Online Parenting Course /

The Adoption Journey Course

Drawing from lived experience and trauma-informed practice, this course offers clear guidance through the stages of adoption, from uncertainty and loss to preparing for placement and building early connections with your child.

Available January 2026

What’s included:

  • Trauma Responsive Approach
  • Comprehensive Modules
  • Practical Tools and Strategies
  • Expert Guidance

Perfect For Families Who…

  • Want support navigating the adoption journey with clarity and confidence.
  • Are ready to explore their own story and how it shapes their parenting.
  • Feel overwhelmed by the emotional highs and lows of adoption.
  • Want to understand their child’s behaviours through a trauma-responsive lens.
  • Long to respond with patience and connection instead of frustration.
  • Need practical tools for handling daily struggles like transitions and big feelings.
  • Want to strengthen attachment and build safety and trust at home.
  • Are seeking guidance for the early days and weeks after placement.
  • Value honest, lived-experience insights alongside professional expertise.
  • Want to feel less isolated and more supported on their journey.
  • Are looking for strategies to support identity, belonging, and ongoing adoption conversations.

What’s included in the Adoption Journey Course?

Gentle, step-by-step guidance to help you understand the adoption process, explore your own story, and build a safe and connected family life. Each module combines trauma-informed teaching with practical tools you can put into practice straight away.

Module 1

Healing from the past

Understand how your own story shapes the way you parent and begin building a strong foundation for adoption.

In this module:

  • Recognise how past experiences can influence how you parent.
  • Learn how to build self-compassion so you can approach parenting with patience and care.
  • Discover simple practices that strengthen your confidence as you prepare for the journey ahead.
Healing from the past

Module2

Preparing together for the adoption journey

Creating a safe and connected foundation.

In this module:

  • Recognise the impact of different parenting styles and how to work together with greater understanding.
  • Learn how to set realistic expectations about the adoption process and family life.
  • Discover ways to stay connected and flexible when challenges arise.
Preparing together for the adoption journey

Module 3

Preparing for placement and early transitions

Support yourself and your child through the emotional transition of moving into family life together.

In this module:

  • Recognise the emotions behind the matching and placement process and what to expect in the early days.
  • Learn how to create safety and stability through soothing routines and consistency.
  • Discover practical ways to support regulation for both yourself and your child during big emotions.
Healing from the past

Module 4

Creating secure attachments with your child

Build trust and connection using Daniel Siegel’s 4 Ss: Safe, Seen, Soothed, Secure.

In this module:

  • Recognise what secure attachment really looks like and how trauma can affect bonding.
  • Learn how to use the 4 Ss in daily life to strengthen your child’s sense of safety and connection.
  • Discover how to create a home culture of trust and belonging that supports long-term attachment.
Healing from the past

Module 5

Navigating behavioural challenges post-adoption

Reframe behaviour as communication and respond with empathy and confidence.

In this module:

  • Recognise the everyday situations that can trigger big feelings for adopted children.
  • Learn to see beyond the behaviour to understand the emotions and needs your child is expressing.
  • Discover gentle ways to respond that build safety, trust, and connection in your relationship.
Healing from the past

Module 6

Nurturing your child’s identity journey through adoption

Help your child make sense of their story and feel safe in who they are.

In this module:

  • Recognise the importance of ongoing conversations about identity, grief, and belonging.
  • Learn how to share your child’s story with honesty and sensitivity at every stage.
  • Discover how to nurture pride, belonging, and self-worth as part of your family life.
Healing from the past

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have access to the course?

You’ll have lifetime access. That means you can revisit the modules, tools, and resources whenever you need them, at your own pace, in your own time.

Is this course only for parents already matched with a child?

No. The Adoption Journey course is designed to support you at every stage, from exploring adoption as an option, through assessment and matching, to the early days of placement and beyond.

What age range of children does this course cover?

The course is most relevant for parents of adopted children aged 0–12. The principles of trauma-informed parenting and attachment apply at any age, but most examples and tools are focused on the early and primary years.

Do I need any previous training or knowledge to join?

Not at all. The course is designed in plain, accessible language. You’ll be guided step by step, with real-life examples and practical tools you can put into practice straight away.

What if I find the content emotionally challenging?

That’s completely normal. Adoption is filled with both hope and loss. Each module includes reflective prompts and gentle guidance, and you’re encouraged to take the course at your own pace.

Is this therapy?

No. The Adoption Journey course is educational and supportive, drawing from lived experience and trauma-responsive practice. It’s not a replacement for therapy, but many parents find it a helpful complement to personal or family support.

Why should I choose embrace over other parenting courses?

Because this isn’t just theory; it’s lived experience. As an adoptive parent with professional expertise in trauma-informed learning and practice, I walk alongside you with honesty, compassion, and real tools that make a difference in your everyday family life.

Families testimonials here

“For the first time since we started our adoption journey I feel truly understood, not lost. embrace gave me language for what we were going through and supportive tools that actually work. I have what my child needs to feel attached.”

Christina & Alistair

Parents of 2

“I used to feel overwhelmed by my child’s big emotions and didn’t know how to respond. Through embrace’s workshops, I’ve learned simple, trauma-informed strategies that help me stay calm and support my child.”

Sarah & Craig

Parents

Emma’s exceptional pastoral ethics and deep compassion for children and families are truly inspiring. She brings a rare blend of empathy, wisdom, and practical support, particularly when working with those who have experienced trauma.”

Mrs Louise Noonan

Principal

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