Resource Library
Adoption, Attachment, & Personal Growth Resources & Guides
Grounded, evidence-informed tools for adult adoptees, adoptive parents, and individuals navigating identity, relationship patterns, and life shifts.
Welcome to the central resource library created by Melissa LaCour, LPC, an adult adoptee and Licensed Professional Counselor with specialized C.A.S.E. adoption competency training. Whether you are seeking self-guided workbooks for lifelong reflection, immediate downloadable PDF guides, or clinical tools for your caseload, these resources provide structured, compassionate support.
Featured Workbooks
The Belonging Series
Guided Reflection Across the Adoptee Lifespan
Created by Melissa LaCour, LPC, The Belonging Series provides developmentally tailored, therapeutic workbooks grounded in Sharon Kaplan Roszia and Deborah N. Silverstein’s 7 Core Issues in Adoption (Loss, Rejection, Shame/Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Control). These interactive workbooks help readers move beyond performative gratitude and step into authentic self-worth and emotional safety.
Available Now
BelongingA Guided Workbook for Adult Adoptees
A deep, self-paced therapeutic journal to unpack adoption fog, examine attachment styles, navigate search and reunion, and cultivate unshakeable belonging.
Available Now
Belonging: My TruthA Guided Workbook for Teens (Ages 13–18)
Interactive journaling, emotion trackers, and relatable exercises helping adopted teens navigate identity, independence, and peer dynamics without guilt.
Available Now
Belonging: My JourneyA Guided Activity Workbook for Tweens (Ages 8–12)
Creative worksheets and gentle prompts that help middle-grade adoptees normalize big feelings and open up honest communication with parents.
Available Now
Belonging: My StoryA Guided Story & Reflection Book for Kids (Ages 5–8)
An interactive, collaborative book for young children and caregivers to build emotional language and celebrate family with warmth and confidence.
Free Resources
Free Downloadable Guides & Clinical Handouts
Immediate, accessible tools designed for self-reflection and personal growth.
The Adoptee’s Permission Slip: 5 Truths No One Tells You About Being Adopted
You are allowed to love your family and grieve what you lost. Created by an adult adoptee and Licensed Professional Counselor, this free guide explores five unvarnished truths about holding love and loss, setting aside performative gratitude, and releasing the fear of disloyalty. Download this free PDF guide to start honoring your full story without guilt or explanation.
Download Your Free Permission SlipNavigating the 7 Core Issues in Adoption (Introductory Guide)
An introduction to the lifelong developmental framework developed by Kaplan Roszia and Silverstein. Learn how the seven core dynamics—Loss, Rejection, Shame/Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Control—manifest across childhood, adolescence, and adult relationships.
Download the Free VideoAttachment Style & Boundary Reflection Worksheet
Practical exercises to identify anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment triggers in adult romantic and family connections, with tangible tools to set firm boundaries without building emotional walls.
Download Free WorksheetFurther Support
Recommended Books & External Community Resources
Essential Reading for the Adoption Constellation
- The Seven Core Issues in Adoption and PermanencySharon Kaplan Roszia & Allison Davis Maxon
- The Primal WoundNancy Verrier
- Journey of the Adopted SelfBetty Jean Lifton
- You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial AdoptionAngela Tucker
National Support Organizations & Directories
- C.A.S.E. (Center for Adoption Support and Education)Dedicated to adoption-competent mental health training, resources, and clinical education.
- Adoptees ConnectSmall-group peer-led gatherings for adult adoptees across the United States.
- NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children)Advocacy, education, and support for adoptive and foster families.
Frequently Asked Questions About My Resources
Are these workbooks and downloads a substitute for therapy?
No. The workbooks in The Belonging Series, as well as all downloadable PDF guides, are designed strictly for educational purposes, self-reflection, and personal growth. They do not constitute formal mental health therapy or establish a clinical relationship. If you are seeking individualized therapy, you can explore in-person sessions in Lafayette, LA, or telehealth across Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio.
Am I permitted to share the free PDF guides with clients or support groups?
Yes. Mental health professionals, caseworkers, and support group facilitators are welcome to print or digitally share my free downloadable PDF guides (such as The Adoptee’s Permission Slip), provided the original author attribution and link to melissalacour.com remain intact.