Adopting

Maureen Donley, MA, MFT Adoptive Mom and Therapist, shares advice for adoptive parents on the best places to find support for your adoptive family
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Adopting

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The way to find support for yourself and for your adopted child in the community is, I guess, on a very straightforward level, to look for it. Go on the Internet. See what organizations already exist. Sometimes there are organizations targeted specifically to a certain area. For instance, there’s an organization called FCC, which is Families with Children from China – that happens to be a national organization with local chapters. There may be counterparts for Guatemalan American children, for Ethiopian American children. Find local professionals in the field, they can be a resource for support groups. Also speak with your adoption agency. Sometimes the adoption agency runs support groups as well. And last but not least, you can start your own support group. There are many incredible organizations that have started over a cup of coffee and a conversation.

Maureen Donley, MA, MFT Adoptive Mom and Therapist, shares advice for adoptive parents on the best places to find support for your adoptive family

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Maureen Donley, MA, MFT

Adoptive Mom & Therapist

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Maureen's practice spans all ages and holds a focus in creative professionals, adoption and trauma work.  She earned her MA in Clinical Psychology with a Child Studies specialization from Antioch University in Los Angeles. She has also worked as a Counselor in both K-8 and high school settings and is finishing her third year as a Counselor at the Southern California Counseling Center working with individuals, families and couples. She completed the Family Training Program Certification there, and will hold both TRM and EMDR trauma certifications in July 2013. In addition, she is working with Jeanette Yoffe in a monthly adoption support group on the Westside, as part of her new non-profit, The Celia Foundation, dedicated to all members of the adoption constellation. Maureen also facilitates both parenting and adolescent groups at Dr. Bonnie Goldstein’s Center for Psychological Services on the Westside. 

Before joining the psychology field, Maureen's first love was the arts.  As a producer and studio exec, she was part of the Feature Animation team at Disney during the Renaissance years of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Toy Story. Maureen subsequently had a production deal at Fox under which the animated feature Anastasia was released. Prior to moving to Los Angeles to join the Mermaid team, she was based in New York City.  While there, she was on the faculty at The Juilliard School (Drama Division), and was a visiting professional for the Yale School of Drama. Maureen worked on many theatrical productions as a stage manager including the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie with Jessica Tandy, the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Pump Boys and Dinettes and the 1st and 2nd National Tours of Cats in Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles. She says, "being part of telling timeless tales was great preparation for helping people discover the true stories of their own lives."

 

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