Expert Connection: Jeanette Yoffe on connecting with your child’s grief

This four-minute video features one of our new contributors, Jeanette Yoffe, adoptee and therapist.  The interview is about how to bond with a foster child, but the advice is good for adoptive parents, and all parents who have children who deal with anger and behavioral problems.

Children are often angry, and don’t know why.  An angry child often makes their parents angry as well — I can really relate to this.  A parent’s first inclination is to walk away or send the child away; and while cooling down time may be appropriate, often times it is exactly the opposite of what needs doing.  Her advice to parents about combining their own “inner child’s” pain and anger, and then calming the child is excellent.

My daughter Stacee taught me a great deal through her temper tantrums.  I eventually figured out how to handle Stacee, but I wish I would’ve seen this video while I was trying to learn.

Jane Ballback

In this video Jeanette Yoffe is interviewed for a Documentary Film about Foster Care and Adoption and discusses the importance of connecting with your child’s grief.

About the Author

Jeanette Yoffe

Jeanette Yoffe is an Adult Adoptee and Former Foster Youth. As a psychotherapist, author, blogger, educator and speaker, she shares her personal and professional experience on adoption and foster care across the country. She is passionate about training and encouraging parents to raise confident and well-adjusted children through adoption. She earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology, specializing in children, from Antioch University in June of 2002. She has specialized for the past 12 years in the treatment of children who manifest serious deficits in their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development.

Comments (2):

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   Reply

   Barbara Paden said:
   July 11, 2012 at 3:57 pm

   I watch this video over and over; thank you for sharing this wisdom. I’ve linked to it on an online support group for current and prospective adoptive parents of institutionalized Russian children.
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   Reply

   jo said:
   November 6, 2012 at 4:53 pm

   hello-i work for Youth Communication (Youthcomm.org) and am wondering if we could use the black and white photo on your site. if so, we would love to give the photographer credit if you have it. thank you.