Parenting Through Adoption: Caitlin Johnson’s Story of Healing, Growth, and Heart

​When we think of parenting, we often picture the early joys, the late-night feedings, and the unforgettable milestones. But for Caitlin Johnson, motherhood began not with a baby in arms - but with three siblings adopted through the foster care system in Nevada. Caitlin’s journey from zero to three kids overnight is not only remarkable, it is also deeply rooted in trauma-informed care, resilience, and love.

From Inspiration to Action

Caitlin was no stranger to adoption growing up. Close family friends - and even her own parents - had adopted children. But she also witnessed the unintended harm that can result when well-meaning families take on more than they are emotionally equipped to handle.
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“I saw a lot more harm caused than good in some cases,” she shared. Determined to do better, Caitlin pursued formal education in developmental psychology, studied adoption and attachment trauma, and trained through a high-needs foster care agency. With a heart for children who’d experienced hardship, she committed to making a difference where it mattered most.

Understanding Trauma and Self-Awareness

Caitlin emphasizes that fostering and adoption require a deep sense of self-awareness, “You have to have a certain level of self-awareness of knowing what your limitations are. Not everyone should or needs to foster parent the harder kids.” “You can cause more harm,” she urges. Caitlin also reminded that “Not every kid that's in foster care is a harder kid. If you have that heart, if you have that desire … you should absolutely go for it… Still look for trauma-informed resources because being removed from your family is still a trauma…Do real self-evaluation. What can I handle? What can I not handle? Let that lead where you go. And it may be to a higher level of care agency where you're taking in some of those harder kids and you have those additional supports through an agency. Or it may be the traditional foster care route where you have a more typical child experience of parenting a child in the foster care system.”
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From learning about trauma-informed parenting to completing rigorous training, Caitlin made sure she had the tools to support her kids, who live with various diagnoses.
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Finding Support and a New Career Path

Interestingly, Caitlin’s professional background is in marketing. But after finalizing her adoptions, she accepted a role at the same foster agency that licensed her, recruiting and supporting other foster parents through local and national campaigns. Her story is proof that your passions and skills can align in unexpected, powerful ways.
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Once her kids got older, she transitioned to a marketing role at a financial services company, but she remains deeply committed to supporting children and parents, continuing to advocate for trauma-informed care and sharing her story to inspire others.

Real Talk: What Parenting Teens With Trauma Really Looks Like

Today, Caitlin’s kids are all teens. While some parents dread this stage, Caitlin thrives in it. “I love parenting teenagers,” she says. “This is an age group and just a stage of development that I feel very much in my element for. I know that's not the case for everybody, and some people really enjoy the toddler years or the elementary school years, but I feel like I've really gotten my groove with my kids as they're teenagers. This doesn't mean that there aren't struggles, of course, because teenagers can be dramatic and emotional.”

Caitlin supports her children by allowing them the space to learn from their choices and experience the consequences. Sometimes, that support means calmly holding space for their emotional outbursts, even in public. She recalls sitting on a curb through one of her child’s meltdowns, then using the moment later to teach reflection and emotional regulation. It’s not always easy, but it’s effective: “We’ve gone from outbursts a few times a week to once every few months.”

Healing Isn’t Linear. It’s Still Possible

The early years were hard. Therapy appointments (10-15 hours per week), emotional upheavals, sleep deprivation - they leave little time for self-care. “I was really drowning,” Caitlin admits. “But I never gave up, because my kids wanted to heal. That made all the difference.”

Over the years, her children have grown into confident, quirky, and fun teens. “Watching them experience things like birthday parties or joking with friends - it’s a reminder of how far they’ve come.”

Advice for Aspiring Adoptive Parents

• Do your homework: Trauma-informed parenting is crucial.
• Know your limits: You don’t have to take on everything to make an impact.
• Build a community: Connect with other adoptive or foster families.
• Keep therapy in your toolkit: For you and your children.
• Remember, it is you and the child versus the trauma: Not you versus the child!
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Looking Ahead

Caitlin is hopeful about her children’s future. While they each have different strengths and needs, she’s confident they’ll thrive in adulthood. “They’re resilient. They’ve overcome so much. And I know they’ll go on to do great things.”​

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