Adoption-Literate Counseling
for Individuals and Families
You've experienced foster care or adoption. Now you're looking for someone who really gets it.
If you're an adoptee, foster, or adoptive/foster family member, you know how isolating this journey can feel.
I've been there, too.
Most therapists haven't lived the adoption journey. They listen and care deeply, but they may not fully relate to the questions, grief, and complexities you navigate every day.
I'm Cam Lee Small, a Korean American transracial international adoptee and licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) specializing 100% in adoptee-focused therapy. I've worked exclusively with adoptees, fosters, parents, and family members for nearly two decades, and I developed the Adoption Literacy framework published in The Family Journal (2025).
I help adoptees, fosters, and parents like you:
- Discover clarity about their foster/adoption narrative
- Gain practical tools for processing grief, loss, trauma, identity, and lifelong wellbeing
- Find new opportunities for healing and enhanced relationships
- Move from feeling exhausted and alone to hopeful and empowered
Work with an adoption-literate therapist. Support designed specifically for:
- Adult adoptees and fosters navigating identity, relationships, and specific mental health goals
- Domestic, transracial and international adoptees
- Those who've experienced foster care
- Adoptive/foster parents and family members
You don't have to carry exhaustion and isolation alone. Instead you can move forward with clarity, practical tools, hope and empowerment for seasons to come.
Getting started is simple:
- Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We'll discuss what you're navigating and see if we're a good fit.
- Begin 1:1 support with flexible virtual options at a pace that works for you.
- Experience the difference working with someone who's lived through the journey and knows how to guide you with adoption-literate, trauma-sensitive approaches
Schedule your free consultation below. No pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation about whether we're the right fit for your growth journey. I look forward to hearing your story!
Schedule a Free ConsultationWho I work with:
Adoptees
For adolescent (13+) and adult adoptees exploring complex stressors, unique stories, and untapped potentials - in a space by and for adoptees.
Adoptive Parents
For parents who deeply love their children and want guidance, encouragement, and practical tools to support and connect with those under their care.
Families
For couples, parent/child dyads, and families seeking to navigate early adversity, relationship dynamics, and deeper trust within and beyond your home.
Groups
For adoptees (teen & adult) and parents looking for community, education, and support as they navigate lifelong complexities of relinquishment & adoption.
Without a shared language and appropriate support, adoptees may struggle in isolation with a variety of mental health barriers.
The good news is that these challenges don’t have to define your or your family's future!
With the right support, there are multiple pathways to help you make sense of what you've been through, organize tools and resources that match your unique journey, and begin experiencing practical outcomes related to healing, health, and new, hope-driven possibilities – individually and collectively.
Schedule a Free Consultation
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Road Alone
I believe you are worth being heard, honored, and empowered for a life of meaning and satisfaction.
In our sessions, you’ll gain practical tools for navigating adoption-related challenges while developing a deeper understanding of your unique story and those around you.
The path to healing begins with being truly seen and heard. You get to decide next steps from there!
Schedule a Free ConsultationMeet Cam Lee Small, MS, LPCC
As an author, clinician in private practice, keynote speaker, and professional development trainer, my work has been featured by TEDx Minneapolis, CBS Minnesota, National Council for Adoption, Christianity Today, HBO, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, and Center for Adoption Support and Education.
My services are intentionally crafted and curated so that for the first or hundredth time (both can be therapeutic!), you’d sit back or rise up in the relief of knowing you’re not alone. And have tools you can immediately put into practice Monday morning.
MN License #cc02017 | WI License #7543-125 | NPI #127006215
Where You've Met Cam
I've dedicated my career to serving adoptees by providing trauma-informed adoption-literate education and support.
Schedule a Free ConsultationDiscover resources for understanding how the Adoption Literacy framework empowers adoptees, equips families, and strengthens communities as a powerful and dynamic intervention.
Why Adoptees Need a New Kind of Village
In his TEDx talk, Cam introduces Adoption Literacy for understanding the emotional and societal impacts of adoption - so communities can help adoptees reclaim their narratives, heal, and thrive. He shares four key relational cues to equip parents, professionals, and allies to be part of lasting positive change.
The Adoptee's Journey
Cam explores the nuances and complexities of the adoptee experience, revealing how history and faith communities have shaped adoption practices and outcomes over time. Through Adoption Literacy, Cam offers a path for adoptees to discover agency, embrace identity, and strengthen meaningful relationships across all their family systems.
Community Awareness
In this interview with WCCO - CBS Minnesota, Cam shares about his personal journey from isolation to connection, and reflects on identity, grief, and healing throughout his story. He discusses his return to Korea and the experience of meeting birth family in his book The Adoptee's Journey, offering hope and guidance for adoptees, families, and professionals alike.
