8 TPC Digest 9 TPC Digest Marissa Meyer, Elizabeth Wiggins, Gregory M. Elliott Adult Adoptees’ Adoption-Related Experiences of Counseling, Loss, and Grief: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study I t is estimated that over 100 million Americans are connected to adoption in some manner. Given the rise of adoption in the United States and the counseling needs of adoptees, counselors are likely to encounter an adult adoptee or adoption-connected client during their career. Although counseling-related research has explored the experience of youth who have been adopted, little has been done to prepare counselors to work with adoptees who have entered adulthood. Gaining a deeper grasp of the impact of adoption on adult adoptees’ mental health and potential distress in adulthood is an important consideration for counselors. One important aspect of exploring adult adoptees’ experiences with mental health and counseling is understanding how they experience and process feelings of loss and grief related to their adoption. For years, researchers have explored the impact of adoption, notably during childhood and adolescence, with an emphasis on social adjustment and mental health compared to non-adoptees. Yet, research is limited concerning the experience of adult adoptees and how they process grief and loss throughout their lifetime. What we do know is that loss is a predominant theme in the lives of adoptees, and it often is not fully acknowledged until middle adulthood. This may be because loss is too complex for children to comprehend fully. As adoptees developmentally transition from childhood into adulthood, their perception of adoption and their identity formation likewise evolve. In addition to adult adoptees’ experiences with grief and loss, there is a need for a greater understanding of how counselors can prepare to work with people who have been adopted. Adoption has been shown to have an impact on mental health, including higher rates of depression, anxiety, and relationship-related issues. Adult adoptees need someone who understands their experiences and helps them explore the impact adoption has on their lives. When counselors are prepared to address the topic of adoption, clients report higher levels of therapeutic satisfaction. Counselors working with adoptees may benefit from treating a client’s adoptee status as an area of multicultural diversity and studying the relevant literature to help develop competence. Driven by a desire to understand more about the experiences of adult adoptees and a passion to prepare counselors to work with this population, we launched a transcendental phenomenological research study. We interviewed seven adult adoptees regarding their lived experiences of growing up as an adoptee and how this shaped their perception of loss, grief, and counseling in relation to their adoption. Our study revealed helpful information about how the participants integrated their adoption story into their life narrative and whether loss, grief, and working with a counselor were significant integration factors. As a result, six themes emerged, including ambivalence toward loss and grief, how one’s adoption story was impactful, issues with connection, identity curiosity, relational distrust, and involvement with counseling. In our article, we discuss these ndings and identify implications for counselors working with adoptees. Marissa Meyer, MA, LPC, is Manager of Navigation at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health. Elizabeth Wiggins, PhD, LPC, LSC, is an assistant professor and the director of the Master of Arts in School Counseling program at Colorado Christian University. Gregory M. Elliott, PhD, LPC (CO), LMHC (IA), is an associate professor at Colorado Christian University. Correspondence may be addressed to Marissa Meyer, 4851 Independence St., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, marissameyer73@gmail.com. Read full article and references: Meyer, M., Wiggins, E., & Elliott, G. M. (2023). Adult adoptees’ adoption-related experiences of counseling, loss, and grief: A transcendental phenomenological study. The Professional Counselor, 13(2), 129–144. doi: 10.15241/mm.13.2.129
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