The Benefits of Adoption Counseling After Putting a Baby Up for Adoption in Missouri
By Nicole Cunningham
Adoption is an emotionally difficult situation for most birth parents when they place their baby up for adoption, especially if it comes out of an unplanned pregnancy. Although you know you are doing the right thing, it does not always feel that way. For some birth parents, it can cause them anxiety and depression. There are feelings of guilt, grief, and sadness that can all come from placing your baby for adoption. Every situation is different, but that doesn’t take away from the pain that can still come from placing your baby up for adoption. Luckily for you, there are resources that you can use to help you through this process. Adoption Choices of Missouri can offer you counseling after you place your baby for adoption.
What is Adoption Counseling?
Adoption counseling is a service offered to birth parents who have already gone through the adoption process. You have placed your child for adoption and are on the other side of that process. This counseling can help educate families, especially birth mothers, about what to expect.
What is Covered in Adoption Counseling?
There are different topics that take place during the counseling session, such as the emotions you are experiencing. They will ask if you are grieving or feeling regretful. The counselors are concerned if you feel like you did the right thing by placing your child up for adoption. Or if you are feeling any kind of regret. They are trying to figure out exactly how you are feeling and if they need to express those feelings. After going through something as stressful as the adoption process, the counselors are going to try to figure out what direction to go in for the sessions.
Adoption Counseling Benefits and Advantages
For birth mothers, the benefits of adoption counseling will help you figure out the emotions you are experiencing and help you overcome them.
- You will be able to have all your questions about the process you experienced placing your child for adoption can be answered by Adoption Choices of Missouri
- You can speak with the counselors about feelings of grief, depression, etc., and get professional help to heal those emotions.
- You can speak with them about concerns you may have, such as the baby’s life and adoptive family.
- Counselors are there to help guide you and show you what the steps of the post-adoption plan look like.
Who Can Receive Adoption Counseling?
Adoption counseling is for the birth parents involved in the adoption in Missouri process. The birth mother and the birth father can receive counseling if needed. For many adoptions, the birth mother tends to experience grief worse.
The counseling is there to support these parents who are involved and help them get to an emotionally sound position. Placing a child for adoption is never an easy situation to be involved in. It is the best situation for many families to help their child have a chance at a better life with their adoptive family.
The Different Types of Adoption Counseling You May Be Unfamiliar With
There are different types of counseling sessions that you can get involved in: one-on-one, support groups, and birth mother retreats.
One-on-one sessions are, as it sounds, sessions that are one-on-one with one of the counselors. They will be able to answer any questions that the birth mother or father may have. It is just between the two of them; therefore, you can ask them anything that you would like. They will be able to answer all the questions that you throw at them.
Support groups are with other birth mothers who have been involved in the adoption process. These birth mothers have gone through the same process as you. Not all of the situations will be the same; every birth mother gives a child up for adoption for different reasons and situations. However, they will all be able to talk with one another about the experiences they are having and the emotions they are going through.
Birth mother retreats are for birth mothers only, and they are, as it sounds, similar to a vacation for birth mothers. They will go and experience the retreat with other birth mothers, try to find time to relax and talk with one another about the adoption process and how they are processing it.
Why is it Important for Birth Parents to Experience Adoption Counseling?
Adoption counseling can help birth parents talk about their emotions. Many birth parents have a hard time talking about their emotions, especially if those emotions are negative. This gives them the opportunity to express themselves without worrying about who is expressing those emotions too. It’s healthy to talk about their feelings and get them off their chests.
Adoption Choices of Missouri is here to help get birth parents connected with a counselor if they choose. Please feel free to reach out to us with any other questions if you are considering adoption for your baby.
