Upcoming Event: Joni Mantell, LCSW is presenting as part of a panel on Infertility and Adoption at the NYU at the Silver School of Social Work 2016 Professional Seminar Series This event is a part of the Office of Global and Lifelong Learning’s Spring 2016 Seminar Series. February 12, 2016 9:00 am – 12:00 pm […]
Tag Archives | Joni Mantell
Knowing When to Stop Trying
By Joni Mantell on September 1, 2015 in Adoption, Family Building Options, Infertility, Pre-adopt, Psychotherapy
Written By: Janet Jaffe, Ph.D./ Center for Reproductive Psychology /www.ReproductivePsych.org / www.UnsungLullabies.com One of the most profound decisions you must make when dealing with infertility – as important as the decision to try to conceive in the first place – is the decision to stop trying. How do you know when enough is enough? How can […]
Keeping Your Relationship Healthy During Infertility
Written by Janet Jaffe, Ph.D./ Center for Reproductive Psychology / www.ReproductivePsych.org / www.UnsungLullabies.com Adapted from: Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility (St. Martin’s Press, 2005) Infertility is not just an individual trauma. The stress on your relationship can leave you feeling that you’re alone in this, not facing this crisis together as partners, as a team. The […]
Adoption or Donor – Making the decision
By Joni Mantell on September 1, 2015 in Adoption, Family Building Options, Infertility, Open Adoption, Pre-adopt
Written By: Judith Kottick, LCSW Montclair, New Jersey/ judykottick@comcast.net/ (973) 746-7370 For many couples and individuals yearning for a child, it is unwelcome news to hear that the time has come to transition from the dream of parenting a child of your genes to an alternative family building method. While accepting the concept of non-genetic parenting […]
Beyond “Happy”: New Parents Have Complex Feelings
You will feel elated when you finally bring your child home, but you might also experience other emotions on the outskirts of that joy — from lingering sadness about infertility to echoes of failed matches to becoming a parent literally overnight. You are finally home with your newly adopted child, and you’re thrilled — but […]
Adoption and the Schools
When adoptive parents send their children to school, they want what all parents want. They want their children to be happy, successful, to make friends, to enjoy learning and most important, to feel comfortable in the big world represented by the classroom. In this presentation we review: Talking to teachers and schools about adoption; how […]
Birth Parent Fantasies and Fears
By Joni Mantell on August 21, 2015 in Adoption, adoptive families, Featured in Adoptive Families, Open Adoption, TEENS
Is your child entertaining a wild birth parent fantasy? Don’t worry — it’s totally normal. Around ages six to seven, children are capable of more complex thinking and begin to grasp what adoption means. This gives rise to new, sometimes alarming fantasies and fears. While many children daydream about another set of parents — who […]
Therapeutic Writing: Putting Your Feelings on Paper
By Joni Mantell on August 21, 2015 in Adoption, Family Building Options, Featured in Adoptive Families, Infertility, NEW Articles, Open Adoption, Pre-adopt, Psychotherapy
Infertility, parenting after adoption, growing up in an adoptive family, relinquishing a child—all give rise to complex emotions. Learn about the innovative Therapeutic Writing model that’s helping many lay bare and make sense of their innermost thoughts.
Open Adoption: A Reference Guide for Families
By Joni Mantell on August 21, 2015 in Adoption, Family Building Options, Featured in Adoptive Families, NEW Articles, Open Adoption
By Joni Mantell; as seen in Adoptive Families Magazine Open adoption is a scary phrase. “When I first heard it, I wondered, would I feel like a ‘stand in’ or a ‘rent-a-mom’?” says Christine, from New Jersey. This is the most common initial reaction prospective parents have—that open adoption is “co-parenting.” Others may come to domestic […]
Support Groups: The Five Top Benefits and FAQ’s
Infertility and Adoption Support Groups: The Top 5 Benefits The IAC Center loves groups. We offer: infertility groups; pre-adopt groups, adoptive parents groups, children’s adoption groups and teen adoption groups. These groups have shown us the best side of human nature as we see the members support each other, share tips, make each other laugh […]
Talking About Adoption with Children
This workshop is for adoptive parents, pre-adoptive parents and professionals. Some adoption agencies will accept this workshop as credit toward the home study requirements. Certificates will be issued upon request. In this workshop you will learn: How to create a safe family atmosphere in which adoption can be openly discussed What children think about adoption […]
Famous Adoptees
Please use the link below: Famous Adoptees
Single Mother’s By Choice Conference DVD’s
Single Mother’s By Choice Conference DVD’s from their 30th Anniversary conference held in Brooklyn NY In October of 2011. While these will appeal to singles this may also appeal to you if your family is touched by third party reproduction or adoption as you will be able to learn from:
Transracial Adoption: It Will Change Your Family Forever
By Carolyn Berger, LCSW As a white person, my understanding of what it took to bring a black, Latino, or Asian child into my family was straightforward. You either adopted a black or biracial child domestically or you traveled to Guatemala, Columbia, Ethiopia or somewhere in Asia to bring a child of color home. You made sure that your […]
Talking to Your Child About Their Donor Origins
Written By: Judith Kottick, LCSW, Fertility Counseling & Consulting Services 4 Key Parental Steps to prepare for talking to children about their donor origins: Make the decision to be open with your child before they are born and while they are young; as you get comfortable with the idea, the telling will be more natural […]