Episode Details

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening, welcome back to the show.

CONTENT WARNING - The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

In this episode, we sit down with Jill Burgon, a clinical social worker who specializes in helping adoptive families navigate the unique emotional and behavioral challenges that can come with adoption. Jill’s path to becoming an adoption-focused therapist began with her own personal experience as an adoptive mother. After realizing there were basically zero tools or therapeutic resources available to help families like hers, Jill made a life-changing decision in her 50s, she went back to school, got two masters degrees and became the professional she wished she had when raising her adopted son. Today, she helps adoptive parents better understand trauma, attachment, and the specialized support adopted children often need to thrive. In this conversation, we explore the realities of adoptive parenting, the hidden challenges families face, and why Jill believes the right tools and understanding can change the trajectory of an adopted child’s life.

CONTACT JILL

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-burgon/

BOOKS, WEBSITES AND RESOURCES

Utah therapy offices and programs

• Children’s Service Society of Utah

  https://cssutah.org/our-programs/adoption/mental-health-services

  Adoption-competent, trauma-informed therapy for children and caregivers related to adoption or kinship care. 

• Raise the Future Utah / Utah’s Adoption Connection

https://www.raisethefuture.org/family-support/utah

Utah family support hub for adoptive, foster, and kinship families, with regional resources and post-adoption support. 

• Anson Family Counseling - https://ansonfamilycounseling.com/

Utah counseling practice offering child, family, and individual counseling. 

• Touchstone Therapy Center - https://touchstoneutah.com/services

  Utah therapy office with services related to trauma, attachment, child and family therapy, and adoption-related concerns. 

• Wellspring Child & Family Counseling Center - https://wellspringutah.com/fosteradoptive-parents/

  Support for foster and adoptive parents, with attention to transitions, loss, and caregiver guidance. 

• Focal Point - https://www.focalpointut.com/transracial-adoption-landing

  Utah resource especially relevant for transracial adoption, identity, belonging, and culturally responsive support. 

• The Children’s Center Utah - https://childrenscenterutah.org/

  Trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. 

• Wasatch Behavioral Health Attachment IOP - https://www.wasatch.org/attachment-iop/ Intensive outpatient program for youth ages 10 to 17 who have been adopted or are not being raised by their biological parents and are working on attachment issues. 

How to find an adoption-competent therapist

Look for these terms in a therapist profile or ask about them directly: TAC or NTI therapist training. Do they use therapies such as TBRI, ARC, PCIT, Theraplay, or DDP?

• C.A.S.E. National Directory of Adoption Competent Professionals