| P R E S E N T E R S |
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Patricia Axsom-O’Brien, LMSW-ACP, M.Div.,
maintains a private practice in Austin, specializing in pre and post adoption counseling for all members of
the triad, their partners and their families. Patricia was the Clinical Supervisor for The Center For
Family Connections (1996 to 1998), working with Joyce Maguire Pavao on challenging adoption situations with
all types of clients, and applying her special knowledge of Family Systems to those touched by adoption. |
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Donna Crews-Finney, LMSW, is the Outreach and Marketing Specialist for the University of Spiritual
Healing and Sufism and maintains a private practice. Her extensive social work and counseling background
includes over 25 years of helping women with addiction recovery and family violence issues, and countless hours
volunteering for adoption-related causes. She relinquished her first child as a teen, later marrying the
birth father and raising three full siblings to adulthood before having a reunion with Lara Lee Hogg in 2000. |
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Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC, LMFT - see featured speaker above |
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Dr. Marisol Fernandez obtained her medical degree in 1991 from Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas,
Venezuela, completed her Pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Austin (where she was named Chief
Resident) and her Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellowship training at Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston, Texas in 1999. While in her training, she developed her strong interest in the
pathophysiology and clinical presentations of congenital and neonatal infections. She has multiple publications
on pediatric infectious diseases. Dr. Fernandez is Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and the
Subspecialty Board of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. She is an active member of the American Academy of
Pediatrics, Infectious Disease Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Disease Society. |
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Lara Lee Hogg has a Master’s in Public Health. She came to her parents at 10 days old where she was
the only daughter of doting parents. She was found by her birth mother on her 33rd birthday and eagerly
embraced the new circle of love offered to her by her birth parents, full siblings, extended relatives and the
continued support and love from her adoptive family. Lara Lee lives in Ft. Worth with her husband and
three children. |
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Jennifer Murray, RN, MSN, CNS, is a Master’s prepared Clinical Nurse Specialist in Maternal-Child Health
with a sub-specialty in Child Health from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to ‘Specially for
Children she worked for 2 years as a staff nurse in the Seton and St. David’s Medical Center Level III intensive
care nurseries in Austin, TX. She has been at ‘Specially for Children for the past 2 years working in pediatric
infectious diseases as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and coordinator for the International Health and Travel
Center for Families and the Synagis Program. |
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Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, LPC, RPT, a foster and single adoptive parent, is an Attachment and Trauma
Therapist practicing in Austin who works extensively with adoptive and foster children and their families.
The combination of therapist and parent brings a certain authenticity to Stephen’s work and support
of families with challenging adoptive situations. Dr. Terrell brings humor, joy and very specialized
knowledge to his audience as they discuss attachment issues in foster-adopt families. |
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Carol Wahl, who holds a Master’s degree in Public Health, as well
as degrees in Russian and Psychology, is the Manager for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Adoption Programs
for The Children’s Home Society of Minnesota. This venerated agency was established in 1889 and
has placed over 23,000 children (over 500 in the past year) from all over the world. CHS is without a
doubt one of the most respected providers of international adoption services in the world and is well known for
the publication of With Eyes Wide Open, a guide for adopting children over the age of one, and many other
books that focus on the challenges of international child welfare. |
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A G E N D A |
| 8:00-8:30 |
Registration & Coffee |
| 8:30-10:30 |
Keynote address:
“The Families of Adoption”
Lifetime and Ethical Considerations
Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC, LMFT
The keynote address covers the ethical direction necessary for child placement
and post placement work with families, employing Patricia’s dynamic style of story telling in the process.
She emphasizes the aspects of service, dignity and worth of each client, and the importance of human
relationships in the extended clan. |
| 11:00-12:30 |
BREAKOUTS: SESSION I |
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A. Medical Issues in International Adoption
Dr. Marisol Fernandez and Jennifer Murray, Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic of Austin.
This lecture will focus on the most common, and often unrecognized, health
conditions in internationally adopted children. Practical advice, preventative measures, and referrals for
treatment will be discussed. |
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B. Post-Reunion Fears and Strategies
Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC, LMFT. This session covers the emotional upheaval of search and reunion, the typical
stages of relationship development, and the common problems and disappointments that arise. |
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C. Enhancing Attachment with Children Under Age One
Stephen Terrell, PsyD, LPC, RPT. Steve uses his personal experience (foster and adoptive parenting) and his
professional experience to teach parents ways of increasing attachment and dealing with their own fears of
this misunderstood concept. This workshop is particularly useful to parents and case workers who deal with
young infants. |
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D. Talking with Kids About Tough Adoption Issues
Patricia Axsom-O’Brien, LMSW, ACP. Patricia will speak to parents about mastering their own fears when talking with
children about painful issues in the past, and to the professionals in charge of training on this topic.
Patricia draws on family systems theory and teaches communication skills for talking with children at different
ages and stages. |
| 12:30-1:45 |
Lunch |
| 1:45-3:15 |
BREAKOUTS: SESSION II |
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A. Attachment Building with Children Placed After Age One
Stephen Terrell, PsyD, LPC, RPT, continues to share his wit and wisdom on family building, and in this
workshop focuses on cycles of attachment for children placed after age one. |
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B. Parenting Challenges After Relinquishing a Child
Donna Crews-Finney, LMSW. This session is a panel of birthparents that share how losing one child affects
the relationship with a birthparent’s other children. This is an often overlooked skill for social
workers/counselors in this field, and a topic that brings healing to those who have experienced difficulties
in this area. |
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C. Common Challenges in the International Adoption Journey
Carol Wahl, MPH: International placements account for ever greater numbers in the child placement
caseload, yet many agencies, parents, and clinicians are woefully ignorant about the difficulties. This
workshop is aimed at dispelling the romance and myths about international adoption, and celebrating the true
rewards and challenges. |
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D. Teen Issues – Young Adults Look Back
Lara Lee Hogg, MPH. Lara, an adopted person, will facilitate a panel of young people sharing their
experiences with adoption during their teen years. Parents and professionals will glean important information
from this workshop, and adopted people will gain insight into how adoption impacts the identity crisis. |
| 3:30-4:30 |
Ethical Family Building in Adoption
Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC, LMFT
What are the seen and the unseen kinship patterns in the adoption journey? What
are the emotional patterns common for the triad members that many professionals in adoption don’t seem to know?
Our keynote speaker will talk about how the worth and dignity of each person can be preserved when ethical
intent is foremost for all involved in adoption. |
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