“…This model assesses the degrees to which adoptees "have knowledge of, awareness of, competence within, and comfort with their own racial group's culture, their parents' racial group's culture, and multiple cultures as well as the degree to which they are comfortable with their racial group membership and with those belonging to their own racial group, their parents' racial group, and multiple racial groups" (Baden & Steward, 2000, p. 309). In addition, this model takes into consideration the roles and influences of adoptive parents, extended family members and social and environmental contexts on cultural and racial identity development among transracial adoptees (Baden & Steward, 2000). In addition to the clinical implications of developing a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding identity development among transracial adoptees, there is also a growing body of evidence that suggests adoptees, whether they are inracially, transracially, or internationally adopted, experience emotional and psychological difficulties related to the trauma and loss associated with their adoption (Berlin, 1978;Brodzinsky, et al, 1992;Lifton, 1998Lifton, , 2003Locust, 1999Locust, , 2000Patton, 2000;Peterson, 2002;Simon & Hernandez, 2008;Trenka, Oparah, & Shin, 2006).…”