The Primal Wound: Understanding the adopted child - Softcover

Nancy Verrier

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905664761 ISBN 13: 9781905664764

Publisher: British Association for Adoption and Fostering, 2009

Synopsis

The Primal Wound is a classic in adoption literature and considered the adoptee's bible. It is a must read for adopted people, adoptive families, birth parents and social workers. CoramBAAF worked with the author to produce the first UK edition of this classic title.

The Primal Wound has revolutionised how we think about adoption. Thousands have found in it profound insights on what being adopted means to adopted people. In this book, Nancy Verrier, a psychotherapist and adoptive mother, elaborates on what she calls the primal wound - the wound that results when a child is separated from their mother and the trauma this causes. She examines the life-long consequences this can have for adopted people, as they grow up and into adulthood, underpinned with information about baby and child psychology, attachment, bonding, and the effects of loss and trauma.

This is a demanding book. It can be a difficult and painful read because of the emotions it evokes. But it can also bring relief in acknowledging, understanding and validating the trauma of separation between mother and child. This understanding can validate the feelings of adoptees, who have often felt misunderstood; it can bring solace to birth mothers, who have long been denied the truth of their loss; and it can be a source of information for adoptive parents, so they can better understand and respond to their children.

The Primal Wound offers adopted people validation for their feelings, explanations for their behaviour, and a context in which to make sense of their experiences. It is a must for anyone struggling with unexplained feelings and insecurities caused by adoption, and has been described as life changing, a lightbulb experience, a revelation, and a journey of discovery.

The insights it brings to the experiences of loss and trauma will promote healing for adoptees, adoptive families, and birth parents, and bring understanding and encouragement to anyone who has ever felt abandoned. This is essential reading for anyone involved in adoption.

About this title

About the Author

Nancy Verrier, M.A., the mother of two daughters one who is adopted and one who is not is an advocate for children. She holds a master's degree in clinical psychology and is in private practice in Lafayette, California. In addition to her clinical and adoption work, Ms. Verrier writes and lectures about the effects of early childhood trauma and deprivation caused by premature separation from the mother under various circumstances.

Edition details

• Publisher: British Association for Adoption and Fostering
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1905664761
• ISBN 13: 9781905664764
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 208