Loving Adopted Children Well: A 5 Love Languages Approach
Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages started as pastoral counseling for couples but has become an international phenomenon for understanding relationships and developing loving connections between people. In Loving Adopted Children Well, Dr. Laurel Shaler applies the 5 Love Languages paradigm to the specific needs of adopted children. Listen in as Dr. Josh Olds talks with her about the book and how we can better love and understand those who have been adopted.
The Book | Loving Adopted Children Well
Based on Chapman’s best-selling The 5 Love Languages®—a specialized resource of intentional love for families of adopted children.
Adoption brings unique challenges. Love and bonding don’t always come naturally. There can be emotional distress, frustration, and disappointment. In Loving Adopted Children Well, Dr. Gary Chapman along with professor and mom of adopted kids Dr. Laurel Shaler share how The 5 Love Languages® provide concrete steps to infusing love, hope, and attachment in your family.
In addition to the beauty and healing you’ll discover in the chapters on the love languages—Service, Gifts, Physical Touch, Quality Time, and Words of Affirmation—the authors provide essential chapters on subjects such as:
- When You Don’t “Feel the Love”
- Getting Spouses on the Same Page
- Help for Single Parents
- Stopping Sibling Rivalry
- Support—Why it’s Needed and Where to Find It . . . and more.
With empathy for adoptive parents, Chapman and Shaler provide an honest and invaluable resource of wisdom, joy, and healing. Apply the lessons from Loving Adopted Children Well, and you will see love grow and flourish in your home.
The Author | Laurel Shaler
As a counselor, professor, social worker, speaker, and writer, Dr. Laurel Shaler’s goal is to live out the words of Isaiah 61:1-3…To proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to release prisoners from darkness, to comfort all who mourn, and to bestow joy!
In order to help others, Laurel earned her Masters in Social Work from Florida State University (and is a Licensed Social Worker) and earned her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University (and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and National Certified Counselor). She also holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University.
Laurel has a wide variety of clinical experiences including working with adolescents, veterans, couples, and groups. When in operation, her private practice focused on helping women. She also has a passion for adoptive families. After serving as an adjunct at several institutions, for over a decade now, Dr. Shaler has worked full-time as a Professor at Liberty University. She is a member of numerous professional organizations and actively presents and publishes.
In addition to her professional work, Laurel has been featured on many Christian podcasts and radio programs, including Boundless by Focus on the Family and Building Relationships with Gary Chapman. Check out the speaking tab for more information, or contact Laurel to speak to your group. Laurel has also been published in the well-known Extraordinary Women, P31 Woman, and Lifeway’s Journey Magazines. In addition to her years of blogging (now on hiatus), she has written for many other well known publications.
Laurel, her husband Nick, and their precious children live in the deep south. Laurel enjoys spending time with family and friends, being involved in church activities & ministries, and volunteering with many local organizations. She loves the Lord, her family, her friends, and all the sweets.