Support Group Curriculum

The Support Group Curriculum is a structured, professionally facilitated, evidence-informed program organized around the domains of Recognizing Loss, Oscillating Between Grief and Living, Owning Parent Identity, Transforming Meaning, and Sustaining Lifelong Bonds. The curriculum combines psychoeducation, peer discussion, experiential activities, storytelling, reflective exercises, skill building, emotional regulation practices, and guided exploration of adoption-related experiences.

Sessions address core themes such as grief and loss, shame and stigma, identity reconstruction, open adoption relationships, trauma recovery, meaning-making, milestones and anniversaries, continuing bonds, and long-term healing. Designed for virtual, hybrid, and in-person delivery, the curriculum includes facilitator guides, participant workbooks, case examples, discussion protocols, and adaptations for diverse populations including fathers, parents of color, Native families, involuntary relinquishment experiences, and late-discovery grief.