Adoptive Parent Mental Health Challenges and Therapeutic Support For Navigating the Adoption Journey

Thrive • December 6, 2022
By Thrive Wellness Reno Therapist Falon Schnieder, MFT

Usually full of many unknowns, the often volatile process and major life transition of adopting a child can evoke uncertainty, fear, and other distressing emotions, causing adoptive parents’ mental health to suffer. Through specialized therapeutic support, adoptive parents can obtain comfort, guidance, and coping skills to feel less isolated on their journey and nurture their mental well-being. 

CHALLENGES THAT COMMONLY ARISE DURING ADOPTION 

Parents who go through a child welfare system to adopt face a multitude of hurdles. Typically, they have to undergo the extensive process of becoming licensed foster and adoptive parents, which requires training and a thorough home study. During a home study that assesses the suitability of the family for the child, the interviewer may ask questions about the parents’ childhoods, relationships with one another, and parenting styles. 

Once parents obtain their licensure, the foster child is placed in their home. For the parents to adopt the child, the adoptive family often must wait for either the biological parents to relinquish their parental rights or for the court to terminate the rights. Typically, this waiting period takes at least six months, which is the minimum time required, but could also last a year or more. Throughout this time families can become increasingly attached to the foster child, but acutely unsettled about the possibly temporary relationship with the child.  

During this time, the biological parents usually have the opportunity to attend scheduled visits with the foster child. These visits can be emotionally damaging to the adoptive family, despite whether the biological parents are present or absent at the visit. 

While a family is fostering a child, the biological parental rights may be neither relinquished nor terminated. If this is the case, the child may return to their biological family which can cause the foster family intense, complicated grief.

While adopting through a private agency is somewhat more straightforward than through a child welfare system, families who use a private adoption agency must plan for significant expenses. 

PREVALENT MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS ADOPTIVE PARENTS EXPERIENCE

In addition to the above distressing circumstances that can occur throughout the adoption process, adoptive parents may face other mental health struggles as they adapt and cope with the change of bringing a new child into their family.

 Some common mental health struggles of adoptive parents include:

  • Difficulty bonding with their adopted child: Many adoptive parents describe the attachment they feel with their adopted child as “different” than if it were to have been a biological child. Some express feelings of guilt, depression , and anxiety about not connecting with their child in ways they had hoped.  
  • Secondary trauma : Many adopted children have experienced trauma . When adoptive parents are aware of the child’s history, they can suffer vicarious or secondary trauma, which describes indirect trauma that can occur when exposed to disturbing stories or visuals. 
  • Sense of loss over the idea of having a biological child: For families unable to conceive a child on their own, symptoms of grief and depression may manifest.

AVAILABLE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS

For adoptive parents, family counseling can provide an opportunity to understand emotions and strengthen resilience as they navigate adoption. They may even seek a clinician with adoption competency training who can provide specialized treatment that addresses all facets of adoption. Additionally, many state human services agencies offer clinical post-adoption support to families.  

PROMOTING ADOPTIVE PARENTS’ WELL-BEING AT THRIVE WELLNESS

Through our It Takes a Village (ITAV) perinatal day program , adoptive parents of infants can join a healing community of perinatal specialists and other individuals navigating the early stages of parenthood. Program participants attend psychoeducational groups on perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) diagnoses (which also exist within the adoptive parent population), bonding and attachment, nutrition , culture and identity , emotional regulation , and other topics. Additionally, our experienced clinicians provide individual and family outpatient therapy to adoptive parents. Reach out to learn more about our therapeutic services for adoptive parents.

About the Author

Thrive Wellness Reno Therapist Falon Schnieder, MFT

Falon Schnieder, MFT, attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where she earned both a bachelor’s of science in human development and family studies as well as a master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy (MFT). She began her career as a therapist serving children and adolescents with significant mental and behavioral health needs in an outpatient setting. Since then, Falon has worked extensively within a child welfare system where she worked with children entering into foster care, biological parents, and foster and adoptive parents.

As a rostered child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), she provides didactic therapeutic services to infants, children, and parents, and specializes in infant and early childhood mental health, trauma, and attachment. Falon is also a board-approved secondary supervisor providing training in child-parent psychotherapy for aspiring marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and clinical professional counselors (CPCs).

As a therapist at Thrive Wellness Reno, Falon serves children from infancy to age 17, families, and parents struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). She is passionate about infant and early childhood mental health as well as providing support to caregivers during what can be the most rewarding, yet challenging endeavor — parenting. Falon enjoys helping families learn new ways to connect with each other, overcome challenges, and experience triumphs on their journey. She believes that providing mental health care services to the community is an important element of well-being for all and is an advocate for destigmatizing mental health.

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The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again. 
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Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? Thrive Wellness is excited to continue our 6th Annual Giving Tree Program in collaboration with Perenn Bakery this winter. This year, Thrive Wellness Reno and Perenn Bakery are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northern Nevada. The organization supports families with children receiving treatment at area hospitals, providing comfort, hope, and a home-away-from-home during challenging times. Ronald McDonald House Charities offers essential services, removes barriers, strengthens families, and promotes healing when children need healthcare the most. How It Works Simply take one (or a few) tags from the Giving Tree, each listing an item you can purchase and donate for residents of the Ronald McDonald House. Then, drop off your item(s) at one of our designated donation locations by Friday, December 19. Items Needed: Restaurant gift cards Walmart or Target gift cards Games, puzzles, and coloring books Toys (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego sets, craft sets, magnet blocks, baby dolls, action figures, journals, infant toys, etc.) Children's books (picture, chapter, and graphic novels) Toiletry sets (for adults) Lotion/self-care gift sets (for adults) Sweatshirts/hoodies (adults, XS-XXL) Scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, pajamas (all sizes) Infant diapers, onesies, and baby bottles Bulk individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, chips, etc.) Please ensure all donations are new, in original packaging, and unwrapped. Donation Drop-Off Locations Please deliver donations by Friday, December 19, to one of the following sites: Thrive Wellness 201 W Liberty St., Suite 201, Reno, NV 89501 Perenn Grocery 7600 Rancharrah Pkwy, Suite 130, Reno, NV 89511 The first 50 people to return their donations will receive a complimentary ornament gift!  Why We Give Back Through our Giving Tree program, we’re honoring one of our core values at Thrive Wellness: staying rooted in community. This annual tradition allows us to give back to those who need support most during the holiday season. We invite you to join us by taking a tag at any Thrive or Perenn location and helping spread kindness throughout our community. There’s no better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by supporting local families with thoughtful, heartfelt donations. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and continued support. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
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