Parents and their zero to three year olds

In search of adoption counseling, family counseling or individual counseling? Read the "profiles" on these experts and after you speak to two or three, choose one that you feel best fits your needs!

Professionals are listed alphabetically by last name.

Adoption Counseling & Educationale Services (ACES)

info@adoptioncounselingservices.com

Individual therapists numbers can be found at

http://www.adoptioncounselingservices.com/locations.html

Washington Office (Longview) 503-680-8064

www.adoptioncounselingservices.com

In addition to our counselors' academic credentials and training, each therapist affiliated with ACES, has earned a one year Post-Graduate Certificate in Adoption Therapy.

Areas served in Oregon include Portland, Beaverton, Dundee and Gresham. Vancouver, Washington, and surrounding areas can be served as well. Longview, Washington office now open. This group of clinicians has the ability to provide in home services.

Services provided include counseling and workshops. Therapists work with children adopted internationally as well as children who spent time in state care. Services provided for birth parents, adults who were adopted and adoptive parents.

Philosophy: "Adoption can be a wonderful way to build a family. It can also be challenging. Adoption Counseling & Educational Services is an affiliation of mental health practitioners united in the goal of providing quality services for adoptive families."

"ACES' adoption therapists respect and acknowledge that each family is unique. We encourage parents to draw on their strengths and abilities, at the same time we help children explore grief, loss, attachment and identity issues. Our philosophy is one of helping families to move from coping with life, to living life joyously as a fully integrated family"

Free parent support groups provided.

Amy Dutt, LMFT

License Number: LF60125333

5100 South Dawson Street, Suite 204
Seattle, WA 98118

206-604-0873

www.amydutt.com

Amy works with children, teens, and families. She specializes in working with families formed by adoption. Many of the families she sees are struggling with challenging behaviors and/or strained relationships. She has many years experience working with families in crisis and children adopted as infants, toddlers, older children, or teens.

Amy offers family and individual therapy, parent consultation and coaching, and support groups for parents who have adopted. She completed a Certification in Attachment Therapy with Deborah Gray in 2010. She works with all types of families (single, partnered, married, blended, kinship). Often she sees parents who are struggling with their own reactions and emotions brought about by the adoption and behaviors of their child.

Amy helps families manage the practical day-to-day challenges (acting out behaviors, food issues, sleep challenges, etc.), while also helping the family to understand and improve the underlying dynamics. For example, a family may seek out counseling to address their child’s tendency to horde food and then lie about it. Amy would work with the family to develop a plan to decrease the problematic behavior (hording and lying), while at the same time, assist the child and parent/s to understand the need driving the behavior. The crucial element of therapy is the collaboration with the family in creating a way for the underlying need to be met.

Families are typically seen in Amy’s office for a 50 minute session, but there are times Amy sees families in their homes and/or sees clients for extended sessions.

Suzanne Engelberg, PhD

License-WA1948

206-542-7516 x105

DrEngelberg@gmail.com

18532 Firlands Way N, Suite A Shoreline, WA 98133

Dr. Engelberg is a Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist with nearly 20 years experience working with adopted children and their families. Her specialty is addressing childhood and family difficulties impacted by adoption. She has additional expertise with multi-cultural families and families with lesbian or gay parents.

Dr. Engelberg is a past Senior Clinician for the Adoption Resource Center of Children’s Home Society of Washington, and past Coordinator of the Jewish Adoption Consultation, Information and Referral Service of Jewish Family Service. She is a former school counselor and school psychologist, as well as a popular workshop leader on topics of child development, parenting and school difficulties. Dr. Engelberg’s advice has been quoted in national teen magazines.

Dr. Engelberg provides therapy to parents, families and children. She also offers short-term consultations to parents with questions about adoption-related issues such as relationships with birth family, identity, adoption issues at school, etc. In addition, Dr. Engelberg consults with parents not sure if their child’s difficulties could be helped by professional assistance or are part of “normal” child development.

Dr. Engelberg says, “Sometimes is obvious when a difficulty is related to adoption. Other times it is harder to tell. In either situation it is helpful to work with a professional with expertise in both adoption and child development.”

“My therapy style is very collaborative. You are an equal partner in our work together. I will listen non-judgmentally to your concerns and ideas. Together we will develop a plan to reach your goals.”

Dr. Engelberg also provides Parent Educator/Family Coaching Services, Training/Workshop Facilitator Services and Pre-Adoption Consultation Services

Laura Stone, LMHC

LH00004230

174 Roy St., Suite B
Seattle, WA 98109

206-498-9895
info@laurastone.org

www.laurastone.org

I have over 12 years experience working as a clinician with children and families impacted by adoption. I provide psychotherapy and counseling services for children, adolescents, parents and families in my lower Queen Anne office in Seattle. Some issues that may be addressed in therapy include attachment and separation challenges, parenting struggles, family adjustment, depression and anxiety, identity formation, PTSD, grief and loss. I also have extensive (personal and professional) experience and expertise in working with trans-cultural and trans-racial families.

I work with internationally adopted children and those who have spent time in foster care, as well as those in kinship placements and guardianships. I also work with birth mothers, adults who were adopted, and those considering becoming adoptive parents.

Beginning in 2009, I will facilitate groups for parents and their newly internationally adopted infants and young children, based on the “First Year Home” groups developed and previously offered by Patty Cogan.

Sandy Swan, M. Ed., LMHC

License # 60043373

1400 Talbot Road South, Suite 106
Renton, WA 98055

253-234-4459

www.sandyswan.org

www.sandy.swan.m.ed.@gmail.com

Sandy Swan has been serving children and families in the Puget Sound region for the past 25 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1983 and her Masters degree in Educational Psychology in 1989 both at the University of Washington.

While working as a classroom teacher, school psychologist, and school counselor, she opened her private practice in 1989. She has many hours of post graduate education and experience in the area of foster care and attachment in adoption. She has helped families deal with life stresses, anxiety management, ADHD, Autism, learning disabilities, and social skills training. She and her husband are experienced therapeutic parents, fostering and adopting children into their family.