Adoption: some clinical features of adults who have been adopted and the difficulties of helping them in NHS psychotherapy

This paper explores issues of adoption and specifically what happens when adults who have been adopted as babies present for psychological help in the NHS. Two clinical examples of women patients are given, and it is suggested that there is a re‐enactment of earlier adoption experiences within the approach to and engagement in psychotherapy. The tendency for splitting and projection between biological and adoptive mothers, good and bad mothers and the patient's body and mind are discussed, as are the implications for the transference and countertransference. The combination of the patients' problems and the restrictions imposed on treatment in the NHS due to scarce resources is explored.