About Robin
Robin B. Allen earned her Master’s Degree from the Boston University School of Social Work. As a licensed clinical social worker, Robin was with The Barker Foundation, a Washington, D.C. full service adoption agency, for many years. She served first as the director of the international program and then as the executive director.
Robin is known for her ability to translate her extensive knowledge and experience into practical strategies for people facing issues associated with adoption and assisted reproduction. She regularly writes, speaks, and conducts workshops for groups of parents and professionals, including RESOLVE, the Colorado Heritage Camps, and the National Association of Social Workers. Together with Michelle, she provides workshops about decision-making on adoption and donor assistance at Shady Grove Infertility Center. She has been a guest on numerous local and national radio and television programs, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN’s Sunday Morning.
Robin currently has a private coaching practice. She works with people who are grappling with infertility, as well as members of the adoption circle in all phases of the lifecycle. She describes her service, much of which is done by phone, as a combination of coaching, consulting, and psycho-education. Her coaching training has been through MentorCoach, a nationally recognized training program for clinicians.
Robin credits the hundreds of adoptive families, birthparents, and adoptees she has worked with over many years for her understanding of the dynamics of adoption, but it is her life as both a biological and adoptive mother that truly informs her work on a day to day basis. She and her husband live in Bethesda, Maryland, and are the parents of four adult children.