Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Did you immerse yourself in learning before adopting and yet still feel you're learning on the job? You're not alone. Adoptive mum/mom Susan has 3 kids all in their twenties. She STILL feels she's learning on the job. Learning never stops. Getting that in our bones reduces the frustration and impatience we sometimes feel. There's always more to learn so Susan shares her insights into connecting with our kids which lies at the foundation of our relationship with them. Relationships start with us. Insightful, emotional and profound.Here's more about Susan from her website:I am a Michigander: Midwest kind and smiley, except in February when I get a little ornery from the gray sky and knee-deep snow. I am married to Mike, and we have three children who were adopted from Russia. We like watching movies together, hanging by the campfire, mountain biking, and traveling internationally. Yes! We loved visiting Prague in 2021. I have an MA in communications and co-authored Before You Were Mine: Discovering Your Adopted Child’s Lifestory, published by Zondervan. I’ve always sought ways to help my kids process this piece of their story. I’ve put together a collection of stories for teens told to me by adoptees from across the country. Let me just say loudly that these people are AMAZING and INSIGHTFUL. They taught me so much, which in turn I share with you. I love it when people use their stories to lift others up. In We’ve Been There, teens 16 and older will find a range of stories that truly reflects how adoptees feel and process things in their teen years. It is a long-overdue connection point, a gift from one adoptee to another to remind them they are not alone. https://susantebos.com/https://www.facebook.com/SusanTeBos.Authorhttps://www.instagram.com/susanteboswriter/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Mary Beth has 7 kids including 2 adopted from China and one from foster care. Ahead of our conversation she talked to her kids about what what helps them thrive. We talk about this and go deep into the meaning of adoption, taking things personally, empathy and understanding.Here's a bit about Mary Beth's non profit: We want to see all waiting children placed in a family in which they can thrive. To that end, we will work to facilitate the adoption of the worlds waiting children into loving christian homes by giving financial assistance to families, and advocating for those children who are waiting in institutions or in foster care.http://www.betheone1.org/https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/unpacking-our-own-baggage-as-adoptive-parents-with-hollyann-petree-mom-executive-director Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Adoptee writers Alice and Marci go deep on changing the narrative around around adoption. We explore changing the narrative out there in the world and the narrative within. What others say about us and what we say to ourselves. It's all about self-empowerment, healing, sharing and learning from others. Listen in for a great conversation with two people who really know how to inspire themselves and other adoptees.MARCI CALABRETTA CANCIO-BELLOFounding Co-DirectorMarci Calabretta Cancio-Bello is the author of Hour of the Ox (University of Pittsburgh, 2016), which won the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry. She is the co-translator of Yi Won’s The World’s Lightest Motorcycle (Zephyr Press, 2021). Her work has appeared in Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the American Literary Translators Association, the Knight Foundation, and Kundiman, among others. She is co-director for PEN America Miami/South Florida Chapter, and a program coordinator for Miami Book Fair.ALICE STEPHENSFounding Co-DirectorAlice Stephens’ debut novel, Famous Adopted People, was published in 2018 by Unnamed Press. Her work has appeared in LitHub, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Margins, Banana Writers, and other publications, and has been anthologized in Volume IX of the DC Women’s Writers Grace & Gravity series, Furious Gravity (2020), and Writing the Virus (Outpost19, 2020). She is a co-facilitator of the Adoptee Voices Writing Group, editor of Bloom, and writes book reviews and a column, Alice in Wordland, for the Washington Independent Review of Books.The Adoptee Literary Festival brings together writers who self-identify as having been adopted, fostered, or otherwise displaced to share their stories, make their voices heard, and reshape the narrative of adoption which has for too long been dominated by adoptive parents and the adoption industry. Covering all genres, the festival highlights writing that makes adoptees the subject, rather than the object, of their own stories. Respectful of diverse opinions, we recognize that every adoption story is different, and celebrate all genuine voices that seek to educate, engage, and nurture.https://twitter.com/adopteelitfesthttps://www.facebook.com/adopteelitfest/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv5oxhKLCtMD7mxzkQwvmFg/abouthttps://www.instagram.com/adopteelitfest/https://www.adopteelitfest.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

If you're an adoptee looking to find your birth parents, listen in. Jay shares over 30 years of knowledge on both the practical and emotional aspects of search. A fantastic big picture overview with lots of great little nuggets. Birthparentfinder.com is the creation of Jay Rosenzweig, an award-winning California private investigator. Jay has been licensed for over 30 years and has spent the majority of his career focused on locating people. In 2006, after receiving numerous requests by adoptees resulting in reunification with their families, he started BirthParentFinder.com. Since it's inception, it's been recognized as one of the leading national online companies for finding birth parents and biological relatives.BirthParentFinder.comhttps://www.facebook.com/birthparentfinderhttps://twitter.com/parentsfinderhttps://www.instagram.com/birthparentfinder/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAjrXYaZDHwba5eqKaN5wMg/featured Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

We've all felt shame - it's part of the human experience. But beyond it lies the peace we seek for ourselves and those we love. So how do we get to the other side of shame? Marcy and I go DEEP into this in one of my favourite conversations so far. We hope you love it too.Here's how Marcy describes herself on her website: Jesus-follower, mom to 4 humans, two adopted through the foster system and two biological, multi-passionate mompreneur, best-selling author, international and 2xs TEDx speaker, networker, and mentor. My mission is to help people uncover and present their stories to help them finetune their uniqueness, empower their lives, and to maximize their potential. Here, we work together to create safe spaces and connections so that others feel worthy of value and love.Watch her Tedx Talks:How Story Empower Kids to Shape Our WorldYou Are More Than Your Traumatic ExperiencesFind out more at:https://www.facebook.com/MarcyPusey/https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcypusey/https://www.instagram.com/marcymarie/https://marcypusey.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

GINA ROGERS – PRESIDENTGina Rogers is a dynamic, passionate individual who is eager to serve at-risk children and families. Currently, Gina works at Boys Town North Florida on the Development Team; her title is the site’s Donor Relations Specialist. Gina has earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work and has been certified in Child Welfare Practice as well as Leadership in Executive and Administrative Development. Gina is determined to serve children and families in need and believes in maximizing every child’s opportunity to succeed.DONNA WHITTLE – VICE PRESIDENTDonna Whittle is a native of Tallahassee, FL. Donna professionally holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and has worked for the State of Florida since September 2008. She is a certified traditional foster parent for the State of Florida Department of Children and Families, which began November 2017. Donna and her husband have welcomed nine children into their home, ranging in age from an infant to teenagers, over the past four years. Donna stated, “All the children that we have fostered will always have a piece of my heart. Each child that has left my home are forevermore my godchildren.” Donna’s passion is advocating and caring for children. In November 2019, Donna and her husband adopted three sibling brothers that were their past foster children. Donna stated, “Our boys are a true blessing. I am so grateful that I get to be their mother.” Donna began volunteering for the Heart Gallery Big Bend in June 2021. She has taken on the role of social media coordinator, became a board member in October 2021, and January 2022 became the Vice President. Donna studied website design for three years and participated in yearbook design all four years of high school. She enjoys updating and designing for the Heart Gallery Big Bend website and social media platforms. She is confident that expanding our platform to promote and advocate for children, will increase their chances of getting adopted. She believes every child should have a loving, caring, supportive family. By volunteering, she hopes that she can make a difference by helping children find their forever homes.BELINDA HEYS – TREASURERBelinda Heys is a former foster mom and now adoptive mom. Her passion is advocating for kids to find their forever families. She has been volunteering for the Heart Gallery Big Bend for the last 3 years.CASSIE BRANCH – SECRETARYCassie Branch professionally holds a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Educational Leadership and is the owner of a local childcare facility. Cassie and her husband have invited 12 children in her home ranging from infant to teenagers in the last 3 years. She is a mom to 7 children. Cassie and her husband adopted 3 children in 2020. The Heart Gallery holds a special place in Cassie’s heart. She hopes to help increase awareness of what the Heart Gallery is and increase the number of people involved in volunteering in this organization. She also believes that advocating for children through legislation brings awareness and funding to allow these children to find a forever family.The Heart Gallery Big Bend is dedicated to increasing awareness of children in our community who are available for adoption and in need of loving, permanent homes. The individuality and spirit of each child has been captured by local photographers who have generously donated their time and talent.https://heartgallerybigbend.org/https://www.facebook.com/HeartGalleryBigBendhttps://www.instagram.com/heartgallerybigbend/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Jenni Alpert (Cami) - Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist Jenni Alpert (Birth name: Cameron, Cami) was born in Los Angeles, CA and adopted out of the foster care system at the age of four. She started to sing and play piano while staying in various foster homes. With the encouragement and support of her adoptive family, she learned to play the guitar as well and began writing and record songs early. With her honest rich songwriting and soothing musical melodies, songstress Jenni Alpert’s haunting, powerful, and sultry voice has gained the respect of fans and music tastemakers worldwide. Her emotionally driven songs weave a unique web of eclectic Soul-Americana Pop. As familiar with jazz and Americana as she is pop, Alpert graduated from UCLA in the Ethnomusicology Department after completing a four-year jazz program headed by Kenny Burrell. No stranger to the recording studio, Alpert