Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

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.

Michele Kriegman is a storyteller by nature but she was missing her own backstory well into adulthood. Finding her birth-father helped complete it. During this session of the U.S. Supreme Court the focus of many of her public talks will be the Indian Child Welfare Act, a new battlefield in the culture wars, which played a pivotal role in her own story.She worked for many years in U.S. and Japanese journalism, including ABC News, iVillage.com, Lilith, Maine Public Radio, Nippon TV's morning show, parenting magazines, Tokyo Broadcasting, and TV Asahi. More recent journalism has been for cybersecurity publications such as Info Security Professional.Michele Kriegman is an adoptee who searched successfully for her birth-father in New York before the state opened its records. She reclaimed her birth-name, Suzanne Gilbert, to write the novel, Tapioca Fire, that is the prequel to The Birth-Fathers’ Club. She teaches writing workshops for adoptees and donor-conceived people finding their #ownvoices. She speaks on panels for social workers, adoptive families, and intentional parents about heritage equality. Her approach, though well-researched, isn’t academic or clinical; she’s been an in-the-trenches adoptive stepmom too.Most recently, a DNA test kit that came as a Chrismukkah present, revealed a sister! Their shared birth-father, and his complex effort at redemption later in life, inspired the story in one of the novellas.Connect with her athttps://www.facebook.com/michele.kriegmanhttps://twitter.com/ReunionLand1) Rock Memoir:Book 1 of The Birth-Fathers' Club SeriesFrom Amazon UK/Ireland: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3olbMpPFrom Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Independent Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/78945/97817379477072) From a Desert City by the Sea:Book 2 of the Birth-Fathers' Club SeriesFrom Amazon UK/Ireland: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Hk6vHJFrom Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Michele-Kriegman/e/B09HSPD895From Independent Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/78945/9781737947714 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 little about Kristine's organisation from her website:Hawaii International Child (HIC) (founding name, Hawaii International Child Placement and Family Services, Inc.), was established in 1975 by members of Hawai'i’s adoption community. HIC’s founding members came from a background of personal connection to international adoption. Some had parents who’d been adopted, others had adopted children themselves, or were raised with siblings who’d been adopted. In its early years, HIC worked directly with Holt Children’s Services International, bringing nearly 2,000 orphaned children from Korea to American families. In 1991 HIC moved from the Big Island of Hawai'i, to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, to better serve a larger adoptive parent population. HIC has actively sought to maintain its reputation as a friendly and client-focused agency. Our staff is united in our love of children, our respect for adoptive parents, and our enjoyment of the important work we are lucky to be able to do.From 1975 to 2020, HIC helped more than 3,000 children find their forever families. We ran adoption programs in China, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Ukraine, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the Republic of Georgia. We worked in cooperation with other agencies and parties, to place children from Cambodia, the Philippines, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico and Japan. We served as a contract agency with the State of Hawai'i Department of Human Services to place children from foster care into permanent homes in Hawai'i. We worked with adoption attorneys in private adoptions and facilitate private domestic adoptions. We worked to place children from mainland state foster programs into permanent homes in Hawai'i.In an effort to work more closely with our families in Hawai'i, in 2020, HIC grew into A Family Tree. As AFT, we continue to offer the full range of adoption services, domestic child placement, home studies, parent training, (birth) parent support. As also opened our PonoRoots Counseling Center, support families, couples, children and individuals. As a 501(c)3 non-profit agency, AFT is governed by the AFT Board of Directors and is licensed by the State of Hawai'i. https://www.afamilytree.org/https://www.instagram.com/afamilytreehi/https://www.facebook.com/afamilytreehihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-altwies-888b305/ 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.

