Thursday, April 9, 2015

MY PROMISE TO YOU

The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity and changes - with little activity on my personal blog.

After 23 years as director of a NYC private adoption program, I decided to return to private practice. The administrative tasks overtook my love of working directly with families. I wanted to do more counseling, consultations on how to adopt and homestudies and post placements. I wanted to be a more active part of the adoption journey for many, and help them prepare for and ease into adoptive parenting.

Vocabulary.com/dictionary defines MAVEN as coming "from the Yiddish meyvn, meaning "one who understands." But to be a “maven” you have do to more than just understand a topic, you have to know it in all its intracasies. Mavens are the people that you turn to as the experts in a field. You don't become a maven overnight. That kind of expertise comes with an accumulation of knowledge over many years.

That's me.....Besides the 23 years of professional adoption experience, I have over 27 years of adoptive parenting experience. I have heard tens of thousands of stories and helped pre-and post adoptive parents deal with questions or concerns from others, talking to kids about their adoption, how and with whom to share adoption information and helping individuals and couples figure out which adoption process is right for them.

I love adoption. It is in my soul. I have been:

-          Conducting adoption homestudies and post placement supervision
-          Consulting with and counseling families on how to talk to their kids and family members, answer questions from strangers and which adoption process is right for them
-          Writing for Adoption.net and a contributing blogger for Path2Parenthood (formerly American Fertility Association).

I will continue to share what I know about the joys and challenges of adoption, while making your path to parenthood and everyday parenting as smooth and successful as possible.

Kathy Ann Brodsky, LCSW is a social worker, adoptive mom and advocate for ethical adoption practice. She has prepared thousands of adoption homestudies, counseled adoptive parents and parents-to-be, and has trained professionals to work with adoptive families. She was Director of the Ametz Adoption Program from March 1992 to March 2015. She is licensed in New York and New Jersey, was named an “Angel in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption in 2001, Head Writer for Adoption.net, on the Adoption Advisory Board of Path2Parenthood and has a private practice in New York City. Follow or reach her at ADOPTION MAVEN BLOG or EMAIL.