has released 8 albums and has independently toured over 14 countries with regularity. Upon reuniting with her biological father who was homeless, addicted, and running from the law at the time, yet a musician just like her, a film team decided to make a short documentary entitled Homeless: the Soundtrack directed by Oscar-nominated, Peabody and Emmy Award winning documentary film director Irene Taylor Brodsky, produced by Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz about the early stages that unfold the journey of their biological reunion capturing the unique bond they share. The two performed to share their biological reunion adventures and on creative approaches towards transformation in story and song together alongside supporting the film as a duo under the name Cami and Don,The Biological Duo until his passing. Currently Jenni Alpert (Cami) continues to join a range of non profits and organizations that focus on adoption, foster care, the Adoption Constellation, and homelessness as keynote speaker and performer in support of education and healing.Listen to Don’s Take in soundbites https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/KGpcgbiuhLt6eMc29Read article from EpochTimes: https://www.theepochtimes.com/father-daughter-duo-proves-home-is-where-the-heart-guitar-and-family-are_3076655.htmlNBC Nightly: https://youtu.be/ZEsc-j7pMaEhttps://vimeo.com/577773273 Password: jennialpertbiologicalreunionhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0578938138/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_F56B7GGM6VYKXB27RKKDhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cdP6dotlBs23P1dR3eL9r3gqMUDu-oyhttps://www.facebook.com/camianddonbiologicalduohttps://www.facebook.com/jennialpertmusicwww.jennialpert.com Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Richard Rose is the Director of Therapeutic Life Story Work International (TLSWi). TLSWi provides consultancy and training on Therapeutic Life Story Work and working with ‘hard to reach’ children and adolescents and develops academic training programmes in the UK and Internationally. TLSWi is also the professional body for Therapeutic Life Story Work and engages in research, supervision and professional development of all members.Richard has worked with traumatised children and families since he was 17 years old, and in that time has been shaped by those he has journeyed with over the last 38 years. He qualified in Social Work in 1989 and since then worked in the UK in local authority child protection and from 1997 with the highly regarded residential therapeutic treatment agency SACCS, including four years as the Clinical Practice Director of the Mary Walsh Institute.Throughout his career, Richard has worked with children and their families in and out of home care and within birth family placements, with the aim of enabling these placements to become healthy and nurturing.Richard is a regular visitor to Australia where he is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University, Melbourne and Honorary Associate of Berry Street, Melbourne. He is also an Honorary Associate of the Open Adoption Institute, University of Sydney. He is a regular visitor to the USA, where he presents for Portland State University, DHS Oregon and ORPARC (Adoption Services).Richard is the author of The Child’s Own Story – Life Story Work with Traumatised Children (2004); Life Story Therapy with Traumatised Children – A Model for Practice (2012) and Innovative Therapeutic Life Story Work (2017).In 2020 he founded Therapeutic Life Story Work International (TLSWi) and this will now be the home of TLSW and a new International Professional Community that impacts across the World.He is married to Paula and has two children, Ben and Callum.https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-richard-rose-81779045/https://tlswi.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Seasoned professionals Phil and Mike share 2 lifetimes worth of insights, learning and understanding into what helps adopted kids thrive. Given the depth and breadth of their experience there's a host of nuggets here, so settle in for your own learning.Phil Scarpelli is the President and CEO of the Brevard Family Partnership Family of Agencies. Phil joined the Brevard Family Partnership in November 2018. Since the inception of privatization, he has been proudly involved in Florida’s child welfare system as early as the late 1990s. Previously, Phil worked as part of the Department of Children and Families Central Region’s Leadership on its middle and senior managers’ professional development and talent management. Before that, he was the State Director with Key Assets Florida, Inc., part of the International Core Assets Group, a leading children’s services provider.Phil has 30 years of experience working in behavioral healthcare and child welfare in both clinical and administrative capacities. Throughout his career, he has been committed to children and families at risk. To develop a perpetual learning environment willing to challenge the status quo, embrace innovation, inclusion, transparency, and trust.Phil has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Gerontology from Iona College and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Yeshiva University.Mike DiBrizzi is President/Chief Executive Officer Camelot Community CareHe began his employment with Camelot in 1994 and has held various direct care and leadership positions before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2007. Mr. DiBrizzi has served on various community boards and committees including as Board Chairman for The Foster Family-Based Treatment Association and The Florida Coalition for Children Foundation. Mr. DiBrizzi is a graduate of Leadership Pinellas and serves on the City of Largo, Fl. Planning Board. Mr. DiBrizzi received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tampa and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Florida.https://brevardfp.org/https://www.facebook.com/BrevardFamilyPartnership/https://twitter.com/BrevardFPhttps://www.instagram.com/brevardfamilypartnership/https://www.youtube.com/user/Brevardfamilypartner Bringing Families Together For A Bright Future. At Camelot Community Care, this is not merely a slogan – it is our “calling”. Our dedicated team seeks to live out this calling each and every day with respect, compassion and commitment equal to the enormous trust placed in us on behalf of our community’s most vulnerable children and families. We measure our work against the most important yardstick we know; making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Camelot Community Care’s ability to create better outcomes for those we serve can be seen in the wide variety of effective programs that we implement and oversee. We continue to make a positive impact that will be felt in our community for generations to come! As a community-based care agency, partnership, and a spirit of collaborative caring are written into the DNA of our organization. Through collaborative partnerships with other agencies statewide, our foster parents, volunteers, and community benefactors, our mission of enabling children and families to realize their fullest potential by stopping the cycle of abuse and neglect in families and in our community is possible. The success of this model of care continues to be demonstrated year after year. In spite of on-going society-wide economic challenges, the state’s opioid crisis, an increase in the number of children receiving out-of-home services statewide, and flat funding, our network, and tremendous community partnerships have allowed Camelot to continue our forward-thinking approach. The child welfare system journey is ongoing and we would like to thank you for sharing it with us as we continue to keep our children safe and create a bright future for our most important resource.https://www.camelotcommunitycare.org/https://www.facebook.com/camelotcchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/camelot-community-care-inc./ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Adoptee & therapist Brett dives deep into how we change. We want to change and yet the work involved seems daunting. Why is that? How does safety keep us stuck? How does adoption impact safety? Where's the freedom from this for adoptees? It's an empowering and uplifting conversation. Here's some info on Brett and the Center he works at from their website.Dr. Brett Furst holds a B.S. in Child and Adolescent Development from The University of California, Davis, an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He has his Doctorate in Psychology from Alliant International University. Dr. Furst is a fully trained, EMDRIA approved, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. Dr. Furst, in addition to his focus on the underlying causes of addiction, specializes in academic and educational difficulties, and provides supportive services to those clients pursuing continuing education at PACE, including managing ADHD symptoms, proper study habits, and processing difficulties, from a therapeutic lens. Therapeutically, Brett comes from a Gestalt perspective, placing emphasis on the exploration of the authentic self and how inauthenticity and the negative personas clients create contribute to their unhealthy habits and the disconnection from themselves through substance. Dr. Furst has worked at several local treatment facilities where he has customized several young adult curriculums. Brett has also developed one of the first experiential poetry groups, and finds group work to be some of the most rewarding he has done. He enjoys spending time with his family and dog, and exploring new parts of his native Orange County.https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettfurst/https://fursttherapy.com/At PACE Recovery Center, we believe in empowering our clients to fulfill their own particular dreams. We believe that Positive Attitudes Change Everything. Our trained addiction treatment staff will help our clients identify their specific recovery goals, and help them achieve them. From our home base in Orange County, we also provide in-depth mental health services that address the root issues driving addiction and mental illness. Once men leave our program, they have all the tools they need to thrive in recovery.Giving Men the Skills for SobrietyLong-term sobriety is more than simply not using alcohol or drugs, it is about living life. Helping our clients develop life skills, educational aims, or vocational goals not only teaches them about responsibility and accountability, but also helps improve their self-esteem.https://www.instagram.com/pacerecovery/https://www.facebook.com/PaceRecoveryCenterLLChttps://www.pacerecoverycenter.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Therapy is often seen as THE route to overcoming trauma and thriving. Mentoring is less known and less common. In this episode I interview mentor Jessica on the benefits of mentoring to help adoptees thrive. Listen in for insights, aha moments and personal learnings.Jessica is a transracial adoptee born in Bogota, Colombia who grew up in Long Island, New York. She is an Adoptee Advocate, working to create supportive spaces for adoptees and their families. Jessica was one of the founding mentors in the NYC Teen Mentorship program which began in 2006, and now is the Manager of Community Engagements at Spence-Chapin, overseeing all community programming. Jessica’s passion for connecting with adoptees and their families has always been the driving force in her work and is the reason she continues to create spaces for adoptee stories and voices.