Supporting Independence Without Losing Connection

Offer guidance and stability through unique stage-of-life challenges and transitions

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Are These Challenges Familiar?

  • You feel unsure how to support your teen or young adult without overstepping or enabling
  • You notice your teen struggling with identity, motivation, or direction—but they won’t ask for help
  • You’re watching them make choices that worry you, and you’re not sure when or how to intervene
  • You're navigating the emotional rollercoaster of college transitions, adult independence, and shifting roles
  • Your teen seems overwhelmed by the expectations of “adulting,” and you wonder if it’s more than just growing pains
  • You worry about their mental health but don’t want to push too hard or cause more distance
  • You want to stay connected—but the tools you used when they were younger don’t seem to work anymore
  • You’re unsure what “support” really looks like at this stage—and you don’t want to get it wrong

Becoming the Bridge

Picture yourself as a bridge—steady, spanning the uncertain space between who your child has been and who they are becoming. On one side: the childhood you helped shape, the years of holding, guiding, protecting. On the other: early adulthood, filled with choices, risks, self-discovery, and steps you can’t take for them. And in between, the stretch of adolescence where everything feels wobbly, unfamiliar, and full of both promise and fear.

Imagine your teen or young adult standing somewhere in the middle, one foot still on your side, the other testing the ground ahead. They may pull away abruptly, then return in need of reassurance. One day they’re confident and independent, the next they’re overwhelmed by decisions, identity questions, or emotional weight. You can’t walk the bridge for them—but you can walk beside it, visible, present, and patient.

See yourself offering support that flexes and shifts. Encouragement without pressure. Boundaries without disconnection. You listen more, fix less. You offer wisdom without rescuing, space without abandoning. Your strength doesn’t come from control—it comes from being something they can count on, even when they seem like they don’t need you.

Envision your young person turning back—not because they need answers, but because they know you’ll hold space for their questions. They may not say it, but they feel it: your consistency, your compassion, your commitment to walking this new stretch with them—not as the director of their story, but as a trusted guide, still deeply rooted in love.

Your toolkit isn’t just full of parenting strategies—it’s filled with perspective, patience, and presence. You’re not letting go of your child. You’re letting go of who they were, so you can fully support who they are becoming.

INTRODUCING

Supporting Your Teen & Young Adult Through the College Years & Beyond

Step into a transformative stage of parenting, where guidance evolves into partnership and presence becomes your most powerful tool.

Drawing from her multifaceted perspective as a licensed psychologist, transracial/international adoptee, and adoptive parent, Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker offers a compassionate reframe of what it means to parent through adolescence and early adulthood. She helps you understand the unique emotional, developmental, and identity-based challenges adoptees and fosterees face as they navigate independence, belonging, and self-definition.

This thoughtfully designed online course equips you with trauma-informed, adoption-attuned strategies to stay connected—even as your role shifts. You’ll learn how to recognize red flags, support emotional regulation, and offer steady, respectful guidance without overstepping. With Dr. Wirta-Leiker’s expert support, you’ll move from uncertainty to clarity—becoming a trusted presence in your teen or young adult’s life while honoring their growing autonomy and voice.

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What’s Included:

  • Engaging video lessons that you can watch at your own pace.
  • Downloadable course slides to reinforce your learning.
  • A cultivated resource list with links to further support your journey.
  • Real-world strategies you can start using right away.
  • Insights from the course instructor’s unique perspective as an international/transracial adoptee, adoptive parent, and licensed psychologist.
  • A course completion certificate to recognize your achievement.

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What You'll Learn

By completing Unit 8: Supporting Your Teen & Young Adult Through the College Years & Beyond you’ll be prepared to support your teen or young adult with strategies that honor their independence while nurturing your connection.

Understand the Developmental Landscape

Explore the traits, behaviors, and emotional shifts that define late adolescence and early adulthood so you can show up with clear expectations for this stage of life.

Identify Common Strengths & Struggles

Learn what’s normal (even if it doesn’t feel that way!) and which challenges may be connected to adoption or trauma so you can better understand your teen's needs.

Support Without Smothering

Gain ideas, strategies, and tools for encouraging growth and responsibility while maintaining a safe emotional connection with your young adult.

Navigate Changing Roles

Shift from "doing for" to "walking with" as your relationship grows from dependence and involvement toward mutual respect and trust at a healthy distance.

Spot Red Flags

Recognize when challenges might signal a deeper issue and trust yourself to respond with compassion, clarity, and calm to support your teen through more difficult times.

Unlike generic parenting courses or teen guidance workshops, Unit 8: Supporting Your Teen & Young Adult Through the College Years & Beyond is specifically designed for adoptive parents and adoption professionals.

This thoughtfully designed online course opens the door to profound insights about parenting through late adolescence and early adulthood—this season isn’t just about letting go, it’s about showing up differently. Teens and young adults impacted by adoption often revisit identity, loss, and belonging in deeper, more complex ways. They still need support—just not in the ways they did before. Through Dr. Wirta-Leiker’s expert guidance, you’ll gain practical tools to navigate this transition with steadiness, empathy, and respect for your child’s growing independence. Her decade of expertise—rooted in clinical knowledge and lived experience—offers a compassionate framework that bridges insight and action, empowering you to remain a connected, trusted presence in your child’s next chapter.

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Specialized Expertise

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker combines her lived experience as an international/transracial adoptee and adoptive parent with professional expertise as a licensed psychologist specializing in adoption and trauma. Her unique perspective ensures you’re learning from someone who truly understands your challenges.

Actionable Framework

This course doesn’t just teach theory; it provides practical tools you can use immediately to support healthy independence, set respectful boundaries, and stay emotionally connected through the challenges of late adolescence and early adulthood.

