COFA: Training at Maison de Solenn

On 18 and 19 November 2019, about fifteen COFA members participated in a training workshop at Maison de Solenn-Maison des Adolescents. The instructors were:

Dr Aurélie Harf, child psychiatrist, COCA at Cochin Hospital,

• Ms Sara Skandrani, clinical psychologist at Maison de Solenn, COCA and professor at the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense,
• Ms Mayssa El Husseini, clinical psychologist at Maison de Solenn, COCA and professor at the University of Amiens.

The workshop covered links between adopting families, including adoptees, and countries of origin. The specifics of adopted teenagers, their history, and potential desire to find out about their families of origin, along with the consequences of these investigations, were discussed. We talked about childhood trauma and secondary trauma.

Speakers based their talks on their documentary research and on a five-year study of families who were seen for consultations.

The participants all appreciated the speakers’ high level of professionalism.