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-m-luciere-3a438340https://www.instagram.com/jmluciere/?hl=en-gbSpence-Chapin Services to Families and Children is a non-profit organization that has been providing adoption and adoption support services for over a century. The Spence-Chapin Way is to provide guidance and support to children, women, and families throughout all our program areas.https://spence-chapin.org/community-programming/https://spence-chapin.org/https://www.facebook.com/spencechapin/https://www.instagram.com/spencechapinsvc/https://twitter.com/SpenceChapinSvchttps://www.youtube.com/user/AdoptionsNYC Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Life can feel really tough when our kids are showing the signs of their trauma. Adoptive mom of two Heather has been there and felt like throwing in the towel. So how do we get past this? How do we ride the emotional rollercoaster that is parenting kids from tough places? Heather goes deep on self regulation, unconditional love, absolute security and tapping into a source bigger than ourselves so our families thrive.Heather T. Forbes, LCSW, is the owner of the Beyond Consequences Institute and author of numerous books on the topic of working with children impacted by trauma. Coming from a family of educators, Heather has a passion for helping children in the classroom. Trauma robs children of their curiosity, and Heather’s passion is to help these students return back to their innate love for learning. She consults and lectures extensively with both general and special education schools around the nation and the world.Her signature style is to bridge the gap between academic research and “when the rubber hits the road” classroom situations, giving teachers and school personnel the understanding and tools they need for even the most challenging of students. Heather has worked in schools with trauma-impacted students and knows firsthand how challenging it can be on a daily basis with these students.Much of her insight on understanding trauma, disruptive behaviors, and developmental delays, comes from her own experience of raising two internationally adopted children and mentoring a severely trauma-impacted young adult.https://www.beyondconsequences.com/https://www.facebook.com/BeyondConsequenceshttps://twitter.com/HeatherTForbeshttps://www.youtube.com/c/HeatherForbes/videos Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Known stories heal. So how do we do that? Adoptive mom and story expert Alisa shares a host of practical insights into this vital topic. She breaks the process down for adoptive parents so they can gather and share their child's story in an empowering and healing way.Here's a bit about Alisa and her organisation from her website:Alisa Matheson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Counseling, in 2017 from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and completed an Advanced Certificate in Therapeutic Lifestory Work and The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative Courses.She has experience as an adoptive and foster parent, adoption recruiter, educator and contractor; completed 30 Lifebooks and 80 Social and Medical Histories. In every role over the past 11 years, she has championed communication, relationship building, and respect for the personhood and rights of everyone involved in the child welfare system.We envision a world in which everyone has the same person-centered access to their own personal history, stories, and medical information.Power of Story completes Lifebooks and Social Medical Histories with children and youth in Minnesota foster care to bring these necessary, healing, therapeutic, and valuable items to life.We also provides life history specific resources and workshops nationwide.More at:https://powerofstory.us/https://www.facebook.com/powerofstory.us/https://www.instagram.com/powerofstory.us/https://www.linkedin.com/company/power-of-story/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw1LBjPOu_Oybwke8AtemnQ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Being where the other is. Putting ourselves in our kids' shoes. Seeing life through their lens. Maria goes deep on how we build empathy and connection with our kids to help them heal and thrive.Maria Nanos, LCSW, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of the Greenlight Family Services. Dr. Nanos received her Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago and her masters in social work at Jane Addams, University of Illinois. Dr. Nanos’ clinical career began in 1987 focusing on children and families of sexual abuse and neglect in the Chicagoland area. Dr. Nanos rapidly moved into managerial positions supervising programs in areas of mental health, child abuse, sexual assault, DCFS investigations and more recently grandparents raising grandchildren. Dr. Nanos is an avid advocate for human services in Chicago and is a frequent presenter at conferences and trainings. Dr. Nanos is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago in the Masters program and has a part time clinical private practice. She has consulted with many agencies in Chicago thus reaching thousands of families.Dr. Nanos is a native Chicagoan who enjoys most outdoor activities, travel and nature. She resides with her family in Evanston.Greenlight Family Services (formally known as Center for Law and Social Work) has been preserving families, providing hope and protecting lives throughout the State of Illinois since 2003. Our mission is to achieve the best outcomes for families, young adults, and children by providing the highest quality services. In the beginning, Greenlight focused on providing legal assistance for the growing population of grandparents raising grandchildren. Each year, Greenlight strategically expanded its legal and social services.In 2017, Greenlight acquired Porchlight Counseling Services and added specialized sexual assault therapy to our array of crisis counseling services programming. These services exist to help college sexual assault survivors achieve healing and wholeness and to create a world in which a person’s life is not defined by the devastating experience of sexual assault. The program provides counseling, advocacy, and other supportive services to the survivors of campus sexual assault, with the goal to provide high-quality, long-term counseling at no charge to the client.In 2019, Greenlight expanded its services and moved its main office to the South Side of Chicago to better serve its foster care and post adoption families where they live. Greenlight also opened a Springfield office to better serve the southern region of the state of Illinois.Today, Greenlight manages the Heart Gallery of Illinois and Adoption Listing Service for the state of Illinois and provides relative, non-relative, second parent, step-parent, adoption services as well as DCFS foster parent adoption and post adoption services. Greenlight provides services for more than 7,000 families and young adults each year.https://greenlightfamilyservices.org/https://greenlightfamilyservices.org/heartgalleryofil/https://www.facebook.com/GreenlightILhttps://www.instagram.com/greenlight_il/?hl=en Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

If our kids come from trauma life can be dark. Where's the bright light of hope? It's in neuro-plasticity, the brain's built in capacity to change. Melissa translates the science into every day language we can all understand and sets out practical ways to harness neuroplasticity so our kids can thrive.Melissa is an adoptee and adoptive mom. Here's a bit about her and her organisation from their websitePatrick and I are parents to six by both birth and adoption (ages 14-23). Our open-door policy has blessed us with lots of honorary family members along the way. As an Enneagram Coach, Safe and Sound Practitioner, and Empowered to Connected parent trainer, I love helping families laugh more and yell less. I hate cleaning and love extra crispy french fries.Here at the Adoption Connection, we use our real-life experiences in adoptive parenting to bridge the gap between theory and practice.You’ll find practical resources rooted in our faith in Jesus and backed by brain-science to bring you hope for your family’s future athttps://theadoptionconnection.com/https://www.facebook.com/theadoptionconnectionhttps://www.instagram.com/postadoptionresources/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Lindsay Hermida helped Lindsay Rustan adopt. She's now raising 6 (yes 6!) teenagers. Her gold dust insight absolutely blew me away. So be sure to listen out for it. As a high school teacher Lindsay is ideally placed to explain what goes on within the educational system. Her knowledge puts you in a better place to get the support your kids are due. Listen in as the three of us go deep on adopting from foster care and explore advocating for your kids. Lindsay Hermida worked in the foster care system for six years prior to joining the Heart Gallery team in 2014. She initially began working with newly licensed foster parents before transitioning to work specifically with prospective adoptive parents and helping to match waiting children to their forever families. She has also worked for Eckerd Community Alternatives as an Operations Specialist and liaison between Eckerd and case management agencies. Helping children find their forever families has been the most fulfilling thing Lindsay has ever done both personally and professionally. Through her work with the Heart Gallery, she is now able to make a direct impact on the lives of children waiting to be adopted through her work as the Executive Director.Every child deserves love. So, we created the Heart Gallery of Tampa to find forever families for Tampa’s foster children. These kids are just like any other kids, only they’ve experienced abuse, abandonment, and neglect. They find themselves in foster care through no fault of their own. What they need most is a family. The Heart Gallery gives them a face, a voice and a place to shine. Give your heart… adopt.https://heartgallerytampa.org/https://www.instagram.com/heartgallerytpa/https://www.facebook.com/HeartGalleryTampa/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

