Angela Joyce Gee AKA Janney Lynn Lee
The spotlight has been rightfully focused on the dire predicament of migrant children separated from their families: #keepfamiliestogether #familesbelongtogether. This situation has brought attention to the potential long-lasting psychological effects of this traumatic event. There are parallels to the adoption experience that adoptees, adoptive families and clinicians may connect to. Adoption research has shown that separation from an original/first family is a loss that is not always recognized by society as a whole. The authentic love of an adoptive family is not a replacement for the bereavement of that loss. I am hopeful the significant voices of adoptee professionals like Janet Nordine, LMFT can help reify the narrative for adoptive families and move to resolve these complex feelings for adoptees and others affected by the trauma of separation.