Astrid founded Adoption Mosaic. Here's a bit about her from their website:Astrid has a degree in sociology with an emphasis in adoption. For twenty plus years, she has traveled the country to lead youth groups, present workshops on transracial parenting, talking with children about adoption and various other workshops focusing on adoption. Prior to creating Adoption Mosaic, Astrid worked in both the private and public sectors of various adoption organizations such the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), Holt International, Rocky Mountain Adoption Exchange, to name just a few.Astrid co-authored Adoption in the Movies, which takes the reader on a guided tour of 27 movies and documentaries that are ‘dripping with adoption’ asking questions that encourage the viewer to engage in ongoing dialogue and discussion. She also developed an innovative, evidence-based, 27-minute training DVD titled, Adoptive Parent Training: Developing Communication Skills. The training demonstrates how adoptive parents can communicate openly and honestly with family, friends and especially children.Astrid is a former member of the board of directors of the North American Council on Adoptable Children, the author of many articles on the subject of adoption and contributed a chapter to the book Parents As Adoptees.Astrid’s personal experiences as an adoptee, a woman of color, and growing up in a white family and community, fuel her professional path to helping others.Astrid is aware of the benefits of post-adoption services for individuals and their families and seeks to bring these services to the adoption community.Her life-long interest in adoption is rooted in her own adoption at the age of four from Colombia (along with her older sister). Astrid has been in reunion with her birth family in Colombia since December 2012. Read The Oregonian article on Astrid!When Astrid is not working she loves to spend time with family and friends and enjoys the adventures of life as the mama of an amazing teenage daughter.Adoption Mosaic provides a platform for compassionate, informed education, training and resources to the adoption constellation/community. In one way or another, we all have adoption in our lives. And regardless of what role we play or the resources we’ve been give, each of us deserves a healthy lifelong adoption experience.Here at Adoption Mosaic we focus on families and individuals by supporting them in making the most educated, informed and unbiased decision when it comes to their adoption needs. We provide space where the adoption constellation/community feel valued, heard, understood and accepted as a full member of society, family and community.Find out more at:https://adoptionmosaic.com/https://www.instagram.com/adoptionmosaic/https://www.facebook.com/AdoptionMosaic/ 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.

Nicole Ward Moore is a Board Certified Adoption Attorney and Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator who manages and operates the Orlando office. Nicole has been practicing with the firm since opening the Orlando office in 2005. Nicole practices exclusively in the area of adoption law throughout the State of Florida and in conjunction with out-of-state placements. Nicole also represents adoptive parents in adoption finalizations and represents several adoption agencies in private adoption placements. Nicole is also a member of the prestigious Academy of Adoption and Reproduction Attorneys, the Florida Adoption Council, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Florida Bar.Nicole handles domestic adoptions, DCF Interventions, relative adoptions, stepparent adoptions, adult adoptions and recertifications of foreign adoptions. Nicole often speaks publicly on the subject of adoption and appeared on the O’Reilly Factor in 2007. In 2008, Nicole accepted an adjunct professorship teaching adoption law at Barry Law School in Orlando, Florida.Nicole graduated with high honors from the University of Florida in 2001 with a B.S. degree in Journalism and Communications. Nicole then received her J.D. degree in 2004 from the University of Florida, College of Law, where she graduated with honors. Prior to opening the Orlando office, Nicole worked for the Department of Children and Families as a Juvenile Dependency Attorney, prosecuting parents that abused and neglected their children.As the Host of Moore to Love: An Adoption Podcast, Nicole interviews adoptive parents, birth mothers, and adoption experts that reveal the raw truth about love, law, and the learning process that comes with adoption. Find out more at:https://www.heartofadoptions.com/adoption-podcast/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-moore-04520114/ 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.