The title may cause some to question this episode or simply not listen to it. I chose the topic out of deep respect for Herbie's beliefs and because I know a lot of adopters are religious too. I was also curious as to where we'd go. I'm not a religious person but my own healing experience appears to be more spiritual than psychological. More magic than logic. That's why healing can't be set out in a step by step rational process. Rewiring our brains isn't like rewiring a plug. It's magical. I would suggest that from a religious perspective God is the source of the magic.Perhaps our kids trauma happened before they came into our homes. Perhaps it happens in trying to figure it out. Herb talks about how God's grace helps us heal. We take a deep and religious dive that's all about everyone's intrinsic value. Hugely profound, we explore humility and self awareness. The better we understand ourselves the better able we are to help our kids understand themselves. The clearer we can see our own worth, the more clearly we can point our kids towards their own worth. The worth that lies underneath the trauma waiting to be revealed.Here's a link to the last interview with Herbie https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/herbie-newell-president-executive-director-pYbKfULKHerbie is the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services and its ministry arms. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Accounting from Samford University. He worked with WAKM Companies, LLC, a prominent accounting firm, for several years as an independent auditor before being led to Lifeline in 2003 as Executive Director. From January 2004 to December 2008, he served as the president of the Alabama Adoption Coalition and was chosen as a Hague Intercountry Adoption evaluator and team leader by the Council of Accreditation. Under Herbie’s leadership, Lifeline has increased international outreach to 25 countries through adoption and strategic orphan care, obtained licensure in 12 states, attained membership into the ECFA (Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability), and established the foster care arm at Lifeline. Herbie has spoken at many events concerning adoption and the Church’s response to orphan care, including the National Council for Adoption, Christian Alliance for Orphans, Together for Adoption, Care Net and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.Having witnessed the plight of older orphans on many international trips, Herbie’s burden for the fatherless was a catalyst for forming (un)adopted in 2009, Lifeline’s strategic orphan care ministry focused on equipping orphaned and vulnerable children with life skills needed to bring about community transformation. During Summer 2013, Herbie and his family traveled for seven weeks throughout China, working with (un)adopted and orphanage partners. In Summer 2018, he and his family served for five weeks in Colombia with Lifeline’s adoption and orphan care partners.Herbie and his wife, Ashley, live in Birmingham, Alabama, and are parents to son, Caleb, and daughters, Adelynn and Emily. Following her graduation from Samford, Ashley worked as Assistant Director of Sav-A-life, a Birmingham-based crisis pregnancy center, where she counseled hundreds of women on life-giving options for their babies.Herbie and Ashley share a passion for the unborn, life, and adoption and desire to spend their lives advocating for the least of these.Connect with Herbie at:https://twitter.com/Hmnewellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/herbienewell/Here's a summary from Lifeline's website "With a mission to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children, we know we cannot do this without one another. Whether through adoption, foster care, orphan care, or education and counseling, the mission is accomplished when churches live out James 1:27 in their communities and to the ends of the earth. Lifeline’s four decades of experience serves to assist families with international adoption in all 50 states, each of the U.S. territories and with U.S. citizens living abroad. Lifeline also serves women in unexpected pregnancies and families through domestic adoption."More at:https://www.facebook.com/lifelinechildhttps://lifelinechild.org/https://www.instagram.com/lifelinechild/https://twitter.com/lifelinechildhttps://vimeo.com/lifelinechild Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

How do transracial adoptees come to terms with feelings of loss and shame? Clare shares what she's learning as we dive deep into mental health and limiting beliefs. We also touch on physical health given her wake up call after being diagnosed with diabetes. Inspirational.Check out Claire's amazing letter to herself here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uCIJtEfcEAkrz_NiZTjer_0JKB-kpyxMhbXrKZxzTKc/editConnect with her here:https://www.facebook.com/claire.magenheimerhttps://www.instagram.com/claire_magenheimerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-magenheimer/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Life can be chaotic for all families. So how do get comfortable with the chaos? What do we focus on to help our kids thrive? How do we need to be so that happen? Danielle dives deep into humility, vulnerability, re-thinking our own past. Boldly being wrong about who we think we are and what we do changes our lives for the better.Here are links to the book from my mentor that I recommend in the interview:https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Your-Fault-Choosing-ebook/dp/B07957XB9T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34D7KHUUD05FN&keywords=Elizabeth+Ivory&qid=1660294268&rnid=2941120011&s=books&sprefix=elizabeth+ivory%2Caps%2C144&sr=1-1https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-Your-Fault-Choosing-ebook/dp/B07957XB9T/ref=sr_1_2?crid=22513BOGT0UTN&keywords=elizabeth+ivory&qid=1660294218&sprefix=Elizabeth+Iv%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-2Here's a bit about Danielle and the organisation she founded from her websites:Danielle Gletow, a passionate children’s rights advocate for nearly 20 years is all too familiar with the disheartening state of the foster care system. As a former emergency placement guardian and now adoptive parent, Danielle witnessed the saddening circumstances surrounding the “forgotten children” of the system. Often times, babies, toddlers and adolescents are robbed of their blissful innocence, but Danielle has sought to bring love, hope and joy to each child through the work of her foundation, One Simple Wish. What began as a small startup in her Central NJ home with a personal $10,000 investment, has grown to a million dollar nonprofit serving children in 49 states through a network of more than 800 Community Partner agencies – the largest of its kind. She’s been able to empower everyday people to make direct and meaningful differences in the lives of foster children and at-risk youth one simple wish at a time and her efforts have not gone unnoticed. She has appeared on Nightline, The Harry Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN, The Kate Couric Show and has been featured in publications like Christian Science Monitor, The Star Ledger, The Washington Post and Woman’s World to name a few. She was also honored as one of the Most Influential Moms in America by Family Circle and chosen out of tens of thousands of nominees as a top 10 CNN Hero. Her heartfelt compassion and goodwill, despite her own disrupted childhood, have taught her to turn adversity into assets and she hopes to instill that within everyone she encounters—be it in front of an audience of fellow professionals or individuals she encounters in her every day life. Danielle’s witty, caring and invigorating demeanor make her relatable, as she touches on the topics of female empowerment, living with mental illness, childhood trauma and so much more. With a book in the works, she is a speaker not to be missed.https://www.facebook.com/DanielleGletow/https://twitter.com/DGletowhttps://www.daniellegletow.com/At One Simple Wish we believe that every child deserves love, hope and joy.Every year nearly 500,000 children are impacted by abuse, neglect and trauma and spend time in our nation’s foster care system. It can be lonely, confusing and a bit scary. Through our innovative wish-granting platform, you can send some love to a child who needs it. When wishes come true, kids not only have a chance to just be kids, but they can also make important connections, experience new things and find their passion!500,000+ kids spend time in foster care each year.100,000+ kids are waiting to be adopted.22,000+ young people age out without stable, permanent connections.https://www.onesimplewish.org/https://twitter.com/OneSimpleWishhttps://www.facebook.com/onesimplewish Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Adoptee Emma shares what she's learned about how we break from addiction whether that's our thinking or other addictions like alcohol. It's a particularly profound episode. I hope you find it as powerfully enlightening and empowering as I did.Emma Stevens is a U.S. domestic adoptee from birth and has survived layers of trauma that have put her on multiple journeys. She developed the inner strength and courage to surmount the many struggles she faced. Her traumas were born from being an adoptee who struggled with being forced to wear an impossible mask of playing the part of the “good adopted child.” Because being relinquished and adopted has colored her life, it’s Emma’s desire to be part of the movement that is dedicated to helping bring forth change to the way our world views the needs and support of adopted individuals. She believes strongly in adoptees finding their voice and discovering their truth to have a solid sense of self and to reclaim their identities. Through telling her story, Emma is dedicated to help redefine the narrative of adoption to include the entire complex truth.https://mobile.twitter.com/emmastevenstgphttps://www.facebook.com/Emmastevens99https://www.instagram.com/emmastevensthegatheringplaceWhen Emma learns her birth mother wrote and signed a letter about her to the adoption agency, she knew she had to have that letter if she were to ever discover her birth mother's true identity. Her birth mother had used a fictitious name at the maternity home and used an assumed name on Emma's original birth certificate. Emma takes bold measures to get ahold of that letter and start solving the puzzle that is her life.Emma was adopted into a family that expected her to conform to their expectations of who she should be — but she did not arrive as a blank slate. Unable to see that her relinquishment and adoption were not her fault, her soul split into pieces. In order to put the pieces back together, Emma embarks on multiple journeys and adventures towards both solving the mystery of who she is, and healing from the pain of separation from her origins.Emma powerfully describes a childhood and life profoundly affected by not knowing her true self. Has she ever known her true self?It's a story of inner strength and perseverance where Emma welcomes all her parts of self to feel valued and seen. She fights to reunite her fractured soul through love and acceptance of herself, and of others. In a meditative and surreal state, under and around a big old oak tree with a simple wood-seated and rope swing attached, she accepts the invitation of integrating herself. And this reunion all takes place at The Gathering Place.https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Place-Adoptees-Story/dp/B09HH8PDGLhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Gathering-Place-Adoptees-Story/dp/B09N54ZRRT Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

A low sense of self worth can plague adoptees. So how do we make our kids see their iron clad value? To be comfortable in their own skins? How does being a transracial adoptee play out in this issue which is in fact all about identity? What do we need to do to help our kids with this? Adoptive dad, counselor and professor Dr Mark Andrews shares his empowering answers to these tricky questions.Here's a bit about Mark from his website:"My own experience as an adoptive parent since 1994 has also reinforced my belief in the need for increased pre- and post-placement support and education for parents. Like all adoptive parents, much of my and my wife’s experience was trial and error—especially in that we had not been parents previously. I have learned a lot over the past three decades! I have “walked the walk” of experiencing both the mountains and valleys (and everything in-between) of the adoptive parent life. It is my passion to pass on what I’ve learned to other adoptive and foster parents. Thus, in 2018 I concluded my time working in the mental health field to begin Adoptive Family Resources (AFR). AFR is an initiative to provide support, resources and ongoing training for adoptive and foster parents in both the pre- and post-adoptive periods."More at:https://www.adoptivefamilyresources.org/https://www.instagram.com/adoptivefamilyresources/https://www.facebook.com/AdoptiveFamilyResources/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Mike's sense of self crumbled on finding out he was adopted at 9. It took him decades to become secure in himself. How did he? What can we learn to unleash our own greatness? How can we be more of who we truly are? Listen in with big ears.Our greatest learnings often come from the toughest times. Here's a bit about Mike from his website:"When I was nine, my parents told me I was adopted, and it shattered my sense of identity and belonging. After that point, I believed being “perfect” was the only way to avoid rejection and abandonment. For years, I chose to trust only myself.It was only through finding the people I felt I belonged with and could trust, through sports, work, friends, and family, that I was able to build my confidence and truly believe in my ultimate success.I call this group of people your personal trust community. In my own, my wife supports my emotional and social well-being. Father John supports my spiritual well-being. My personal trainer, Suzan, supports my physical well-being. They, along with several others, have helped me unleash my own greatness.Seeing my own transformation using the help of my personal trust community spurred me to want to help others find their personal trust communities too.I now help executives and individuals determine what’s holding them back, restore their dignity, and build personal trust communities in their lives and organizations to unleash their own greatness and achieve their goals."More at:https://mikethorne.co/https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbthorne/https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_thorne_three_words_that_can_transform_our_lives_they_aren_t_what_you_thinkhttps://adoptioncouncil.