The Vicissitudes of the Adoption Process
ENID W. ROTHENBERG M.S.W.1,
HARVEY GOLDEY M.D.2, , and
ROSALIND M. SANDS M.S.3
1 Group Therapist, North Shore Child Guidance Center, 1495 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, N. Y. 11030
2 Psychiatric Director, North Shore Child Guidance Center, 1495 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, N. Y. 11030
3 Director of Group Programs, North Shore Child Guidance Center, 1495 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, N. Y. 11030
A child guidance center that does not itself handle adoptions has had discussion groups for adoptive parents for several years. The authors describe the program and their increasing awareness of the discrepancies between their observations from the groups and the practices of many adoption agencies. They believe it is necessary to study in greater depth the dynamics of adoption and carry on further clinical investigation of conscious and unconscious forces in the process; collaboration between mental health facilities and adoption agencies is necessary if primary prevention in this important area is to succeed.
