It isn’t just about finding our biological parents,
it’s about finding ourselves.
For many years now, I have been working to facilitate contact between children raised in foster families and their biological relatives.
Over the past 20-plus years, I have guided many children and adults on their journey to discover their roots. In many cases, this led to a face-to-face meeting between the child or adult and their biological parent; in other cases, we were at least able to obtain important information for the adoptee. Almost always, as part of the process, the adoptee was able to connect with other relatives as well—grandmothers, grandfathers, siblings, aunts, and so on.
One of the first connections I facilitated was helping my adopted daughter locate her biological parents and other relatives. This personal experience—and the opportunity to witness firsthand the long-term positive impact on everyone involved in the process—the child, the adoptive parents, and the biological parents—is the main reason why I dedicate myself to helping adopted individuals.
I am always surprised anew by the power of such a reunion and, above all, by its healing benefits. I wish every child who grows up in an adoptive family had the opportunity to discover their roots and, through that, grow up with an understanding of who they are.
As my daughter Eliška says: “Getting to know my biological parents helped me understand who I am, but also who I don't have to be.”
„Recognition of our roots is important step in our self understanding.“
Curriculum Vitae
Education and Other Specialization
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Education, Special Pedagogy (finishing in 1989)
Training courses
2025 Conference: Therapeutic Life Story Work (Richard Rose)
2025 Conference: Bodymind Unity Congress 2025 (S. Porges, A. Apigian)
2025 Conference: Attachment, Trauma, and Toxic Relationships (D. Poole Heller)
2021 Facilitating Therapeutic Group Work with Parents of Children Who Have Experienced Developmental Trauma (Kim Golding)
2021 Contact and Identity of Children in Foster Care, Amalthea
2019 UMPOD International Conference, Brno – Stories of International Adoption Lecture: “Contact Between Adopted Children and Their Biological
Families as a Tool for Developing a Healthy Child Identity”
2018 UMPOD International Conference, Brno—Search for the Origin of Adopted Children
Lecture: “The Importance of Biological Roots for Adopted Children”
2018 Introduction to Play Therapy (Zuzana Tatárová, Viera Hojnošová)
2018 Introduction to Theraplay (Saara Sallo, Hanna Limpi)
2017 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Levels One and Two (Daniel Hughes)
2016 The Narrative Approach’s Responses to Complex Issues (M. O’Neil, Liz Todd)
2013 Occupational Therapy and Its Application in Practice (MAVO)
2012 Play Therapy Workshop (G. Landreth, Bratislava)
2012 Advanced Seminar in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (Dr. D. Hughes)
2011 Crisis Intervention (Citizens’ Counseling Center, Hradec Králové, Mgr. M. Pešťáková)
2009–2010 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (Attachment Theory, Attachment Disorders,Dr. A. Becker-Weidman, PhDr. P. Vrtbovská, PhD)
2008, 2013 Fundamentals of Mediation I and II, Advanced Mediation (Partners, PhDr. Dana Rabyňáková)
2007 Attachment Theory, DDP (Prague, D. Hughes, PhD)
2005, 2006 Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing, Direct Client Work (NATAMA, PhDr. P. Vrtbovská, PhD)
2005 Life Story Work (NATAMA, Ch. Clynch, G. Holden)
2004 Case Assessment of a Child in a Difficult Family Situation (NATAMA)
Work Experience
2025–2028: Professional supervision of staff on the ProDítě project: Professional and Innovative Child Care in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Since 2023: Professional guidance for external collaborators of the SEFAM organization
Since 2020 – Training Instructor at ATTA z.s.: “Comprehensive educational program focused on issues related to working with children growing up outside of a foster family” (accredited by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs)
2021 Project Manager for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MPSV), supporting adoptive parents, prospective foster parents, and third-party caregivers; Dobrá rodina o. p. s.
2018–2021 Training Instructor for SOS Children’s Villages: “Training for professionals working with children suffering from attachment disorders”
2018 Project Manager for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MPSV), supporting adoptive parents, those interested in foster care, and third-party care
2017 Instructor for the MPSV project “Systemic Development and Support of Tools for the Social and Legal Protection of Children”, Topics: Processing a child’s
history; contact between children in foster care and their relatives
2015–present: Methodologist and consultant for supervised visits, Dobrá rodina o. p. s.
2014–present: External staff member in the field of supervised visits, Rozum a cit z. s.
2005–2014 – Professional work at NATAMA
- Preparation and coordination of contact between children in foster care and their biological relatives
- Group preparation of foster care applicants (training sessions)
- Individual preparation of foster care applicants (assessment of competencies, case study analysis)
- Providing basic information to those interested in foster care
- Assessment of children in difficult life situations
1989–1990 – District Social Services Institute in Prague 7-Care for the elderly
SEFAM z.s. | Pod vlastním krovem 26 | CZ - 182 00 Praha 8 | Czech republic | E-mail: info@sefam.org | Mobile: +420 776 666 519
Bank | Address: Fio banka, a.s., V Celnici 1028/10, CZ - Praha 1 | BIC: FIOBCZPPXXX | IBAN: CZ1620100000002600669129
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