Metaphors provide the opportunity to make sense of our experiences and share them with others. The current research qualitatively examined interviews with adoptive parents who had adopted through intercountry or private adoptions. Throughout their interviews, each participant used at least one metaphor in describing their experiences of adopting and raising their child. Overarchingly, the metaphor of “Adoption is a journey” encapsulated parents’ experiences. To demonstrate the journey, parents used metaphors to describe the past, present, and future. Metaphors of the past focused on their child's trauma and the origin of how the child came to join their family. Metaphors used to describe the present were challenge metaphors, including child's behaviors and finding support, coping metaphors, and balance metaphors. Lastly, metaphors of the future included guiding and commitment metaphors. In addition to metaphors, parents used symbolic rituals to connect their children with their past and current family. From metaphors, we offer several practical implications for postadoption intervention. First, interventions should be developed to meet participants where they are. Second, interventions should focus on the overall picture of adoption, as parents make sense of their past experiences and their ideals about the future. Lastly, services should focus on tools, not fixes.

隐喻提供了理解我们的经验并与他人分享的机会。目前的研究定性地调查了对通过跨国或私人收养收养的养父母的访谈。在整个采访过程中，每位参与者至少使用了一个比喻来描述他们收养和抚养孩子的经历。总的来说，“领养是一段旅程”的比喻概括了父母的经历。为了演示旅程，父母使用比喻来描述过去、现在和未来。过去的隐喻集中在他们孩子的创伤以及孩子如何加入他们的家庭的起源上。用来描述当下的隐喻是挑战隐喻，包括孩子的行为和寻求支持、应对隐喻和平衡隐喻。最后，未来的隐喻包括指导隐喻和承诺隐喻。除了比喻之外，父母还使用象征性的仪式将孩子与过去和现在的家庭联系起来。从比喻的角度，我们为收养后干预提供了几个实际意义。首先，应该制定干预措施，以便在参与者所在的地方与他们会面。其次，干预措施应侧重于收养的整体情况，因为父母了解他们过去的经历和他们对未来的理想。最后，服务应该专注于工具，而不是修复。应制定干预措施，以便在参与者所在的地方与他们会面。其次，干预措施应侧重于收养的整体情况，因为父母了解他们过去的经历和他们对未来的理想。最后，服务应该专注于工具，而不是修复。应制定干预措施，以便在参与者所在地与他们会面。其次，干预措施应侧重于收养的整体情况，因为父母了解他们过去的经历和他们对未来的理想。最后，服务应该专注于工具，而不是修复。