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International adoption has been on the rise since the 1960s and is now an important social issue. The majority of these adoptions take place under good circumstances but some can be a source of great suffering for the new family. This study seeks out elements indicative of traumatic experiences in adoptive parents’ accounts, especially during the first encounter with their child in situations of international adoption. We carry out a literature review of trauma narratives in order to find out which characteristics are most common in the structure of the accounts of traumatized individuals as compared to healthy subjects. We added "lack of coherence" in the account, described according to the paradigm of attachment, measured by EDICODE. These characteristics are called "traumatic markers." The seven accounts collected in a clinical population of families in treatment in a practice specialized in adoption, all contain traumatic markers in their structure. Moreover, the analysis of content in these narratives allows us to suggest critical areas for reflection on international adoption. The recognition of traumatic markers in the stories makes it possible to expand on and move beyond such markers so as to create a specific, vitalized bond between the parents and their child.