Adoption and Foster Care Services
Adoption, Foster Care & Family Preservation Services
William A. Smith, LCSW, has completed the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) through the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) and Georgia State University and is recognized as an adoption-competent provider. TAC-trained clinicians are considered preferred referral resources for adoption-related services throughout Georgia. Will personally either leads or closely supervises all adoption related cases at GAFC.
At Greater Atlanta Family Counseling, we recognize that adoption is not simply a legal event; it is a lifelong relationship involving children, birth families, adoptive families, foster families, and sometimes extended family members. Our goal is to help families navigate these relationships in a way that promotes stability, healthy attachment, and the best interests of the child.
Open Adoption Mediation & Family Decision-Making
One of our unique areas of focus is Open Adoption Mediation. Adoption often involves difficult conversations about communication, boundaries, expectations, visitation, photographs, updates, and the ongoing role of birth family members. Through mediation, we help families create practical agreements that reduce conflict and promote healthy long-term relationships.
Services may include:
Open adoption planning and facilitation
Birth parent and adoptive parent communication agreements
Mediation regarding visitation, updates, photographs, and contact expectations
Family meetings involving biological relatives, caregivers, and adoptive families
Kinship care and guardianship discussions
Conflict resolution related to foster care and permanency planning
Child-focused decision-making when families disagree about future arrangements
Our goal is not to take sides, but to help all parties focus on the child's needs while creating realistic and sustainable family relationships.
Adoption-Competent Counseling & Therapy
Adoption can create unique emotional experiences for children and adults alike. We provide specialized counseling services designed to address the attachment, identity, grief, trauma, and family adjustment issues that can arise before, during, and long after an adoption is finalized.
Services include:
Individual therapy for adopted children, adolescents, and adults
Family therapy
Parent coaching and support
Birth parent counseling
Foster parent support services
Adoption preparation and transition counseling
Post-adoption adjustment services
Trauma-informed treatment for children with histories of abuse, neglect, or disrupted attachment
Support for kinship, foster care, domestic, and international adoptions
Specialized Child & Family Services
Many children involved in adoption or foster care have experienced significant adversity, developmental challenges, or attachment disruptions. Georgia Family Counseling offers specialized services designed to strengthen family relationships and improve long-term outcomes.
These services include:
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Family therapy focused on attachment and relationship-building
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for children with autism and developmental differences
Trauma-focused therapy, including EMDR when appropriate
Parenting skills development and behavioral coaching
Reunification and relationship-repair services when appropriate
Family Preservation & Permanency Support
Whether a family is pursuing adoption, navigating foster care, establishing guardianship, maintaining an open adoption relationship, or adjusting to life after placement, we provide support throughout the process. Our services are designed to strengthen families, preserve important relationships when appropriate, and help children develop secure, lasting connections with the people who care for them.
At Georgia Family Counseling, we believe that successful adoption is not measured by the completion of paperwork—it is measured by the development of healthy, stable, and enduring family relationships.