About us
Adopt NI is an independent registered charity established in 1989. Our main priority is to support any adult impacted by the lifelong journey of adoption. During 2008 we extended our services, to include adults separated from their family of origin through foster or residential care.
We are based in Belfast but work on a regional basis and offer a range of confidential support. We also deal frequently with enquiries from people in Southern Ireland, mainland UK and from other countries like Australia and America; indeed anywhere where people have a link to Northern Ireland.
Training, qualifications & experience
Our counsellors have experience of working with issues that can arise for those from the adoption and looked after communities. Our qualified counsellors have as a minimum qualification a Diploma in Person Centred or Integrative Counselling and are BACP registered.
Member organisations *
Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

National Counselling Society (NCS)
The National Counselling Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Areas of counselling we deal with
Other areas of counselling we deal with
Adoption & Care related issues
Identity
Loss
Rejection
Guilt/shame
Grief
Intimacy
Mastery/control
Attachment
Insecurity
Therapies offered
Fees
Additional information
We charge a nominal fee of £25 per session.
Sessions can take place in our office in Belfast or telephone counselling can be arranged for those who cannot access the office.
Sessions can be arranged between 9.30 and 2.30 Monday and Tuesday.
At times we may need to operate a waiting list which is usually very short.
When we work
Monday and Tuesday 9.30am - 2.30pm
Further information
Adopt NI's other services include, one-to-one and group support, a tracing service for individuals and social workers and an intermediary service. Further information available at: www.adoptni.org