At On Your Feet, we've always believed that birthparents deserve comprehensive, compassionate support that meets them exactly where they are. Which is why we're excited to announce an important expansion of our BirthmomsConnect program: a new monthly therapeutic support group designed specifically for birthparents facing complex challenges that extend beyond their adoption placement experience.
A Personal Commitment to Comprehensive Care
When I joined On Your Feet as Executive Director ten years ago, I came with a background in business, finance, and marketing—not clinical work. But working closely with our incredible programming staff over the years, I've learned firsthand about the significant gaps in supportive services for birthparents. Together, we recognized that while our peer-led retreats and support groups provide invaluable community connection—and for many participants, that community support is exactly what they need—there was still a critical gap for those requiring qualified therapeutic intervention.
This realization led to a deeper organizational commitment: we are committed to closing that gap by expanding our services, becoming truly trauma-informed, and providing evidence-based therapeutic care. We believe every birthparent deserves access to the level of care that matches their individual needs, whether that's peer connection, therapeutic support, or both.
My decision to pursue my MSW and take on this internship project isn’t just about professional development—it's about ensuring On Your Feet can offer the comprehensive, clinical-level support that some members of our community desperately need, and I am committed to developing the specialized skills necessary to serve birthparents facing complex challenges that extend far beyond their adoption experience.
Why This Group Matters
Over the years, we've witnessed firsthand how many birthparents come to our community having received little to no professional support following the placement of their child. What begins as unprocessed grief and trauma often compounds into broader mental health challenges, relationship difficulties, career obstacles, and physical health concerns. Too often, these struggles stem from undiagnosed perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) that were never addressed in the critical postpartum period.
While our peer-led support groups provide invaluable connection and shared understanding, we recognized the need for a therapeutic space where birthparents could work through these deeper, more complex issues with professional clinical support.
A New Level of Care
Our BirthmomsConnect Therapeutic Support Group represents a significant step forward in our commitment to comprehensive birthparent care. This monthly group will be facilitated by me, Alexis, as part of my MSW internship, under the supervision of Billy Kaplan, LCSW—founder of TreeHouse Health and creator of Parenting in Space, renowned for his groundbreaking work in adoption trauma and healing.
This isn't just another support group; it's a clinically-informed therapeutic space where birthparents can:
- Address Mental Health Challenges: Work through depression, anxiety, PMAD, and trauma responses with evidence-based interventions and professional guidance
- Navigate Relationship Complexities: Explore family dynamics, romantic partnerships, and friendships that may have been impacted by the adoption experience or other life stressors
- Pursue Career and Life Goals: Develop strategies for professional growth and life transitions while managing the unique considerations of being a birthparent
- Focus on Physical Health: Learn advocacy skills and self-care practices that support overall wellness and medical needs
- Integrate Identity and Growth: Process the ongoing journey of personal development and identity formation in the context of your adoption experience and beyond
Who This Group Serves
This therapeutic support group is designed for birthparents who need clinical-level support that goes beyond what peer-led groups can provide. You might be a good fit if you're experiencing:
- Mental health symptoms that interfere with daily functioning
- Unresolved trauma from your adoption experience or other life events
- Relationship patterns that feel stuck or unhealthy
- Career or life transitions that feel overwhelming
- Physical health challenges that impact your overall well-being
- A sense that you need more intensive support than peer groups can offer
Our Approach
We've built this group on the foundation of trauma-informed, adoption-competent care. Every session will be grounded in understanding the unique experiences of birthparents while addressing the full spectrum of human challenges that can arise in anyone's life. We believe in a strengths-based approach that honors your resilience while providing practical tools and therapeutic support for growth and healing.
Billy Kaplan's expertise in adoption trauma ensures that our clinical approach is specifically tailored to the birthparent experience. His innovative work recognizes that adoption-related trauma requires specialized understanding and treatment approaches—something that's often missing from traditional mental health services.
How It Works
The group will meet monthly via Zoom for 90-minute sessions, providing consistent support while allowing time for integration and practice between meetings. We are starting with 6 participants to ensure quality attention and support for each member.
The virtual format removes geographical barriers, allowing birthparents from across different time zones to connect. Each session will include therapeutic work, skill-building exercises, and processing time, all within a confidential and professionally maintained online environment. We'll use evidence-based therapeutic approaches while maintaining the warm, supportive atmosphere that defines all On Your Feet programming, enhanced by thoughtful use of virtual tools like breakout rooms for smaller sharing circles.
A Collaborative Approach to Comprehensive Care
This new therapeutic group doesn't operate in isolation—it's designed to work collaboratively with our existing support infrastructure. Our case management staff and peer-moderators will work closely with the therapeutic group to ensure that each participant's needs are being met holistically. This integrated approach means that your case manager might help coordinate resources while you're working through therapeutic goals, and peer-moderators can provide ongoing support between therapeutic sessions.
We believe that the most effective support happens when all parts of our team are working together, sharing insights and coordinating care while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Commitment to Growth
Group therapy works best when participants can build trust and continuity over time. We ask that those who join our therapeutic support group commit to attending a minimum of 6 sessions over an 8 month period. This commitment allows for meaningful therapeutic relationships to develop, skills to be practiced and integrated, and real progress to be made.
Regular monthly attendance is ideal for getting the most out of the group experience. While we understand that life circumstances can sometimes interfere with attendance, the therapeutic process relies on consistency and the building of trust within the group. This commitment ensures that you—and your fellow group members—can experience the full benefits of this therapeutic support.
Building on Our Foundation
This new therapeutic group doesn't replace our existing peer-led support groups—it enhances them. We see these services as complementary, with participants often benefiting from both peer connection and professional therapeutic support. Our goal is to create a comprehensive network of care that can meet birthparents wherever they are in their healing journey.
Some participants may transition from peer groups to therapeutic support, while others might benefit from both simultaneously. We're committed to helping each person find the right combination of services for their unique needs.
Looking Forward
The launch of our BirthmomsConnect Therapeutic Support Group represents more than just a new program—it's a recognition that birthparents deserve access to the same quality of comprehensive mental health care as anyone else, delivered by professionals who understand the unique aspects of the adoption experience.
We're particularly excited about the opportunity this creates for clinical training in adoption-competent care, because we are not just serving current participants—we are also contributing to the development of future clinicians who will be equipped to serve the birthparent community with expertise and compassion.
The BirthmomsConnect Therapeutic Support Group is launching in Fall 2025
If you're a birthparent who feels ready to engage in therapeutic work that addresses the full spectrum of life's challenges, we invite you to learn more about our new group. This might be the missing piece in your healing journey—a space where you can address not just your adoption experience, but all the ways you want to grow and thrive as a whole person. Want more information, or need help deciding if this might be right for you? Start here.
The path to healing isn't always linear, and it doesn't have to be walked alone. Sometimes we need the specialized support that only professional therapeutic intervention can provide. We're here to walk alongside you, offering both the clinical expertise and the deep understanding of the birthparent experience that can make all the difference.
Together, we're building a community where every birthparent can access the support they need to heal, grow, and thrive—not just as birthparents, but as complete, complex, deserving human beings with rich lives and unlimited potential.
