I’m so glad you’re here. Whether you’ve just begun exploring adoption or you’re already navigating the process, this course was created with you in mind. Adoption is a life-changing journey filled with hope, challenges, and love, but it’s also one that can bring up unexpected emotions and put stress on your most important relationship—your partnership.
I’m Stephanie, a Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist, and I designed this course to help couples like you not only navigate the complexities of adoption but also deepen your connection along the way. Through this course, we’ll explore ways to:
Maintain and strengthen your bond, even during the most stressful times.
Communicate effectively when emotions run high.
Cope with the grief and loss that can accompany infertility and adoption.
Embrace this process as a team, rooted in understanding and love.
This course is not just about adoption—it’s about you as a couple. My goal is to give you practical tools and emotional insights to support each other, handle challenges, and celebrate the incredible journey you’re on together.
In this module we're going to discuss infertility grief as part of the adoption process. We understand that this is not a universal condition for adoption! If this is not part of your story, feel free to skip ahead to Module 2!
In this module we're going to explore:
Infertility griefs in it's different aspects
The concept of Prospective Grief
Managing Grief
The Importance of Shared Empathy with our Partner and Select Supportive Friends
Note: A note about infertility grief and adoption. Adoption is a beautiful way to grow a family. It's also not a solution to grief, or a coping mechanism. I write this with as much sensitivity as possible. Grief is painful, but adoption is not about solving our pain. It's about growing your family in a way that respects the life of the adopted child, the birth mother and your family as well.
In this module we will be exploring emotional fatigue and the toll it can take on your connection. The emotional fatigue of uncertainty during the adoption process can significantly affect a relationship, as it involves prolonged periods of waiting, unpredictability, and emotional highs and lows. Here we will explore:
How Emotional Fatigue of Uncertainty Affects Relationships
How to Mitigate the Effects of Emotional Fatigue on Relationships
And More
Adoption can bring significant financial pressures, as it often involves substantial upfront costs, ongoing expenses, and potential financial strain over time. These pressures can create stress for individuals and couples, affecting their emotional well-being and relationships. In this module we will explore:
Financial Factors When it Comes to the Cost of Adoption
Ongoing Financial Considerations
Coping with Financial Pressures
How to Handle Practical Financial Disagreements
Managing relationships with family and friends while waiting to adopt can be challenging, especially as emotions and expectations run high. In this module we're going to go over:
Communicating Boundaries
Educating Loved Ones
The Importance of a Select Support Network
And More
The stress of adoption can significantly impact a couple's emotional and physical intimacy. Adoption often brings intense emotional challenges, uncertainty, and logistical pressures that can interfere with the couple’s ability to connect deeply. In our final module we'll explore:
How Stress Impacts Emotional Intimacy
Tips to Strengthen Emotional Intimacy
How Stress Impacts Physical Intimacy
Tips to Reignite Physical Intimacy
And More
Thank you for dedicating your time, energy, and hearts to this course. In this farewell message we will wrap things up, and wish you well on this journey and provide some final tools as well as a guided meditation for those moments when you may need it.