Legacy Tree Logo
Contact Us
  • English
    • Auto
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
    • English
      • Auto
      • Spanish
      • Portuguese (Brazil)
      • Swedish
      • Danish
      • Norwegian Bokmål
      • Russian

DNA Surprises and Your Family Tree

November 11, 2016 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 2 Comments

We've compiled a list of DNA resources that may be helpful when encountering unexpected or traumatic results from DNA testing.

dna trauma, dealing with surprises, adoptionAt Legacy Tree Genealogists, we’re huge proponents of DNA ancestry testing, which is allowing us to help our clients understand their roots better than ever before. We believe DNA testing is changing the world.

Change, however, can sometimes create difficult complications, and the surprises discovered in the course of DNA ancestry testing are no exception. As an international genealogy research firm, we frequently help clients discover biological family after they’ve discovered a snag in what they thought was their heritage, usually due to a surprise DNA test result or perhaps as a result of certain truths coming to light in other ways within their family. We are happy to help them make these discoveries, but this fills only half of the hole left by a DNA test surprise. The other half is emotional and social.

To help ease the trauma that can be created by a surprise DNA test result and to increase clients' success in connecting with newfound family members, we’ve compiled a list of recommended resources for help:

Resources

Counseling and Groups

Brianne Kirkpatrick, WatershedDNA.com
Brianne is a certified Genetic Counselor and an experienced genealogist. Being at the crossroads of these two disciplines allows her to help with the crisis of discovering unexpected information in your family tree.

Brianne also administers a secret Facebook group for people who have discovered close, previously unknown relatives (such as half-siblings) based on ancestry testing. Message her via Facebook for details.

Jean A Strauss, Birthright: The Guide to Search and Reunion for Adoptees, Birthparents, and Adoptive Parents

Widely recognized in the adoption community as a seminal and profound book, this book is brimming with important reference sources and dozens of true-life stories that will guide you in, making the difficult decision to search, navigating through the emotional turbulence of a reunion, and dealing with the impact of the search on the adoptive parents.

Brodzinsky et al, Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self

Widely recognized in the adoption community as required reading, this ground-breaking book uses the poignant, powerful voices of adoptees and adoptive parents to explore the experience of adoption and its lifelong effects. A major work filled with astute analysis and moving truths.

Lora Baum, Ph.D., BlueRidgeHealthPsychology.com
Lora is a certified Genetic Counselor and a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. Her practice is based in Charlottesville, Virginia but she accepts clients via tele-counseling on a limited basis. She has some experience with genealogy and DNA ancestry testing.

PsychologyToday.com
If you prefer face-to-face counseling, we recommend searching for a counselor near you at Psychology Today. You can browse professionals based on location, topic, and more. Since DNA ancestry testing is so new, there is not yet a category for this issue in professional counseling, but some of the closest are adoption, grief, and trauma. A good therapist familiar with these concepts can help you find a healthy way to navigate and cope with newfound feelings and situations. Check with your insurance provider for coverage information in your area.

DNAAdoption
DNAAdoption is a non-profit organization that teaches anyone how to work with their DNA, not just adoptees. They provide support as you plan and execute contact with previously unknown biological family. They can help you learn more about what to expect from your experience, how to prepare yourself emotionally, and how to tailor your contact to best fit your needs and those of the person to whom you are reaching out.  They can be contacted here.

Hiraeth Hope and Healing

Hiraeth Hope and Healing is a group of volunteer genetic genealogists who help with interpreting DNA results. They also assist with locating immediate family members using DNA at no cost with their volunteer genealogists. They can be contacted here. 

Reading

Bill Griffeth, The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society).
https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-My-Genes-Memoir/dp/0880823445Written by CNBC news anchor Bill Griffeth, who, after taking what he thought would be a simple DNA test, discovered he was not the biological son of the person he knew as his father.

“Biological vs. Cultural Heritage,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, posted 20 December 2015. http://www.legacytree.com/blog/biological-vs-cultural-heritage.
Discusses how a person can validate both a biological and a cultural heritage, even when the two don’t intersect.

Deborah N. Silverstein and Sharon Kaplan, “Lifelong Issues in Adoption,” American Adoption Congress, undated. http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org/grief_silverstein_article.php.
Describes seven key elements that adoptees deal with throughout their lifetime, which can also be applied to discovering misattributed parentage later in life.