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Kelly thought that her experience raising 3 bio kids, her knowledge of trauma and qualifications in children and infant mental health would make raising her adopted child straightforward. It was anything but. Listen as we take a deep dive into what she learned and continues to learn. We explore helping kids adjust to new environments, building trust, vulnerability and more. Kelly's gift to listeners is her openness to share what she's learned about herself. Empowering and insightful.Kelly founded The Sparrow Fund along with her husband Mark in 2011. She spearheads the Sparrow Counseling program for foster and adoptive children and their families along with Louie, a service-trained golden retriever. Kelly has a particular interest in (a) partnering with parents to help children understand their stories in healing ways; (b) encouraging, equipping, and empowering parents to experience healing relationship as they navigate the effects of trauma; and (c) helping caregivers and teachers of vulnerable children best experience the power of relationship. Kelly and Mark have been married since 1998 and have 3 biological children and 1 daughter who was adopted as a toddler from China in 2010. You can read more about Kelly’s professional background on the Sparrow Counseling pageThe Sparrow Fund cares for caregivers, supporting families in foster care and adoption as well as those who care for vulnerable children. We give grants for families to receive individualized support as they build their family via adoption. We provide specialized counseling services. We offer training and connecting opportunities that encourage, equip, and empower caregivers. We seek to serve in orphanages and educational settings to care for caregivers who stand in the gap for vulnerable childrenFind out more at:https://www.instagram.com/sparrowfund/https://www.facebook.com/TheSparrowFundhttp://sparrow-fund.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's the link to the other podcast episode on unpacking our own baggage as adoptive parents that I mention in the interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/unpacking-our-own-baggage-as-adoptive-parents-with-hollyann-petree-mom-executive-directorMarcy and her husband adopted a biological sibling pair.While remote schooling my children during the pandemic, she began to see a gap between adults with a desire to adopt and the 115,000 adoptable children within the United States. Marcy is the author: "Are You a Forever Family?" & "The Forgotten Adoption Option"Host: The Forgotten Adoption Option PodcastFacebook Community / Instagram / LinkedInwww.forgottenadoptionoption.comMeet waiting children and get tools to pursue foster care adoption. Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Connect with me at www.simonbenn.co.uk email [email protected] Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's a bit about Meg and the Trust she works for. As the Director of Home Visiting Training and Professional Development, Meg oversees all initial and ongoing professional development for home visiting staff across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.During her tenure with the Children’s Trust, Meg has developed partnerships to strengthen and advance home visiting at the state and national levels. For seven years, Meg coordinated the Healthy Families Massachusetts training program. Prior to joining the Children’s Trust, Meg directed early literacy programs for young children and worked as a preschool teacher.Meg received her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and has extensive experience in early education, adult learning and integration, and instructional design.Our programs partner with parents to help them build the lifelong skills and self-confidence they need to ensure children grow up safe and healthy.https://www.childrenstrustma.org/https://www.facebook.com/trust4kidshttps://www.instagram.com/trust4kids/https://www.youtube.com/childrenstrustfund Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Genevieve is the Executive Director of A Family in Bloom Adoption and also one of the Placement Supervisors. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and received her Master’s Degree from the University of California Santa Barbara in Counseling Psychology in 1990 with a focus in Marriage, Family, and Children. Her 30 years of experience in the field encompasses work in child abuse prevention, University counseling programs; as a school psychologist, and for the last fifteen years, exclusively in the adoption field. Before founding A Family in Bloom Adoption in 2011, Genevieve was employed by several long-standing agencies in the State of Colorado. She has spent much of her adult life living, working, and traveling abroad. Two of her own three children are adopted internationally and transracially.Here's some info from Genevieve's agency's website: A Family in Bloom Adoption is a licensed, Hague Approved International and Domestic Adoption Agency in Colorado. We help create and grow families through international adoptions.Our mission is to accomplish this goal through quality personalized service, with a commitment to high ethics and integrity. Central to the agency’s philosophy is the belief that every child deserves a loving, secure, and permanent family. Respect, care, and understanding are integral to our work with birth parents. The agency works with any applicant, birth parent, or adoptive child regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin. We are licensed for adoptions in the age range of 0 to 18 years. Children with special needs can be placed by the agency.https://www.afamilyinbloomadoption.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

For more than 30 years, Rita Soronen has worked on behalf of abused, neglected and vulnerable children, providing leadership for local, state and national efforts, working to improve the juvenile justice and child welfare systems while striving to assure safe and permanent homes for North America’s children.Leading the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity, since 2001 and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption-Canada since 2004, Ms. Soronen works to find permanent families for the more than 135,000 waiting children in North America’s foster care systems. Under her leadership, the Foundation has significantly increased its grant-making while developing strategic initiatives that act on the urgency of the issue. In 2021, the Foundation dedicated more than $40.9 million to grants and award-winning programs, such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids®, Adoption-Friendly Workplace™ and National Adoption Day. Additionally, through public service announcements, social media campaigns, articles, events, sponsorships and more, the Foundation is building awareness around the growing need for foster care adoption.Under Ms. Soronen’s leadership, the Foundation created Wendy’s Wonderful Kids in 2004 with seven pilot sites as a platform to engage more partners to transform failing child welfare practices and, most importantly, to aggressively find the right families for children waiting much too long to be adopted. In 2011, a rigorous, five-year national evaluation by Washington, D.C.-based Child Trends revealed that a child referred to the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program is up to three times more likely to be adopted. In 2017, with the support of the Blue Meridian Partners, the Foundation launched an aggressive, multi-year business plan to take Wendy’s Wonderful Kids to scale in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. With support from the Foundation’s partners and generous donors, more than 500 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters have helped to find forever families for more than 12,000 children in foster care and counting across the U.S. and Canada.Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Soronen served as the executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Franklin County. During that time, she also served as the president of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio CASA/GAL Association and led the passage of specialty license plate legislation benefiting CASA programs throughout Ohio, as well as the design and implementation of model program standards assuring the consistent application of effective advocacy for children involved in court proceedings at the local and state levels.Ms. Soronen is a nationally recognized child welfare advocate. She has testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth on the importance of foster care adoption. A requested national speaker on the topics of children, the child welfare system and social innovation, Ms. Soronen has been a featured presenter at events for the Center for Adoption Support and Education, Children Need Amazing Parents, National Association of County Commissioners, the National Council for Adoption, North American Council on Adoptable Children, the Philanthropy Roundtable and at While House adoption events, among others. Ms. Soronen is a founding board member and past vice president of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and is a current member of the advisory board. She also serves as a member of Barco’s Nightingales Foundation’s advisory board and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children’s board of trustees.Ms. Soronen is a founding board member and past vice president of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and is a current member of the advisory board. She also serves as a member of Barco’s Nightingales Foundation’s advisory board and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children’s board of trustees. Ms. Soronen is a recipient of the Angels in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, the National CASA Association Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year Award, the Ohio CASA/GAL Association Statewide Leadership Award and was a 2013 recipient of WSNY’s 20 Outstanding Women You Should Know. She is a fellow of the Jefferson Fellowship for Executive Leadership; was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Community Leadership from Franklin University in 2016; was named a YWCA Woman of Achievement in 2017; was named a National Number One by the Columbus Foundation in 2018; and was honored with Smart Business Network’s 2019 Smart 50 Program Award for Impact, Giving Back to the Community.A graduate of the University of Louisville, Ms. Soronen resides in Columbus, Ohio.Ms. Soronen is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council and shares insights regularly through articles with fellow council members. Read Ms. Soronen’s latest articles.Th

