Kristine Freeark
She/her
Clinical Psychologist and Adoption EducatorAbout the author:
My research interests focus on the adjustment of adoptive families, and the factors, both within and outside of the family, that influence successful adjustment. I am particularly interested in family communication around adoption and how, from the earliest conversations about adoption, parents shape their child’s identity and understanding about belonging.
What I research:
By drawing on my work with adoptive families over 40 years, including research I have done at the University of Michigan on adoptive family communication, I aim to offer parents a balanced, strengths-based perspective that counters the wary and marginalizing messages that adoptive families too often encounter. There are findings from a research community around the globe that show how often adoptive families thrive, while successfully navigating challenges unique to their adoption experience. It is important for adoptive family members, and the public, to know more about this.