Finding my voice: A qualitative exploration into the perceived impact of person‐centred counsellor training upon counsellors who were adopted as a baby

Abstract

This small-scale qualitative study explored how qualified person-centred counsellors who were adopted as a baby perceived the impact of their person-centred counselling training. The study focused on the adoptees' experiences of adoption and how these influenced their experience of person-centred counselling training. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to gain insight into how the participants made sense of their lived experience. The findings supported the difficulties associated with adoption, which not only are present in existing literature and research but also placed an emphasis on the particular vulnerabilities associated with being adopted as a baby. The findings further highlighted the positive impact of person-centred counselling training on the participants' personal development, which included the following: increased self-awareness, self-acceptance, identity development and 'having a voice'. The findings confer implications for clinical practice in understanding the experience of adoptees who were adopted as a baby and for trainers in the planning and provision of person-centred training. The research also identifies the healing aspects of person-centred counselling training, which facilitated the participants' positive self-development. In addition, unique opportunities for counsellors who were also adopted as a baby are suggested and the need for the Adoption Support Fund to be extended to allow an adoptee of any age to access therapeutic support is also identified. The links made between adoption and person-centred training are an original area of research and are worthy of further exploration.