Three part course

Prenatal life and adoption

The Baby’s Perspective of Being Relinquished

With Michael Trout
Mondays, 14, 21, 28 July 2025 at 19h UK time
Tuesday, 1 July 2025 at 19h UK time
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In the UK and the United States, an estimated 1 in 200 children are born into care or given up for adoption at birth.

While a successful adoption is the best outcome under the circumstances, the pre- and perinatal perspective of the infant is rarely taken into account on the basis that the child may begin life with loss, but that they are too young to remember.

In this workshop, we will consider not only the experience of the unborn child in these situations, but also the several unconscious, defensive adaptations birth mothers may make to anticipated loss, and what impact these measures may have on the baby inside her. What does the baby then bring to the next relationship—with the adoptive parents—and how is that relationship affected, in ways often profoundly surprising to the second family?       

Sharing his clinical experience and presenting case studies, Michael Trout will open the discussion around above questions and show ways how we can support adopted children, birth mothers and adoptive parents as they try to cope with unusual child behaviors and affects, including resistance to attachment. 
Michael Trout is a psychologist, author and researcher in the field of infant mental health. Micheal worked with children and families in private practice for 46 years.
 
In this interactive course, Michael will discuss:

  • the perspective of the unborn of a mother who will give up her child for adoption
  • the clinical and developmental significance for the baby
  • how to discover the infant's narrative
  • the mental and emotional processes the mother goes through and the impact on the unborn
  • the perspective of the adoptive parents
  • how we can provide support

Michael Trout

COURSE CONTENT

module one

The Prenatal perspective of being relinquished

Monday, 14 July 2025 at 19h - 20h UK time

  • Is there clinical and developmental significance—for the unborn child—of mother’s plan to relinquish the child for adoption?
  • Why does this matter to each of you, today?
  • The story of Marilyn, now age 50, adopted at birth
  • Discussion

Module two

Discovering the infant's narrative

Monday, 21 July 2025 at 19h 20h UK time

  • Regarding this evidence of clinical and developmental significance—for the unborn child—of being relinquished: a beginning conversation about discovering the infant’s narrative
  • The story of Kendall, now age 5, adopted at birth
  • The story of Rudie, now age 4, adopted at age two, after multiple foster placements
  • Discussion

module three

Birth mother and adoptive parents

Monday, 28 July 2025 at 19h 20h UK time

  • Is there clinical significance to be found in a birth mother’s mental and emotional work during her pregnancy, and at her child’s birth?
  • Where does all of this leave the adopting parents? What can be done to help?
  • Discussion
Why this course?
  • Entry/intermediate level
  • Three 60 minute classes
  • Power Point Presentations
  • Practical Exercises
  • Q and A with presenter
  • Life time access to recordings
  • Certificate of Attendance on request

who can this benefit

  • Clinicians and educators trying to understand the behaviour of children and adults whose adoption history has been overlooked or discounted
  • Psychologists and social workers trying to respond to the cries for help of adoptive parents complaining about sudden or recurrent problems that seem to “come out of the blue”
  • Physicians trying to uncover the causes of several medical problems, throughout life, that may be related to the body’s efforts to grapple with unarticulated grief
  • Child welfare officials—both those in decision-making positions and those in policy-making roles—who may long for principles that could guide their daily work
  • adoptive parents
  • anyone wishing to gain an insight into the prenatal perspective of adoption at birth

learning outcomes

  • Participants will be able to set aside convenient diagnostic categories, and consider etiological factors in a child’s behaviour they had not hitherto considered
  • Participants will be able to better support both birth mothers and adoptive parents as they try to cope with unusual child behaviours and affects, including resistance to attachment
  • Participants in a position to deliver clinical services will be able to support adopted children for whom the usual treatments (medications, behavioural strategies) have not worked. Each participant will practice this new capability by writing a narrative for an adopted child currently under care.

Do you live in a low income country compared to the UK? Contact us for possible scholarships.

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  • Life  Time access to recordings

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