Adoption, Identity & the Body: What We’re Missing in the Therapy Room

Adoption is often described as a “happy ending”—a story of love, rescue, and new beginnings. And in many cases, it is. But for the adopted person, especially when the separation happened in early infancy, there’s often a different, quieter truth unfolding beneath the surface.

This is the truth I spoke about at HypnoThoughts Live 2025 in Las Vegas—where I had the honour of presenting on Adoption, Early Childhood Trauma, and Identity in the Therapy Room.

As someone who is adopted myself, this work is deeply personal. It’s also a clinical blind spot that needs more attention, especially in trauma and hypnotherapy practice.

🔍 What Most People Don’t Realise

When adoption happens before a child has language, it becomes what we call pre-verbal trauma. That means there are no words, no coherent memories—but the body still remembers. The nervous system holds the imprint of loss, separation, and disruption.

These early emotional wounds often show up later in life as:

  • Identity confusion

  • People-pleasing or overachieving

  • Emotional suppression

  • A sense of being “not good enough”

  • Addictions or compulsions

This isn't just theory—it’s what I see time and time again in clinical practice.

🧠 Why Identity Matters More Than Behaviour

In therapy, many clients come in wanting to “fix” a behaviour—like smoking, anxiety, or self-sabotage. But underneath those behaviours are deeper, identity-driven beliefs:

“I’m not safe.”
“I’m not enough.”
“I’ll be rejected again.”

When we only treat the symptom, the root remains. That’s why real transformation happens when we work at the identity level.

🌀 What the Nervous System Remembers

One of the most powerful insights I shared at HypnoThoughts is this: The nervous system stores what the mind forgets. Breath, posture, and tone often tell us more than the client’s story.

We can’t logic our way through pre-verbal trauma. But we can create safety, attunement, and emotional regulation—which is where hypnotherapy becomes so powerful.

🧘 The Role of Hypnosis in Healing

Hypnosis creates the emotional safety that allows symbolic healing to happen. When we’re working with clients who have adoption-related trauma, we’re not just “relaxing” them—we’re creating the conditions for neuroplasticity, identity repair, and emotional integration.

With repeated safe experiences, the brain and body can rewire. That’s why this work is not just about relief—it’s about hope.

💬 Want to Learn More?

Whether you’re a therapist, adoptee, or someone working with early life trauma, this conversation matters. If you'd like to explore how this work might support you—or your clients—I’d be happy to connect.

Feel free to reach out or browse upcoming trainings here:
👉 empowergorey.com

—

John Scanlon
Empower Hypnotherapy, Gorey
john@empowergorey.com | 086-1426270