TRF Boston Trauma Conference · May 27–30, 2026
When Adoption Shows Up in Adult Trauma Work
Lifespan loss, meaning-making, and the clinician's blind spot
Poster resources: glossary of adoption terms and full reference list.
About this poster
This poster presents findings from an IRB-approved Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study of fifteen adult adoptees, framed within the Adoptee Lifespan Framework. The study examines how adoption-related loss, identity, and meaning-making show up across the lifespan, and how these patterns appear in adult trauma treatment when clinicians are not trained to recognize them.
The work was conducted at Antioch University New England by Renée Murphy and Angela Christianson, with faculty supervision from Dr. Jamie Bower.
Learn more about the Adoptee Lifespan Framework and ongoing research at adopteeresearch.org.
Glossary of Adoption Terms
Adoption has its own vocabulary, and clinicians without adoption training often encounter terms in clinical conversation that they haven't learned. This glossary covers the language most likely to come up in adult trauma work.
Individual preferences for terminology vary. Always honor the language a person uses for their own story.
The Adoption Constellation
- Adoptee / Adopted Person
- A person who was adopted. Person-first language ("adopted person") is preferred by some; "adoptee" is preferred by others.
- Birth Parent / First Parent
- The biological parent(s) who conceived and/or gave birth to the child. Terminology preferences vary.
- Adoptive Parent
- The parent(s) who legally adopted the child, assuming all social and legal parental rights.
- Birth Family / Family of Origin
- The adoptee's biological relatives, including siblings, grandparents, and extended family.
- Adoption Triad / Constellation
- The interconnected relationship among adoptee, birth parents, and adoptive parents. "Constellation" is increasingly preferred because it acknowledges the larger network of biological and adoptive kin involved.
Types of Adoption
- Closed / Confidential
- No identifying information shared between birth and adoptive families. Records are sealed.
- Semi-Open
- Limited information exchange, often through an intermediary such as an agency.
- Open
- Ongoing relationship between birth and adoptive families, with varying degrees of contact.
- Domestic
- Adoption within the same country, either through the public foster care system or private agencies.
- International / Intercountry
- Adoption from another country, governed by the Hague Convention and U.S. immigration law.
- Transracial
- Adoption across racial lines, bringing unique considerations around identity, culture, and belonging.
- Kinship
- Adoption by a relative (grandparent, aunt or uncle, etc.). May involve informal or formal legal arrangements.
Key Concepts
- Relinquishment / Placement
- The act of a birth parent voluntarily or involuntarily losing parental rights. Language preferences vary; some adoptees prefer "relinquishment" as more accurate to the experience.
- Adoption Fog / Coming Out of the Fog
- A term widely used in adoptee communities to describe the experience of recognizing adoption-related loss and identity questions that were previously unexamined. Associated with Verrier's (1993) primal wound framework, though the experience it names is recognized across many adoptee accounts.
- Search & Reunion
- The process of an adoptee or birth parent seeking and potentially reconnecting with biological relatives.
- Original / Amended Birth Certificate (OBC / ABC)
- The original lists birth parents; the amended version reflects adoptive parents. Adult adoptee access to the OBC varies by state.
- Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)
- The legal process ending the parent-child relationship, making a child legally free for adoption.
- Ambiguous Loss
- A loss that lacks closure or clear understanding (Boss, 1999). For adoptees, the birth family exists but is absent — a loss that is real but socially unacknowledged.
- Disenfranchised Grief
- Grief that is not openly acknowledged, publicly mourned, or socially supported (Doka, 2002). Adoption loss is often disenfranchised because dominant cultural narratives frame adoption as a positive event.
- Genealogical Bewilderment
- The disorientation an adoptee may feel when biological, cultural, or ancestral information is unavailable or fragmented.
- PAL vs. HAL
- Positive Adoption Language emphasizes affirming terms; Honest Adoption Language prioritizes lived experience and acknowledges loss. Different adoptees and communities prefer different approaches.
Types of Adoptees & Related Identities
- Foster Adoptee
- A person adopted from the foster care system after parental rights were terminated. May have experienced multiple placements before permanency.
- Birth / Infant Adoptee
- A person adopted as an infant, typically through a private domestic adoption.
- Late Discovery Adoptee (LDA)
- A person who learns they were adopted later in life, often in adulthood. Term coined by Ron Morgan in 1995. Often discovered through DNA testing.
- NPE (Not Parent Expected)
- A person who discovers one or both presumed parents are not biological parents. Originally "Non-Paternity Event" in genealogy.
- MPE (Misattributed Parentage)
- An umbrella term for anyone who discovers their parent(s) are not genetically related — includes NPEs, LDAs, and donor conceived persons.
- Donor Conceived Person (DCP)
- A person conceived through sperm, egg, or embryo donation. May or may not know their genetic origins. LDDCP refers to late discovery. This population is growing rapidly as IVF accounts for a rising share of U.S. births.
- Transracial / Transcultural Adoptee
- A person adopted by parents of a different race or culture. Navigates unique challenges around race, ethnicity, and cultural belonging.
- Kinship Adoptee
- A person adopted by a relative.
References
Full references for this poster, and for all research on this site, are maintained at adopteeresearch.org/resources.