Do I have to have counselling before obtaining my birth certificate?

Do I have to have counselling before obtaining my birth certificate?

Julia Feast (Search and Reunion Consultant) gives expert video advice on: Have adoptive people always been able to access data about their origins?; Will adoptive parents have any information about birth parents?; At what age can I obtain my birth records? and more...

If an adopted person doesn't know their original name and they're applying for a copy of their original birth certificate, then they are required to meet with an adoption counsellor. Although I must say that people don't like the word 'counselling' in this because a lot of adopted people say "I don't need counselling". So we would much rather frame it saying an adoption meeting, an adoption consultation, where you have the opportunity to meet with someone who understands about the adoption search for and the issues, to help the adopted person to consider the deficit areas they may face along their journey in obtaining information about their background.