An adoptive mother of two now-adult children and a former foster parent, Gayle H. Swift is also a certified coach, co-founder of GIFT (Growing Intentional Families Together). GIFT provides family coaching before, during and after adoption, a former teacher, and former newsletter editor. As a staunch adoptee-rights activist, Gayle has presented at the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) Conference. She believes in the power of books to inform, heal, and create community.Gayle is also fifty-six year survivor of ovarian cancer, she values the blessing of family relationships. Gayle has zip-lined in Costa Rica, paraglided in Peru, hiked to the Sun Gate above the citadel of Machu Picchu, and snow-shoed in Antarctica but parenting proved to be the greatest adventure of her life.She has collaborated with her daughter, Casey A. Swift (an adoptee, media specialist, teacher, and the 2017 Teacher of the Year for her school ) on two award-winning books: ABC Adoption and Me and We’re Adopted, So What? Teens Tell It Like It Is. Then, with her GIFT Family Services colleague, Sally Ankerfelt, they co-authored Reimagining Adoption: What Adoptees Seek From Families and Faith, an award-winning publication.Gayle has won six Royal Palm Literary Awards.More at:https://gaylehswift.com/Here's more about Gail's organisation from their website.At Growing Intentional Families Together, we believe that the decision to adopt a child is yours and yours alone. We know that you have what it takes to discern whether adoption is right for you. Our adoption coaches all are adoptive parents or adoptees. We are here to give you tools, insights, and behind-the-scenes information that will help you feel confident in your decision. If you currently are parenting a child through adoption, Growing Intentional Families Together stands ready to help you navigate the joys and challenges of parenting. Through it all, we are here with skilled support so your adoption journey is as successful and fulfilling as it can be.https://giftfamilyservices.com/https://www.facebook.com/GIFTFamilyServices/https://mobile.twitter.com/aboutadopting Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Check out www.simonbenn.co.uk to book me as a speaker Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Imani Z. Seunarine is Vice President of Behavioral Health and Outpatient Services at The Home for Little Wanderers https://www.linkedin.com/in/imani-seunarine-lmhc-1b870630/ Here's some more from their website: Here's a bit about The Home from their website:As the oldest child welfare agency in America, we have maintained our commitment to children since before the Civil War. Because every child deserves happiness, and no child should go through life alone.Each year, our community-based programs and residences meet the needs of more than 15,000 diverse youngsters and family members. These children are often society’s most vulnerable, victims of trauma, violence or shattered family lives.We ensure their emotional, social, educational and physical well- being from birth to age 26 through a dedicated team of professionals and a wide range of critical services. As a result, disadvantaged kids have safe surroundings, loving relationships and a secure path toward tomorrow.Find out more athttps://thehome.org/https://www.facebook.com/thehomeforlittlewanderershttps://twitter.com/thehomeorghttps://www.instagram.com/thehomeforlittlewanderers/71 Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Joy Alessi is Policy Director of the Adoptee Rights Campaign, a diverse group of intercountry Adoptees and allies striving to educate, organize and advocate for U.S. citizenship.https://adopteerightscampaign.org/https://www.facebook.com/citizenshipforalladopteeshttps://twitter.com/ARC_citizenshiphttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMgFx4PefOA0zwce09yRnjAhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptee_rights_campaign/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Check me out and get in touch at www.simonbenn.co.uk Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Alex is a single mother through adoption and a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience. In 2011, Alex started her journey to become a mother through adoption and finds herself, 10 years after the birth of her daughter, happily sharing her daughter's life with her birth family. Alex believes strongly in the importance of belonging and that radical inclusion is critical to spark societal change. Her professional career has been an effort to include and uplift the less resourced. She currently works at a nonprofit called Let It Be Us that recruits foster parents for waiting children and helps connect the child welfare system to ensure every child is placed in a loving home. She graduated from Williams College and University of Chicago Law School, and lives with her daughter in Chicago, Illinois. She is currently working on a memoir about her experience with open adoption, tentatively titled 'Real Mom', and has created a website, Family Love Redefined, https://www.familyloveredefined.com/ , where she posts resources and other podcasts she's done.Alex is Deputy Director at Let It Be Us and has a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and nonprofit legal strategy and operations. As a nonprofit professional with 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has experience leading fundraising and operations teams, expanding and managing back-office functions, and overseeing multi-million dollar facility renovations. Alex earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Williams College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago. Alex has been instrumental in the development of the Let It Be Us Parent Recruitment Events. She also has extensive experience with private and state contracts. She is also a mother through adoption with a passion for reimagining how we define family and ensuring all children are in safe, healthy, happy homes. Let It Be Us is changing the landscape of foster care and adoption in Illinois through innovative programming.Find out more at https://letitbeus.org/https://www.facebook.com/letitbeusorghttps://www.instagram.com/letitbeushttps://twitter.com/letitbeusil Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Trisha and Rich work at Lifesong which seeks to mobilize the Church to care for the orphan, where each member can provide a unique and special service: some to adopt, some to care, some to give. With caring people like you and church partnerships, we support children through global orphan care ministries, Christian adoptive families, and foster care initiatives.https://lifesong.orghttps://www.facebook.com/lifesongfororphanshttps://twitter.com/lifesongorphanshttps://www.instagram.com/lifesongfororphans/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Check out www.simonbenn.co.uk for more on my work and to book me as a speaker. Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

You can email Jane at [email protected] - please use Simon's Podcast in the subject line Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Grace Retreat Foster Care and Adoption Services is a licensing agency contracted by the State of Arizona. Grace Retreat is committed to support families through the process of becoming licensed and providing a home for children. We believe that by supporting the families, they are able to better support the children in their home. We are able to serve Pima, Cochise, and Pinal counties. Find out more at:https://www.graceretreatfostercare.org/https://www.instagram.com/graceretreatfostercare Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Check out www.simonbenn.co.uk for more on my work and to book me as a speaker. Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Debbie B. Riley, LCMFT is the CEO and co-founder of the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.), a nonprofit meeting the mental health needs of adoptive, foster and kinship families. A nationally recognized adoption expert and dynamic public speaker, Ms. Riley is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 40 years of professional experience, including extensive health care management, administrative expertise, designing and developing nationally acclaimed adoption-competent programs, direct delivery of specialized counseling services which affords her the broad knowledge and nationally respected expertise needed to promote mental health training, child advocacy and public policy development.Ms. Riley created a continuum of innovative, culturally responsive evidenced-informed programs to improve the behavioral outcomes of foster and adopted youth and their families which has become a nationally recognized model. Ms. Riley consults with national child welfare agencies on complex child welfare issues and systems of care enhancement. For over a decade she has built and implemented a framework for training an adoption competent mental health workforce nationally and is the founder of TAC (Training for Adoption Competency) Curriculum currently taught in 16 states within the United States. Through a federal cooperative agreement awarded to C.A.S.E. from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Ms. Riley serves as the PI for the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI). NTI developed, piloted, and evaluated two state of the art web-based adoption competency curriculum to build the capacity of child welfare professionals and mental health practitioners that serve youth moving toward permanency, through adoption or guardianship. She also has been a contributor on two other federally funded curriculum initiatives, The National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) and CORETeen.Ms. Riley received her Bachelor of Science in Family and Community Development and Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is co-author of the book, Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens (Riley and Meeks, 2006) and Adoption Specific Therapy, A Guide to Helping Adopted Children and Their Families Thrive (Waterman, Langley, Miranda, and Riley, 2018). She is a contributing author to several book chapter and articles including, The Need for Adoption Competent Mental Health Professionals in Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions, Cultural Guidance for Professionals (Fong and McRoy, 2016); Training for Adoption Competency Curriculum in The Routledge Handbook Of Adoption (Wrober, Helder, and Marr, 2020); Adoption as a Diversity Issue in Professional Preparation: Perceptions of Preservice Education Professionals, Adoptions Quarterly (Taymans, Marotta, Lynch, Riley, Ortiz, Schutt, Mallery, Embich, 2008); Adoption Competent Clinical Practice; Defining Its Meaning and Development, Adoption Quarterly (Atkinson, Freundlich, Gonet, Riley, 2013); and Training for Adoption Competency: Building a Community of Adoption-Competent Clinicians, Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (Atkinson and Riley, 2017).Ms. Riley is the recipient of the 2015 HHS Adoption Excellence Award for Individuals and Professionals, the 2005 Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute Angels in Adoption Award, the 2005 HHS Adoption Excellence Award for support for adoptive families, the 2003 Maryland Governor’s Council on Child Abuse and Neglect Award for Outstanding Advocate, and the 2003 Voice for Adoption Award for Outstanding Work in Post-Adoption Services.Here's a link to her