What Happens Next? Addressing Mental Health Concerns and Supporting Emotional Wellbeing of Adult Adoptees

Who this is for

Adoption practitioners and managers (Voluntary Adoption Agencies, Regional Adoption Agencies, Local Authorities, and independent social workers), children’s social care services, children and family social workers, foster carers, kinship carers, designated teachers, and other professionals working with children and families.

Details

The impact of adoption is lifelong, and many adult adoptees experience difficulties accessing the right support at the right time. Although there has been increasing recognition in recent years of the importance of emotional and mental health support throughout adulthood, this remains an area that is still often overlooked within services. This session explores emotional well‑being through the perspectives of adult adoptees, drawing on lived experience alongside research and theory to highlight the importance of lifelong adoption support.

I would like to thank Danielle  for her interesting , informative presentations. Her passion for the area came across. – Attendee February 2026

The session will consider a range of mental health concerns that may present in adulthood, including complex PTSD, depression and anxiety, and more complex presentations that may sometimes be described using diagnostic labels such as “personality disorder”. It will also explore the impact of neurodiversity, particularly where neurodivergence is undiagnosed or identified later in life, and how this can interact with adoption experiences for older adult adoptees.

Really outstanding input from the presenters. – Attendee February 2026

Practitioners working in the adoption field are often supporting adults who present with significant emotional needs, and this webinar will support participants to enhance their understanding and confidence in responding helpfully in practice. The focus is on offering meaningful, emotionally informed support that is grounded in everyday professional interactions.

A practical thread runs throughout the session. Core relational skills such as active listening, empathy, validation and reflective responding will be revisited, alongside the introduction of a small number of accessible tools. These include basic formulation thinking, grounding techniques and breathing strategies, which can be used appropriately to support emotional regulation and engagement in day‑to‑day practice.

I loved the mix of lived experience, research and practical guidance. – Attendee February 2026

Learning outcomes

• Develop a clearer understanding of the lifelong emotional and mental health needs of adult adoptees.
• Increase confidence in recognising and responding to common mental health presentations and the impact of neurodiversity in adulthood.
• Clarify what meaningful, emotionally informed support looks like within everyday adoption practice.
• Apply practical, role‑appropriate relational skills and simple tools to support adult adoptees effectively.

About the Trainers

Dr Julie Elliott Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Director, Adoption UK

As Clinical Director Julie is responsible for the clinical and therapeutic delivery across Adoption UK and ensures that we have robust clinical governance around the therapeutic services we offer. She manages the Psychology and Therapy Hub (PATH) which deliver a range of therapeutic programmes. The team includes qualified and experienced psychologists and therapists, and experts by experience who deliver on the peer support components within PATH.

Julie is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years’ experience of working within Children and Family services across the NHS, Social Care, Education and the Independent/Charity sectors. Following an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Moral Philosophy and Applied Ethics, she completed a PhD in Psychology, focussing on the effects of trauma in childhood. She then went on to complete her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Julie has previously managed Psychology and Psychological Therapy services within the NHS.

Dr Danielle Kerley PATH Clinical Psychologist, Adoption UK

Danielle is a Clinical Psychologist with a specialist interest in supporting individuals, couples and families impacted by traumatic experiences and childhood adversity. Her work with Adoption UK has involved supporting adult adoptees affected by historic adoptions (pre-1976). She also supports adoptive parents and caregivers, as well as children and young people, using a variety of therapeutic approaches. Danielle is passionate about ensuring everyone with experience of adoption receives the specialist, trauma-informed support they need.

Instructions

A member of staff will be in touch with attendees one week prior to the event to share a pre-event delegate pack.

If you have any questions regarding this webinar, please contact us at [email protected]. We will aim to answer your query within two working days.

CVAA accept online payments only. In case you do not have instant access to your company card, we suggest using your personal card instead to book a training event and claim it back with your agency in your expenses. Requesting an invoice to pay for our standard practice events is not possible.