“Coping with Grief and Loss,” HelpGuide: Trusted guide to mental, emotional & social health, undated. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm.
Discussion on signs of grief, utilizing the support of others, and taking care of yourself. Includes many additional resources for coping with grief.

Donna Portuesi, MSW, “Silent Voices Heard Impact of the Birth Mother Experience: Then and Now,” American Adoption Congress, undated. http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org/grief_portuesi_article.php.
Explores the emotional impact of adoption on the birth mother.

Susan Miller-Havens, Ed.D, “Making Contact,” American Adoption Congress, revised 2008. http://www.americanadoptioncongress.org/pdf/making_contact.pdf.
Advice and scripts for making contact with previously unknown, biological family.

Legacy Tree Genealogists has extensive experience assisting clients with learning about all facets of their heritage. If you're seeking answers to a family mystery, we will do everything within our power to figure it out and to present you with the facts you need. Using a combination of genetic and traditional genealogy methodologies to identify biological family members is a particular specialty. Contact us today for a free consultation and to discuss options.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Adoption & Genetic Genealogy

About the Author

blank
Legacy Tree Genealogists
The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists has been helping clients worldwide discover their roots for 20 years. We're based near the world's largest Family History Library and connected with genealogists and archives around the world, and we love doing what we do! We also love sharing our genealogy tips with our readers.

Comments

  1. Christy says

    September 2, 2022 at 10:21 pm

    I recently found out through ancestry that my father is not my biological father. It is unnerving. My sister is overwhelmed because we always believed we were full sisters. We think we know who the father is. He died in 2015. His son died this year. Im tring to get a hold of the rest of the family. It seems they don’t want to be contacted as they won’t answer my cousin or me. I never really knew my mother. She left when I was 3. She became an alcoholic by the time I met her. There is no one who knew her well who is still alive. So I have no where to turn for help I haven’t a clue as to what to do next.

    Reply
    • Beth Harrison says

      September 6, 2022 at 9:46 am

      We are sorry, Christy, that must have been difficult to process. In addition to the resources on this page, there’s also another organization, Right to Know, that supports people impacted by DNA surprises. If you would like research assistance, we have helped many individuals identify additional biological family members. You may request a free quote here.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE

    Popular Posts

    Icelandic village

    4 Key Steps to Trace Your Icelandic-Canadian Ancestry

    December 31, 2024 By Rachel Whiting Leave a Comment

    How To Use Orthodox Baptismal Records for Genealogy Research

    November 13, 2024 By Linda - Researcher with Legacy Tree Genealogists 2 Comments

    Babies Left Behind: researching unknown G.I. fathers in the United Kingdom during WW2

    November 5, 2024 By Maggie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Research Team Manager 3 Comments

    How To Understand German Handwriting and Gothic Scripts

    July 2, 2024 By Keri - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

    Intro to German Genealogy: Practical Tips for Family History Research

    April 23, 2024 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 6 Comments

    Italian Heritage Travel: The My Bella Vita Experience

    April 9, 2024 By Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

    German parish records

    3 Essential Websites for Exploring German Parish Records

    August 16, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 7 Comments

    CATEGORIES

    SEARCH

    NEWSLETTER

    • Home
    • Services
    • Highlights
    • About
    • Blog
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Careers
    How to Hire a Professional Genealogist
    Terms of Use Privacy Policy

    © 2004 - 2025 Legacy Tree Genealogists. All rights reserved.

    Cookie Consent

    This site uses cookies to enhance your experience. Consent allows us to track browsing data. Opting out may affect functionality.

    Functional Always active
    Storage or access necessary for enabling the use of services requested by the user, or for the sole purpose of communication over an electronic network.
    Preferences
    Storage or access necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the user.
    Statistics
    Storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    Storage or access required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
    Preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    Cookie Consent

    This site uses cookies to enhance your experience. Consent allows us to track browsing data. Opting out may affect functionality.

    Functional Always active
    Storage or access necessary for enabling the use of services requested by the user, or for the sole purpose of communication over an electronic network.
    Preferences
    Storage or access necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the user.
    Statistics
    Storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    Storage or access required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
    Preferences
    {title} {title} {title}