IFS Adoption Information and Education Meetings

Coming To The Greater Phoenix Metro Area, Arizona

IFS Arizona Education Component
Class List- Spring 2008

Thursday February 21st, 2008
Attachment And Bonding- Grafting Families

This class will address the tension between the importance of immediate attachment, and the need for elapsed time in genuine bonding within adoptive families.  Can we have both?  We will look at areas that require time and shared experiences for bonding as well as activities we can purposefully plan in order to promote attachment within our family.

Thursday March 27th, 2008
Grieving And Loss In Adoption

As wonderful as adopting a child is, the basic foundation of adoption is loss- both for the child and the adopting parent(s).  In order to experience the joys and growth within the new family, we must be willing to accept and understand the grief and losses involved in the process.  In this class we will learn how to recognize grief and loss acted out in behavior, as well as how to initiate dialogue with our child about their feelings of loss in safe and accepting ways.

Thursday April 24th, 2008
Parenting Adopted Children

Do adopted children require different parenting styles and skills than biological children?  When is it correct to assume a certain behavior is a result of adoption issues instead of normal testing of limits?  We will look at a variety of views on this topic and wrestle with the questions we privately ask ourselves in the heat of the moment with our children. 

Thursday May 22nd, 2008
Building a Shared Identity While Celebrating Differences

We will explore together paths for building a new family identity that allows each member to experience unity and "sameness" with the others, while at the same time recognizing and celebrating our differences and uniqueness within that same family.  If race or culture represents one of our differences, we can actually create what should be the safest environment for feeling both different and the same:  the family. 

The fee for each class is $100 per couple.  If you register for 2 classes in addition to the original contract for 2 classes, I will credit you with 1 extra class for free (5 classes total for the price of 4).  This credit can be used for any class offerred in the spring or fall of 2008.  If you have an extended family member or friend that would like to attend a particular class with you, they can register for only $25.   

To register for classes, please contact Melinda Gunther at 480-274-3870 or melindagunther@gmail.com.