Adoption and Foster Care
Psychodynamic Studies in Adoption and Foster CareThese courses are designed for all professionals working with adopted and foster children and their families.
Each of the following classes can be taken individually through the Institute's Continuing Education program. To register for individual classes, click here.
To enroll in the full Certificate course program, click here.
Location: Institute Classroom A
CME/CE/Clock Hours: 12 CMEs/CEs for each course
Fee: $288 for each course
Working with Adoptive and Foster Parents
Kaye Bock, MSW, LCSW
March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25, May 2, 2012
10:30 a.m. - Noon
This course is designed for clnicians wanting an understanding of issues specific to adoptive aprents.
Attention will be given to the evaluation of adoptive parents along with ways to work with adoptive parents in a manner that parallels the child's adaptation, develpment and treatment.
Objectives:
- Describe psychodynamic effects of infertility
- Recognize complexities, i.e., narcissistic wound of infertility and need for mourning, unconscious motivations in fostering and adopting
- Establish foundation and alliance for parent work
- Listen and learn how the parent feels, clearing obstacles to empathy with their child, with special attention to parenting children traumatized before adoption
- Describe factors and dynamics in parents during treatments and with their child
- Recognize parenthood as a developmental stage with adoption adding unique features
- Build communication understanding and skills specific to adoption and fostering
- Learn perspective and skills to teach parents in handling problem behaviors
To register, click here.
Introduction to Adoption and Foster Care
Chester Smith, MEd, LPC
September 7, 14, 21, 28 and October 5, 12, 19, 26, 2011
10:30-1:55am
Note: the October 5 class will be taught by Paul M. Brinich, PhD
This course provides an introduction to the psychodynamic literature on adoption and foster care. It explores a range of topics including the impact of early versus late adoption, psychopathology resulting from the early life experiences of fostered and adopted children, and how identity formation can be effected by such experiences. The course also looks at the differeing influences residential/institutional care, foster care, and adoption can have on a child's development and mental health.
Objectives: Students will be able to...
1. Discuss historical and contemporary findings regarding the over-representation of fostered and adopted children in meantal healthcare
2. Define and discuss the impact of early versus late adoptions on development and pathology
3. Define components of the adopted family lifecycle and discuss the issues and challenges of special needs adopted children
4. Describe and contrast the experiences and outcomes of adoption, foster care, and residential/institutional care
5. Discuss the psychopathology associated with adoption and foster care; list several of the primary problems that these children face and specific problems that arise in treatment
6. Discuss the potential influence of being fostered or adopted on identify formation and on the development of self and object representations
7. Identify and discuss the impact of open adoption on the adopted child
Normative Development and Developmental Disruptions
Lourdes Henares-Levy, MD
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26, 2011
12:05-1:30pm
Normal development is examined in depth, followed by attention to developmental disruptions caused by loss of birth parents, neglect and other forms of trauma. Students will gain an appreciation of how symptons and behaviors in children can result from problematic early life experiences that contribute to disruptions in the emotional, cognitive, and social development of fostered and adopted children.
Objectives: Students will be able to...
1. Describe how biology impinges on personality development
2. Describe the salient developmental accomplishments during each of the first six years of life.
3. Describe how attachment is created and explain how separations effect development
4. Predict the effects of maltreatment in children
5. Demonstrate through a clinical case presentation the effects of normal and deviant development in children.
Adopted and Fostered Children in Social Contexts
David Brodzinsky, PhD
November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, December 7, 14, 21, 2011
10:30-11:55am
This course explores a range of social and cultural issues faced by fostered and adopted chldren. Included are transracial adoption, gay and lesbian adoptive parents, the family life cycle in adoption, mental health issues in adoption and foster care, and open adoption.
Objectives: Students will be able to...
1. Discuss the psychological risks associated with adoption and foster care and will be able to define the kinds of problems typically presented by these children.
2. Identify issues experienced by adopted and fostered children, along with their parents, within the family context
3. Identify and discuss the unique parenting tasks associated with adoption/foster care at each stage of the family life cycle
4. Discuss how children experience adoption/foster care at different developmental stages
5. Discuss the mental health issues and parenting issues associated with transracial adoption
6. Discuss the impact of openness in adoption on adoptive family members and birth parents
To register, click here.
Attachment and Loss
Michael Deal, MA
November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, December 7, 14, 21, 2011
12:05-1:30pm
This course examines Bowlby's theory of attachment and how relinquishment can influence internal self and object relations. The course explores the chld's capacity to mourn and distinguishes healthy and pathological mourning.
Objectives: Students will be able to...
1. Describe the attachment styles in Bowlby's theory of attachment
2. Define both pathological and childhood mourning according to Bowlby's model
3. Describe how early loss effects a child's internal self and object representations
4. Explain how early loss also effects other areas of development outside of the child's internal world, i.e. cognitive development
5. Describe how the capacity to mourn depends on where the child is developmentally
6. Describe when a child can understand the concept of relinquishment and how this changes a child's experience of being adopted
7. Describe the role of others in a child's ability to mourn a significant loss
8. List ways in which a clinician can help a child develop the ability to mourn.
To register, click here.
Treating Adopted and Fostered Children
Chester Smith, MEd, LPC
January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, March 7, 2012
10:30 a.m. - Noon
This course is designed for clinicians who wish to build their knowlede and clinical skills in treating adopted and/or fostered chidren. The course includes assessment of fostered and adopted children along with attention to a range of clinical issues commonly found among this group. Clinical material will be incorporated to enhance the student's understanding of the treatment process.
Objectives:
- Discuss the components of the evaluation of fostered and adopted children that are unique to this population
- Discuss reasons that individual treatment of the child must be supplemented by work with parents to make treatment optimally effective
- Discuss factors involved in talking to children about being relinquished by birth parents, including age appropriateness and other influencing elements
- Define self-regulation, how it develops under normal, good enough conditions, and how it can be compromised by early deprivation and negligence
- Discuss the importance of the treatment alliance and how this alliance can be challenged when trauma is part of the child's history
- Identify and discuss four areas of fantasy formation commonly found in adopted children
- Discuss treatment issues specific to fostered and adopted children
- Present an article of their choic on the psychodynamic treatment of fostered and adopted children
To register, click here.
Case Conference
Cleary Eckelman, PhD
January 18, 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, March 7, 2012
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Presentation and discussion of individual cases to probe more deeply the issues found within psychodynamic studies in adoption and foster care.
Objective:
To explain the relationship between theory and clinical practice and apply psychodynamic techniques clinically
To register, click here.