Parents should be a positive guiding force in the lives of their children. But what happens when they turn out to be ignorant, incapable, neglectful or abusive? The results are often lasting and devastating without timely intervention.
Issues Associated with Foster Care and Adoption
When separated from their negative environments and placed under the care of loving foster or adoptive parents, the lives of these traumatized children generally change for the better. But sometimes, the adverse effects of bad experiences linger. It comes out in the form of irrational, offensive and often destructive behavior.
Common problems these youngsters suffer from include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reactive attachment disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. As adults they are more prone to anxiety, depression, addiction and other aberrant social behaviors. They may even engage in illegal and criminal activities. What can be done to help these youngsters and bring them back into a normal life?
How therapy can help
Children, especially if adopted at a very young age, can suffer from identity crises as they grow older. Even when they are a part of stable and loving families, they think about their biological parents and siblings and fantasize about what their lives could have been. It may make them anxious, rebellious or angry.
Where parents often find themselves helpless, therapy under a trained and experienced counselor can be of great benefit. It gives the children an opportunity to express their feelings and emotions in a safe space where they will not be judged or evaluated. Counseling can gradually help these youngsters understand themselves better and come to terms with reality.
Recovery becomes more complicated when the children were put through a series of foster homes. The lack of consistent care and stability is not conducive to positive growth. In many cases, they would have also been subjected to neglect or abuse by their biological or former foster parents or siblings. The blatant breach of trust causes conflict of emotions and trauma far greater than their young minds are capable of handling.
Multiple negative experiences leave them scarred, incapable of forming any meaningful relationships with others. Unfortunately many of these crimes go unreported. Social workers, whose hands are often too full, may not recognize these issues or fail to file reports even when they do. Though history cannot be erased, therapy can help these children reconcile with their past and cope with their present circumstances.
Some of the tragic experiences that these children may have gone through may be far beyond what many can even comprehend which is why a family should attend a family therapy before bringing home a child for foster or adoptive care. It enables the family better understand the child’s past and learn how to anticipate and meet her emotional, mental and physical needs.
Some therapies are designed to include the child as well. In this way, the family and child together can build a relationship based on mutual trust. Such an approach not only helps the family as a whole, but also spares the child from any further trauma, accidental or otherwise. By preparing the family, therapy makes the transition period smoother.
Collaborative Therapeutic Services (CTS) seeks to maximize clients’ options by offering a variety of services, hours, and service providers with diverse specializations. We offer evening & weekend appointments. Have questions? Contact Us Here or Call 813-951-7346. Located in Tampa, Florida.