Adoption-Specific Insights

While many parenting courses address general principles, this course focuses on the unique experiences and needs of foster and adopted adolescents and young adults, making it highly relevant to your role as a parent or professional.

Affordable Accessibility

At just $85, this course is priced to be accessible without sacrificing depth or quality. It’s an investment that pays for itself many times over in improved relationships and outcomes.

Flexible Learning

The course is designed to fit your busy schedule, with video lessons you can watch at your own pace and resources you can revisit anytime.

What Others Are Saying About Attachment-Focused Discipline

I highly recommend any trainings done by Dr. Wirta-Leiker. She brings an amazing combination of education and knowledge along with professional and personal lived experience to every training she leads. She presents in a manner that acknowledges the difficulty of some of the conversations she is training on while also challenging participants to lean in and learn. I have nothing but praise and respect for Dr. Wirta-Leiker’s trainings and always leave them with more awareness, more knowledge, and a deeper understanding of the subject.

Tami Davidson, Hope's Promise Social Worker & Adoptive Parent

As both a parent of an adoptee and a clinician, I found this really helpful both for specific suggestions and broader concepts, as well as information about ongoing resources to access.

Adoptive Parent & Adoption Therapist

Dr. Wirta-Leiker is extremely easy to listen to—she did a great job of breaking down information into digestible pieces and relating it to work/real life examples.

Adoption Therapist

This is a very specialized topic that I have been needing and waiting for, but never able to find until now. Thank you for providing this opportunity. The speaker had great information and clearly understands how to effectively teach it to therapists so we can begin using it immediately.

Adoption Therapist

This isn’t just another course; it’s a chance to benefit from the unparalleled expertise of Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, a licensed psychologist with personal and professional insights as an international/transracial adoptee, adoptive parent, and trauma specialist.

Her unique perspective ensures that every strategy and tool is practical, actionable, and deeply informed by lived experience and clinical expertise.

For just $85 (less than the cost of a new outfit for your teen) you’ll receive instant access to knowledge and tools that will transform your approach for years to come.

$85

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Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker is fully committed to your learning and success. By completing this course (available for 90 days after enrollment), you are guaranteed to feel more prepared, confident, and equipped to handle even the most challenging moments in adoption. If you have questions or need additional support, you’re encouraged to reach out for extra resources, personalized consultation, or bonus materials designed to enhance your learning experience. Your growth and understanding are her top priorities.

These outcomes aren’t just hopeful ideals—they reflect a proven approach grounded in lived experience and professional insight, offering real support for the real challenges of parenting teens and young adults through the adoption lens.

  • Strengthening connection during a time of growing independence and identity exploration
  • Navigating emotional ups and downs with clarity, empathy, and consistency
  • Setting respectful boundaries without damaging trust or communication
  • Recognizing red flags and knowing when to offer guidance or seek additional support

Frequently Asked Questions

This course is perfect for:

  • Adoptive and Foster Parents who want to better understand and support their fostered or adopted adolescent's or young adult's needs as they transition into adulthood.
  • Adoption Professionals seeking specialized strategies to help the families and youth they serve navigate unique parenting challenges.
  • Educators and Counselors looking for actionable insights to support adopted teens and families in their care.
  • Anyone who is committed to learning and applying adoption-informed approaches to foster healing and resilience in adopted youth.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about how to navigate discipline in adoption, this course will give you the clarity, confidence, and tools to make a meaningful difference.

Adopted children often need support immediately, not weeks, months, or years down the road. Every moment spent feeling unsure or unprepared can delay healing and deepen the impact of trauma. 


By taking action today, you can:

  • Start building a safer, more understanding environment for the youth you support.
  • Develop strategies to support a challenging stage of life.
  • Empower yourself with the tools to make a difference in your family or professional practice.

The affordable price and flexible format of this course mean there’s no reason to wait. This is your opportunity to invest in a brighter future for yourself and the children who rely on your guidance and care. Take advantage of this chance to make a lasting impact starting today.

This isn't just theory—it's transformation in action. You'll gain concrete, ready-to-use strategies that can improve your very next interaction with an adopted teen. Participants regularly report seeing positive changes from day one.

While you may have a strong foundation, Dr. Wirta-Leiker brings a rare triple perspective: licensed psychologist, international adoptee, and adoptive parent. Her unique insights and practical approaches often provide breakthrough moments even for experienced professionals and parents.

The entire course takes just 2 hours to complete—less time than a high school graduation ceremony! Access self-paced video lessons and downloadable materials anytime, anywhere. Review the content as often as you need, fitting learning perfectly into your busy life.

For less than the cost of a family bowling night ($85), you're gaining expert insights and practical tools that can transform your daily interactions. Think of it as investing in peace of mind and stronger relationships—benefits that last a lifetime.

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Meet Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker is a licensed psychologist, international/transracial adoptee of color, and adoptive parent with over a decade of experience in adoption, trauma, and racial identity work. She has dedicated her career to helping families and professionals better understand and support adoptees.

Drawing from both her personal and professional journeys, Dr. Wirta-Leiker offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by adoptees and those who care for them.

As an adoptee with firsthand experience and a parent striving to provide the best support possible, Dr. Wirta-Leiker’s work is deeply informed by lived experiences. She is also a trusted voice in adoption education, known for her compassionate and approachable teaching style and practical solutions. Dr. Wirta-Leiker is the author of the acclaimed “Adoptees Like Me” children’s book series, founder of the National Adoptee-Therapist Directory, and a highly sought-after speaker and trainer in the adoption community. Her passion for empowering others lies at the heart of this course, making it an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to make a meaningful impact in adoption-related relationships.

Get instant access and transform your understanding of adoption today.

The tools and insights you gain will pay for themselves in the form of stronger relationships and deeper connections.
Let’s build a brighter future together!

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