Adoption Support

Adoption is a journey that once it touches your life, it lasts a lifetime.  Like all of life's journeys, there are many moments of joy and there will also be challenging times. Sometimes in the challenging moments we need to reach out for support.

For more than 20 years, Lori Rosove, the adoption practitioner behind the Adoption Source has helped many families begin their adoption journey.  As a registered social worker, educator and counselor, Lori has also helped many individuals and families with the various challenges faced along the way.  

Here are the adoption support services Lori provides:

• Ottawa's Adoptive Parent Support Group
• Parenting workshop and coaching
• Openness counselling and mediation
• Reunion counselling

Adoptive Parent Support Group

The Adoption Source, in collaboration with the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CAS), offers a free adoption support group that meet monthly from September to June.  Aimed at bringing both Adoptive Parents and Waiting Parents together to discuss various adoption issues, session topics are flexible in that those attending are welcome to bring forward items to discuss.  Lori, along with Diane  Ciravolo, an adoption worker from CAS, volunteer their services as the group facilitators and bring their many years of experience and knowledge to each session.  To learn more about this service and to register for an upcoming session, please click here.

Parenting Workshop and Coaching

As a parent to an adopted child you face unique challenges in parenting due to various issues that often arise in adoption.  While some issues such as abandonment affect all adopted children, other issues such as interracial differences are specific to each family's situation.  

Whether your adopted child is soon to arrive or has just arrived in your family and you are preparing for the road ahead, or your child has been with you for many years and you are currently experiencing adoption related challenges, the Adoption Source is here to help.  

Parenting Workshop: "Changing Your Lenses" - What I Can Do Differently So My Kids Behave Differently

As a response to the need expressed by many parents in the Ottawa adoption community, the Adoption Source has developed and introduced a new parenting workshop in Ottawa aimed at helping you achieve the best parent child relationship with your adopted child.  Innovative in its approach, our goal is to help parents change the perspective they have when parenting their adopted child.  This is done by educating you on the underlying reasons for your child's behavior.  With this knowledge, Lori helps guide you in your responses to this behavior that will ultimately lead to a more positive result in your parent child relationship.  

We offer the workshop in three different size formats and ranges in length from 5 to 9 hours depending on the format chosen.  If you are interested in learning more about this program, please click here.  

Private Parent Coaching Sessions 

Lori welcomes you for one on one coaching sessions to gain greater insight regarding your child's behaviour and strategies for positively parenting your child / children.  Each session is typically one hour and is solely for the parents (not the children).  It is recommended that, if applicable, both parents attend each session.  

Prior to your first visit we will direct you to the documents link on our site and ask that you complete some preliminary forms which will help Lori prepare for her time spent with you.  If you would like to schedule an appointment, please click here to contact us.   

Openness Counselling and Mediation 

In an open adoption it is of utmost importance to both adoptive and birth parents that respect and consideration for each other are maintained.  However, conflict can arise due to differences of ideas or misunderstandings despite having a positive relationship with each other. As a result, the relationship can become tense.  The solution to reducing this stress is to provide an environment where a better understanding between all involved can be achieved.

Through counselling and openness mediation, Lori can facilitate and lead the discussion between birth and adoptive family members to allow for a new understanding between each other.  The results from even one session can be remarkable.  If you would like to schedule an appointment, please click here contact us.

Reunion Counselling

For valid reasons many adoptions begin as closed adoptions where the birth family does not remain in contact with their child.  As years pass, often either the birth parents or the birth child decides to reach out to their biological family and reunite.  With the advent of the internet with world wide communication, reuniting has become more possible than ever.  

Reunions bring a host of emotions to be dealt with and several decisions to be made.  Even after reuniting there may remain issues and feelings that you wish to seek guidance for.  

Through counselling Lori can help you decide on whether or not reuniting is right for you.  If a reunion is planned, Lori can also help you prepare for the meeting.  And if after your reunion you feel conflicted in any manner, Lori can help bring clarity to these emotions and help you move forward.

Whichever stage of reuniting you are at, Lori welcomes you to meet with her for a private counselling session.  If you would like to schedule an appointment, please click here to contact us.