book: Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens: Case Studies & Treatment Considerations for Therapists & ParentsAmazon USAhttps://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Mask-Understanding-Considerations-Therapists-ebook/dp/B09XTVHWRM/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1CQIO3YDK7UFV&keywords=Beneath+the+MAsk&qid=1652896541&s=digital-text&sprefix=beneath+the+mask%2Cdigital-text%2C52&sr=1-2Amazon UKhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Beneath-Mask-Understanding-Adopted-Teens/dp/0971173222/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=iQzAy&pf_rd_p=4894e669-125c-4a90-a2cc-9002e7df2d59&pf_rd_r=GM7ZVSFP8JR6QTGV4VM7&pd_rd_wg=YYPXO&pd_rd_r=bd20be30-68a9-48d9-bc99-9ba57e1d454f&content-id=amzn1.sym.4894e669-125c-4a90-a2cc-9002e7df2d59&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dskThe Center for Adoption Support and Education is a national leader in mental health services for the foster care and adoption community.Find out more at:https://adoptionsupport.org/https://twitter.com/CASEadopthttps://www.facebook.com/caseadopt/https://www.instagram.com/caseadopt/https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-adoption-support-and-education/https://www.youtube.com/c/CenterforAdoptionSupportEducation Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Jim Daly is president of Focus on the Family and host of its daily radio broadcast, heard by more than 6 million listeners a week on nearly 2,000 radio stations across the U.S. The show has been honored as Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). In March 2022, he celebrated his 33rd anniversary with the ministry.Daly’s personal journey from orphan to head of an international Christian organization dedicated to helping families thrive is a powerful story. Abandoned by his alcoholic father at age 5, he lost his mother to cancer four years later – a wound deepened when his grieving stepfather emptied the family home and left Daly, the youngest of five children, and his siblings to fend for themselves after their mother’s funeral.Several tough years followed, including time in foster care, before Daly became a Christian in high school and found meaning, purpose and a sense of belonging. “I am living proof,” he wrote in his 2007 autobiography, “Finding Home,” “that no matter how torn up the road has already been, or how pothole-infested it may look ahead, nothing – nothing – is impossible for God.”Daly was named president of Focus on the Family in 2005. Under his leadership, the organization has taken on a major role nationally in encouraging and helping facilitate foster-care adoptions, earning recognition from the White House and Congress for its efforts. The ministry also has reinvigorated its traditional focus on helping couples build strong marriages and raise healthy, resilient kids.Daly started his career at Focus in 1989 as an assistant to the president, fostering relationships with the ministry’s supporters. He was appointed international field director for Asia, Africa and Australia in 1992, and in 1997 was promoted to vice president of the International Division. In 2004, Daly was appointed chief operating officer, the role he held until he was handpicked by Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson to be the group’s president. Daly graduated from California State University, San Bernardino, in 1984 with a B.S. in Business Administration. During his senior year, he attended Waseda University in Tokyo, and after graduating worked for a Fortune 500 company. In 1997, he completed his MBA in International Business at Regis University in Denver. In 2009, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Colorado Christian University in Denver.Daly has received the 2008 World Children’s Center Humanitarian Award, the 2009 Children’s Hunger Fund Children’s Champion Award, and the 2010 HomeWord Family Ministry Award. He has appeared on such television programs as “Fox & Friends,” “America Live with Megyn Kelly,” “ABC World News Tonight” and PBS’ “Religion & Ethics”; and been featured in Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Newsweek, which named him one of the Top 10 next-generation evangelical leaders of influence. He was also the subject of a July 2011 cover story in Christianity Today.Daly is an author whose latest book, “When Parenting Isn’t Perfect,” encourages parents to realize that they, like their children, aren’t perfect and don’t need to be – they’re called to do their best in Christ, knowing that God works through all the messy family situations that are a normal part of this life. Other books Daly has written include “ReFOCUS: Living a Life That Reflects God’s Heart” which explores how to engage the culture for Christ in a compassionate and winsome way and “Marriage Done Right: One Man, One Woman,” in which Daly examines God’s purposes for marriage, including the unique benefits that a mom and a dad bring to the partnership of raising children.Daly has been married to his wife, Jean, since 1986. They have two sons and reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God’s design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles.We’re here to come alongside families with relevance and grace at each stage of their journey. We support families as they seek to teach their children about God and His beautiful design for the family, protect themselves from the harmful influences of culture and equip themselves to make a greater difference in the lives of those around them.No matter who you are, what you’re going through or what challenges your family may be facing, we’re here to help. With practical resources – like our 1-800 Family Help line, counseling and websites – we’re committed to providing trustworthy, biblical guidance and support.https://www.facebook.com/focusonthefamilyhttps://twitter.com/FocusFamilyhttps://www.instagram.com/focusonthefamily/https://www.youtube.com/user/FocusOnTheFamilyUSAhttps://www.focusonthefamily.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and spea

Laurie is Executive Director of Heart Gallery NYC.Heart Gallery NYC , a non profit organization founded in 2006, utilizes photography to raise awareness of, and recruit permanent, loving adoptive families for children in foster care in New York City. In collaboration with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and the foster provider agencies, Heart Gallery NYC collaborates with notable photographers, who donate their talents to create beautiful portraits of children in need of adoptive families. The Heart Gallery NYC online gallery features these compelling images of the youth, along with their personal narratives, to recruit prospective parents, and advocate for the children's need for loving, "forever families".www.heartgallerynyc.orghttps://www.facebook.com/heartgallerynychttps://www.instagram.com/heart_gallery_nyc/Heart Gallery New YorkA New York State Office of Children and Family Services Collaborationwww.heartgallerynewyork.orgThrough the Eyes of the HomelessA NYC Department of Homeless Services Collaborationwww.eyesofthehomelessnyc.orgNational Heart Gallery Exhibit, Project DirectorA Casey Family Programs Collaborationwww.nationalheartgalleryexhibit.org Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Too Black to be White, and too White to be Black. Billy Williams was raised in Los Angeles, California in a loving home. His Teamster father and stay-at-home mother did their best to give Billy the charmed life that every child dreams about. Karate classes taught by Chuck Norris, designer clothes, and access to the upper echelon of Black society, Billy seemed to have it all. But, sometimes, what you see, is a cover for more sinister secrets that lay just below the surface. Follow Billy as he explores his childhood, teen years, and his triumphant quest to discover who he is and where he comes from. His journey is filled with lies, secrets, drugs, sex, abandonment, and ultimately, redemption.https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B09L6R63Q2https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOLD-Story-Rev-Billy-Williams/dp/B09KNCZNYWShelbi is the Founder and CEO of GRAITH Foundation. With over 20 years as a professional genealogist and family history researcher, she has reunited, researched, and solved over 1500 cases for adult adoptees in search of their birth families and birth families is search of the children they placed. Shelbi has been called upon to speak and conduct seminars for hundreds of organizations. For three seasons Shelbi was a researcher for TLC's Long Lost Family, and is currently the co-host for The Triad, a podcast dedicated to providing a forum for all members in the triad of adoption. Shelbi is the heart and soul of the GRAITH Foundation family. She attended Fisk University and holds a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY, a Master of Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Juris Doctorate from Trinity Law School. She is a member of the Links, Incorporated and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is a child of God and she and her husband Byron are the parents of three beautiful daughters, Kesha, Bethany, and Olivia.https://www.graithfoundation.org/https://www.facebook.com/graithfoundationhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsHOfiQcmSR2Yfvykhy_yghttps://www.instagram.com/graithfoundation/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

As an adoptive mom, Terri knows how fortunate she is to have her daughter, and also how very rare her story is. Not quite ten years into raising her daughter, she did some research and found that less than one percent of girls facing unplanned pregnancy choose adoption for their babies. Digging into the reasons why that is so, Terri conducted several focus groups in her home and discovered that most women facing unplanned pregnancy simply don’t realize that adoption is an option. They believe they must choose between parenting and terminating their pregnancy.As a seasoned marketing executive, Terri has deep and broad experience in communicating a precise, value-based message to affect change. For over two decades, she has consulted to Silicon Valley companies and led their strategic marketing and communications efforts. (See MarketSavvy Inc.)She founded Unplanned Good to promote adoption as a viable option for women facing unplanned pregnancy. This is in response to contemporary beliefs in our society that young women have only two choices; abortion or parenting.All too often, young women face unplanned pregnancies. When they do, they typically see only two choices: to become parents, often in their teens, or to terminate their pregnancies. It’s rare that they consider the alternative path – seeing the pregnancy through to delivery and placing the baby for adoption.The mission of our organization is to promote adoption as a viable, reasonable option for those dealing with unplanned pregnancies, such that the result is good for all involved.https://www.unplannedgood.org/https://twitter.com/Unplanned_Goodhttps://www.facebook.com/UnplannedGood/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Katie is the founder of OrphanWise, an alumna of Lee University and has a Master’s Degree in Holistic Child Development. She worked as a preschool teacher for six years and served a term as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity. She moved to Paraguay in 2015 and spent three years working in a children’s home, where she served as director of the home and house mother. She also taught English in the on-campus middle school and high school. Since becoming a TBRI Practitioner in 2018, Katie has been doing TBRI® Caregiver Training and TBRI® coaching in English and Spanish. She is the oldest of five foster and birth siblings and is a proud aunt to six of her favorite kiddos. Her passion is to see restoration for children, teens, and adults who have experienced trauma.OrphanWise offers Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) training to those who work with children and teens who have experienced abuse, bereavement, neglect, poverty, or other trauma. Developed by The Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development at Texas Christian University, TBRI® teaches caregivers to look beyond the surface and heal the long-term root of children’s behavioral issues.Since 2019, OrphanWise has provided high-quality TBRI training® and resources to caregivers both in the U.S. and around the world.Here are the links Katie talked about:1. Attachment Style in Close Relationships – This short evaluation takes about 5 minutes to complete and gives an overall assessment of one’s attachment style in romantic relationships based on two dimensions: anxiety and avoidance. Access at http://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-bin/crq/crq.pl2. ECR-Relationship Structures – This assessment takes 5-10 minutes to complete and gives a more comprehensive evaluation of attachment style across multiple relationships- mother figure, father figure, romantic partner, and best friend. Access at http://www.yourpersonality.net/relstructures/Also wanted to share this wonderful podcast on Attachment produced by the KPICD.https://child.tcu.edu/tbri-podcast-s01-e02/#sthash.9A9WBZrO.dpbshttps://www.facebook.com/orphanwise/https://www.instagram.com/orphanwise/?hl=enhttps://orphanwise.