The various elements of the adoption story are examined in light of narrative theory, and three components that constitute the self-narrative of the adoptee—the birth, the placement, and the adoption stories—are identified. The differences between these stories are highlighted, as are the difficulties of the adoptee in finding coherence and meaning in narratives that are inherently contradictory. Therapeutic implications of this analysis are illustrated with a case example describing therapy with a 12-year-old girl adopted at the age of seven after having been in multiple placements.
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