IN-PERSON IN LAFAYETTE, LA | ONLINE IN LOUISIANA, GEORGIA, INDIANA, MINNESOTA, & OHIO
Adoption Therapy & Counseling for Adult Adoptees & Families in Lafayette, LA
Common Struggles in Adoption: Why Adult Adoptees & Families Seek Therapy
Does this sound familiar?
You've always been "fine" — but fine and whole aren't the same thing, and lately something feels off
Some questions didn't show up until you were holding your own baby, or standing in a doctor's office with no medical history to give
You're not sure you're even allowed to have feelings about being adopted — your story doesn't feel "dramatic enough" to matter
The anger that comes with adoption doesn't get talked about — and you're tired of pretending it's not there
You repeatedly hold on too tight or push people away right when relationships get good
You're unsure how to navigate conversations about adoption with your own child
You feel like others just don't understand your experience — including therapists who've tried before
Whether you're an adoptee who's always suspected this is part of the picture, someone who never connected the dots until now, or someone who's known it for years and is done being told to be grateful — you deserve a therapist who understands adoption from the inside, not just from a textbook.
"I didn't know I needed a therapist who was also an adoptee — until I had one."
— Adoptee in Lafayette, LA
Adoption Competency Rooted in Lived Experience & Clinical Training
I have a literal lifetime of experience with adoption as an adoptee, an aunt whose nephew was placed for adoption, and a professional who has worked in the adoption community since 2018.
I work with teen and adult adoptees, parents and caregivers, and all members of the adoption constellation — from international, domestic, and foster care adoptions — navigating trauma, grief, identity, attachment, parenting, life transitions, and relationships. That includes the anger. Wanting to understand where you came from is not a betrayal of the people who raised you, and being frustrated with how you were treated doesn't make you ungrateful.
I typically approach therapy through the lens of the 7 Core Struggles in Adoption: loss/abandonment, rejection, grief, guilt/shame, identity, intimacy, and control.
Who I Help Across the Adoption Constellation
Child & Teen Adoptees · Adult Adoptees · Adoptive Parents · Biological Parents · Prospective Adoptive Couples · Foster Care · International Adoption · Domestic Adoption · Open Adoptions · Closed Adoptions · Transracial Adoption
Areas of focus:
Identity & Belonging for Adoptees
Exploring who you are, where you come from, and how adoption has shaped your sense of self.
The Both/And of Adoption
You can love your family, be grateful, and still carry something you've never said out loud. Both things are allowed to be true.
Grief & Loss Processing
Processing the unique grief that comes with adoption — for adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families alike.
Attachment Patterns & Relational Therapy
Understanding how early experiences have shaped your relational patterns — and how to shift them.
Parenting & Family Adoption Conversations
Helping parents navigate age-appropriate adoption conversations and build openness with their child.
Search & Reunion Support
Support before, during, and after searching for — and reconnecting with — biological family.
Transracial & Transcultural Adoption Identity
Navigating the complexities of transracial or transcultural adoption and developing a whole sense of self.
In-Person Adoption Therapy in Lafayette, LA & Telehealth Across LA, GA, IN, MN, & OH
Whether you're in Lafayette, Columbus, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, or anywhere in between — adoption-competent therapy is available to you via telehealth. Melissa LaCour is licensed in Louisiana, with privilege to practice via telehealth in Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio and is currently accepting new clients in all five states.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption Therapy
Do you work with adoptive parents, not just adoptees?
Yes, I work with all members of the adoption constellation, including adoptive parents, prospective adoptive couples, and birth/biological parents. I help adoptive parents navigate age-appropriate adoption conversations, understand their child's emotional needs, manage behavioral or attachment shifts, and build an atmosphere of open communication—all through an adoption-competent lens that honors both the parent's and child's perspectives.
Can I do adoption therapy online if I live outside of Louisiana?
Yes. In addition to offering in-person therapy at my Lafayette, Louisiana office, I am licensed to provide virtual adoption therapy via telehealth to clients residing in Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio. Online sessions follow the same confidential, highly personalized approach as in-person counseling, allowing you to access specialized adoption care from the comfort of home.
What if I’m not sure adoption is “the problem” — I just feel off?
You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Many adult adoptees experience anxiety, boundary struggles, chronic hypervigilance, or relational fatigue without realizing these patterns link back to early attachment, loss, or identity dynamics. In therapy, we explore what you're experiencing today and gently examine whether adoption dynamics are playing a role in how you move through the world.
Looking for self-guided reflection? Explore Belonging: A Guided Workbook for Adult Adoptees.
Know yourself. Show up fully.
In-person in Lafayette, LA · Telehealth in Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio.