Thank you for your interest in the Xpress Yourself program!  This innovative curriculum finds its success in creating a much-needed “safe space” for small groups of girls, all within the same age range, to process their feelings about adoption and identity development and to find encouragement, friendship, and fun!   Using a unique blend of art and play therapy, each participant learns to…

• Cope with the questions that come from looking different
• Respond to prejudice, racism, and teasing
• Process grief and loss issues related to her birth culture and birth parents
• Weave her adoption story into her identity in a healthy and positive way
• Have fun with other adoptees who have had similar experiences

These groups are a place for kids to find connection and talk about all the feelings and experiences that come along with being adopted from another country.  They also are a place where kids can be met where they are emotionally.  Some of them might be having serious struggles, while some may just be beginning to think about what it means to be adopted, and some may have never even though much about what adoption has to do with the.  Under the direction of individuals who are well trained and ready to deal with more difficult issues if they arise, these groups can be a place for kids to process their emotions in a supportive environment and strengthen their identity as adopted children.