PACT: an Adoption Alliance, and I presented the workshop, “Ripped From the Headlines: Getting Real about Race in Transracial Families” to an enthusiastic audience who affirmed the need for this dialogue. As Dan Siegel said, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” and it’s imperative that transracial adoptive parents prioritize conversations about race, racism in guiding our children to develop healthy racial identities.… Read the rest ““Ripped From the Headlines: Getting Real about Race in Transracial Families””

My annual adoptee identity development workshops are held in June in Atwater Village. The workshops are focused on supporting children’s developing understanding of adoption, birth family, adoptive family, race and transracial families. We provide a safe space to explore these themes among peers. This year Craig Glass, MA and Robyn Shultz, MA joined me to provide a lively creative program that included musical, performing and visual arts. The children participated wholeheartedly; they shared their thoughts, feelings and hopes with one another in an empowering and positive environment. The feedback from participants and their parents was heartwarming and enthusiastic. Looking forward to next year!… Read the rest “2015 Adoptee Identity Development Workshops”

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist providing psychotherapy for adults, teens, children, couples and families. Working collaboratively with clients, we seek to connect with our feelings compassionately, communicate more successfully, increase self-regulation; to make sense of life.  My specialization in working with members of the adoption community often focuses on helping adoptees, whether children or adults, develop a greater understanding of this integral aspect of one’s identity.

I provide support and education for the adoption community by facilitating a free monthly support group for adult members of the adoption constellation and a vibrant teen adoptee group. I lead an annual adoptee identity development workshop for kids and tweens, provide transracial adoptive family trainings for agencies, as well as private consultation and education for families. My office is in Atwater Village, which is central to Los Feliz, Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Highland Park and Echo Park.