Summing Up

Abstract

This chapter offer parents guideposts and suggestions for effectively managing potential challenges and questions across the adoption family life cycle—especially those addressed in this book, and those related to openness and the birth family in particular. It also provides resources and guidelines for finding an adoption-competent therapist. These recommendations and guideposts are intended to reflect those issues that are considered “normative” adoption issues—those that are common to most adoptions, and which are not in and of themselves “problems.” Incorporated into this chapter are suggestions and insights from several adoption experts, including David Brodzinsky, a clinical psychologist and expert on open adoption.