Our next Lived Experience Circle group meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1:00 PM Eastern | 12:00 PM Central | 11:00 AM Mountain | 10:00 AM Pacific
Our next reflective practice group meeting will focus on "Holding Lived Experience Stories and Perspectives.”
This monthly interest group is for TAC-trained professionals and led by Tac-trained professionals who are also members of the adoption kinship network. This group offers a private space to connect with others who truly understand what it means to live the story while supporting others through it. Whether you're an adoptee, former foster youth, birth parent, adoptive or kinship caregiver—or hold more than one of these roles—this is a space for reflection, mutual support, and shared learning.
Together, we’ll explore how our personal histories shape our professional lives, deepen our empathy, and challenge us in ways others may not see. By holding space for ourselves and one another, we strengthen our ability to care for the children, families, and communities we serve.
NOTE: This is a discussion group for TAC-trained professionals who are also members of the Association of TAC Professionals network, and is not a training event for CE credit. Signing up gives you access to all meetings, opportunities to examine TAC offerings, and we hope you can participate as much as your time and obligations will allow.
2026 TAC Community Summit
Hosted by the Association of TAC Professionals
Virtual Event | Thursday, July 23, 2026
11:00 AM – 3:45 PM EST
A virtual gathering for TAC-trained professionals focused on connection, clinical growth, and adoption-competent practice.
Join the TAC community for a day of learning, reflection, and community engagement designed specifically for professionals who have completed the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC).
This year’s Summit will explore complex and evolving topics related to trauma, identity, adoption, attachment, resilience, and adoption-competent clinical practice. Participants will also hear updates about the continued growth of the ATP community and expanding opportunities for ongoing connection, collaboration, and professional support.
Summit Agenda
11:00 – 11:10 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks
11:15 AM – 12:45 PM: Session 1- Understanding Trauma Through an Adaptive Information Processing Lens: Reframing Complex Trauma, Dissociation, and Adoption-Related Challenges
Presented by Wendy Sue Horn, LCSW
Children impacted by trauma and disrupted attachment often present with behaviors that feel confusing, persistent, or resistant to traditional interventions. While trauma-informed care has expanded significantly, misunderstandings still remain about how trauma is stored, expressed, and healed—particularly in cases involving complex developmental trauma.
This session introduces the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, the foundational framework of EMDR therapy, as a lens for understanding how past experiences continue to shape present-day functioning across emotional, relational, behavioral, and cognitive domains.
12:45 – 12:55 PM: Break
12:55 – 1:30 PM: Growing the ATP Community: Emerging Opportunities and Connection
Presented by Debbie Riley, LCMFT
This portion will feature reflections and updates from Debbie Riley, LCMFT, co-founder and CEO of C.A.S.E. and one of the leading pioneers in advancing adoption competency globally.
You will hear updates on the Association of TAC Professionals community and how ATP is responding to the evolving needs of TAC-trained professionals with more opportunities for connection, collaboration, professional support, and ongoing engagement.
1:30 – 1:50 PM: Community Breakout Discussions
Participants will engage in facilitated breakout conversations focused on the future of the ATP community and emerging needs within adoption-competent practice.
1:50 – 1:55 PM: Break
2:00 – 3:30 PM: Session 2- Supporting Adoptees Coming Out of the Adoption “Fog” and Into Adoptee Consciousness
Presented by Dr. JaeRan Kim
For many adoptees, there comes a time when they begin exploring what adoption means to them outside of the narratives they were given by parents, friends, and society. Questions around identity, belonging, loss, and the accuracy of birth and adoption information can become increasingly important—and at times emotionally complex.
In this presentation, Dr. Kim will introduce the Adoptee Consciousness Model and explore how it can help adoptees, families, and professionals better articulate and process adoption-related experiences and identity development.
3:30 – 3:45 PM: Closing Reflections & Next Steps
Final reflections, upcoming opportunities, and post-event logistics.
Registration Information
This event is exclusively available to members of the Association of TAC Professionals.
Not a member yet?
Membership in the Association of TAC Professionals provides access to the following:
If you are a TAC graduate and have not yet joined ATP, we invite you to become a member and join this growing professional community! Click HERE for a more detailed outline, learning objectives, and presenter bios.
Visit our C.A.S.E. training page to explore other training opportunities and resources by clicking here!
The Center for Adoption Support and Education is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.
3919 National Drive, Suite 200, Burtonsville, MD 20866