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's a bit about Peter from his website.Qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 1999.I qualified as an NLP Practitioner in 2012.In 2017, I qualified as a Personal Performance coach with The Coaching Academy, obtaining a distinction (the highest grade available with Europe’s leading coach trainers).I have studied many self development teachers including Stephen Covey.I have also studied many spiritual teachers including Dr Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Gabby Bernstein and Michael Neill.At present, I am studying Buddhist teachings, allowing me to introduce mindfulness and inside out change into coaching.https://www.facebook.com/petersleighcoachinghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/petersleigh/https://twitter.com/petersleighhttps://www.businessandpersonalcoach.co.uk/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Katie serves 10.18 Strategy from a wealth of experience gained from her career as an entrepreneur, business consultant, executive officer, and strategist over the last seventeen years. Before founding 10.18 Strategy, Katie was a business consultant for over ten years, serving both for-profit and non-profit leaders with innovative strategies that brought solutions to complex problems. Katie has served on the board of directors of multiple non-profit organizations bringing both national impact and international aid. As a foster/adopt parent and former court-appointed child advocate, her desire to impact the lives of vulnerable children is a deeply personal and heartfelt.Connect with Katie here https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-fetzer/Here's a bit about 10.18 from their website 10.18’s vision is to bring awareness to child abuse and maltreatment while also empowering individuals to take actions as child-centered advocates. Our core mission is being a voice for the voiceless and protecting children that are put into dangerous situations. We are guided by faith and the belief that it is not about the mess and brokenness of the system, it is about the possibility of restoration.Find out more here:https://www.1018strategy.org/https://www.facebook.com/1018strategyhttps://www.instagram.com/1018strategy/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrkx9BOkOc76c95MXrFk5Q Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's bit about Stef from his websiteIn 2013, my life had crashed around my ears.After struggling with a lifetime of anxiety and depression, my marriage broke down and I was contemplating losing everything I loved and had worked so hard for so many years. I was at an all time low, I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat and could not find a way out of the black hole in front of me, I could not find any hope for the present or the future.By chance, I came across a book - 'The Inside Out Revolution' by Michael Neill. The book was my introduction to 'The 3 Principles' a description of how the mind/ life works, and the true nature of every human being.I didn't really understand the book on an intellectual level at first, but I knew there was truth there and something had touched me, deeply, profoundly inside.And my life began to change. I began to feel a glimmer of hope again.I continued to read other books, I contacted Michael and began to attend some of his programs. I began to feel different, lighter.As a result of a simple insight at this time, the lifelong 'difficult' relationship with my Father (who I had become the carer of) changed almost overnight from immensely challenging to loving and joyful which remained until he died some months later.I began to see how I had created so much limitation in my life, I saw (from a deep level of insight) how I had innocently believed this idea of myself as being 'not good enough', in relationships, my work and family life. I saw myself as being broken in some way.And it stopped me from seeing the real me. It stopped me from seeing possibilities.It stopped me from seeing the bigger game of life.It stopped me from seeing my true potential.It stopped me from seeing that I was (and was always) being guided.​I began to show up in the world with this new understanding of who I was and what I could be capable of.All of a sudden life got easier - relationships, work, family. Life became richer, deeper and more meaningful.For the last eight years I have been so impacted, my life transformed so profoundly that I have been moved to share this understanding with anyone with ears to listen. From business leaders in China, Middle East, The US and Europe to Schools in the UK, Military veterans, Mental Health charities, and private individuals. I am so privileged to get to witness such deep transformation in other's lives as a result of this simple, kind, deep conversation.https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefancybichowski/https://www.facebook.com/stefancybhttps://www.yourdeepestpotential.com/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's a bit about Clare from her website"Hello my name is Clare.For a long time, I wasn’t at ease with who I thought I was.I felt anxious and worried that people would think I was stupid.I worried about getting things wrong.I held myself back in case I would mess things up. I felt stressed, ill at ease, apprehensive.I didn’t like myself or how I was in the world.I spent many many years reading, studying, attending courses, talking to people to try to find a way to feel better about myself and along the way earned many qualifications (BA Psych, MBA, NLP trainer, yoga teacher, master hypnotist…).Then I came across an understanding that made it clear we are never what we think we are and the world is never what we believe it to be. That our true nature is awareness of that idea of self and other.This realisation was pure freedom. There was nothing to fix. Not with myself and not with the world. And the crazy thing is the more clearly we see this, the more we meet reality as it appears. With freedom and peace we are immersed in our life and work.Each of us is already what we are searching for. It is that simple."https://claredimond.com/https://www.facebook.com/claredimondreal/https://twitter.com/Claredimondhttps://www.instagram.com/clare_v_dimond/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Founder of the Plus One Adoption Foundation, Inc., Michele Katz builds connections with charitable services in the space of adoption and fundraising, to help families come together and stay together. The organization’s goal to provide the resources in order to help place 2.5M children into loving families stems from the 2.5 million children lost in the Holocaust and the Jewish credence of mending a broken world—when you save a child, you save the world.Just as sure as she was that she would one day have children, she knew early on that she would adopt. Michele adopted not one, but two children from Colombia into her family, thus making her a mother of four. Going through the adoption process without a guide can seem long, lonely, difficult and frustrating. But having access to a community of adoptive families and adoption experts helped navigate some of the harder points in this journey; Michele was able to expand her family, and she’s now found a calling to help others do the same.Michele knows, firsthand, the obstacles of adoption. But more importantly, she knows the joy that’s on the other side. She’s able to share guidance and resources to help others in their own family expansions. While many get tripped up on some of the legalese and the overall uncertainty, Michele provides a solid understanding and process to help ease concerns and steer prospective families on their path. She is creating a network for families to grow and places for kids to thrive—shifting the mindset around adoption by educating parents, and teaching kids how to attach to loving families. A capeless hero, Michele is normalizing adoption by clearing misconceptions and answering the unknowns. She reminds prospective parents that you never know what you’re getting with children—there will always be surprises, whether adopted or biological—and that it takes a village to raise a family. By working with family-first game-changers and continuously fundraising, Michele is building a rolodex of resources in the adoption world, sharing them and offering her education to families and children prior, during and after papers are signed—giving special consideration towards post-placement care.Through the Plus One℠ foundation, Michele is bringing together experts and guides to help her cultivate a community—building a support system that drives change in the world of adoption. Pushing adoption into the mainstream, Michele is here to let you know that nothing should get in the way of starting or expanding your family.The Plus One Adoption Foundation, Inc. is Chicagoland’s newest adoption foundation, committed to shifting the mindset of adoption from a last option to a choice.This charitable foundation has a database of credible adoption related resources. We can discuss at no charge what might be the next step in your adoption journey and refer consultants, agencies, attorneys and/or post-placement therapists that fit your current vision. The Plus One℠ foundation is an informational resource and we want to assist you with the fees associated with your adoption--including post placement expenses. In that vein, we are actively raising money for individuals to assist with adoption and post placement expenses.The Plus One℠ foundation promotes research, education and public awareness surrounding the adoption of children.Working to fill the knowledge gap, the Plus One℠ foundation is contributing to the world by highlighting adoption as a viable option to add "plus one" to your family.We know the adoption process can be a big, scary, emotional journey. We are your resource center, which is why we strive to provide the best information to help those purposefully reshaping their families. The Plus One℠ foundation is here to be your resource, when adoption is your family plan.www.plusoneadoption.orghttps://www.instagram.com/plusoneadoption/https://www.linkedin.com/company/plus-one-adoption-foundation-inc/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.