Stephanie K. Sterling, MSW, LCSW is the Director of Family Services at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Stephanie received her MSW degree from Tulane University in 1996. She holds a 90-hour post graduate certification in Adoption and Foster Care Competence. Stephanie has experience with inpatient, outpatient, and primary care behavioral health as well as pregnancy counseling. She serves on the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board, the Children’s Code Adoption Subcommittee, the Louisiana Safe Haven Consortium, and is the Vice Chair of the Catholic Charities USA Child, Youth and Family Services Steering Committee. Stephanie has successfully written and managed multiple grants from various funding sources. She has presented at local, statewide, and national conferences on Clinical Adoption Practice, Self-Care, and Disaster Behavioral Health.Paula C. Davis, LCSW – BACS is a Field Education Liaison and an Instructor with the LSU School of Social Work. She has more than 20 years of both domestic and international adoption experience working with all members of the adoption triad. Prior to working full-time at LSU, Paula was the Clinical Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and has dedicated her career to serving children who have special needs, are older, and more difficult to place. Currently, at Catholic Charities, she provides post-adoption support and counseling, including search and reunion work. Paula serves on the Louisiana Children’s Code and was instrumental in increasing protections and transparency for adoption practice in Louisiana. Paula provides counseling and support for families post-adoption, is a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) practitioner and is a TAC (Training for Adoption Competence) Trainer providing Adoption Competent Education to licensed Mental Health Professionals throughout the state. Paula has presented on Adoption at local, state, and national conferences and received the Angel in Adoption Award in 2019 from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.Catholic Charities provides domestic and intercountry adoption services to children and families, placing children from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds with their forever families.Adoption Services ProvidedIndividual ConsultationIndividual and Group TrainingParent Preparation and EducationPre & Post Adoption Support and TrainingHome Study ServicesPost-Legal & Intermediary Serviceshttps://www.adoptccdiobr.org/https://www.instagram.com/adoptbatonrouge/ 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 is a link to the podcast episode I mention about the Primal Wound at the end of the episode.https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/primally-wounded-or-fundamentally-unwoundable-with-nick-mabeyMark Hoult-Allen is Chair of We Are Family, Jay Nicol is a Trustee.Here’s a bit about them from their website:We Are Family is a peer to peer support community by adopters, for adopters. We’re there for parents throughout their adoption journey. Online and in person, our parents’ groups, events, resources, podcasts and talks offer mutual support, information and inspiration to adopters and those considering adoption.We were founded in 2013 by adopters who had experienced first-hand the lack of peer support available. Becoming a family through adoption can bring its own unique set of challenges, as your child joins your family with an identity and a history of their own. Sharing problems, insights, frustrations and laughs with other people who have similar experiences can be invaluable.Find out more at:https://wearefamilyadoption.org.ukhttps://twitter.com/wafadoptionhttps://www.facebook.com/wearefamilyadoption 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.

Sharen Ford is a nationally-recognized child welfare consultant and the retired Manager for Permanency Services for the Colorado Department of Human Services in the Division of Child Welfare Services. She retired with 30 years of comprehensive work history with the department. She oversaw six programmatic areas including the Foster Care and Adoption Program and supervised a team of professional staff. Dr. Ford is the former President of the National Association of State Adoption Programs (NASAP) and the Association of Administrators for the Interstate Compact on Adoption Medical Assistance (AAICAMA). She currently serves as the Director for Foster Care and Adoption at Focus on the Family and is as committed as ever to raising awareness regarding the need for every child to have a quality family.Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive.Here's a little background on them from their website. "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."More at https://www.focusonthefamily.com/ https://www.facebook.com/focusonthefamilyhttps://www.youtube.com/user/FocusOnTheFamilyUSAhttps://twitter.com/FocusFamilyhttps://www.instagram.com/focusonthefamily/ 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.

Nina is Director of Post Adoption Support at The Cradle, connect with her at:https://www.facebook.com/nina.friedman.cradlehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-friedman-4a3b82/Here's a little about The Cradle from their website:At The Cradle you will find a legacy of excellence, decades of experience, and a reputation for quality education that helps to inform adoption decisions. Renowned as one of the foremost adoption agencies in the country, since opening in 1923 The Cradle has helped place more than 16,000 children into permanent, loving homes. We provide lifelong support for all who are touched by adoption -- birthparents, adopted persons, and adoptive parents.The Cradle is the only adoption agency in the country with an on-site nursery. It's a safe, neutral place for infants to stay while their parents take the time they need to decide if adoption will be the plan for this child. The nursery also enables The Cradle to place infants whose special medical needs may mean that it takes a bit longer to find them a home that is prepared to help them thrive. We are committed to finding a loving home for every child entrusted to our care.In recent years, The Cradle has expanded our scope to include Adoption Learning Partners (ALP), online training for prospective adoptive parents and adoption professionals. Through the power of the internet, ALP has made The Cradle's thorough training convenient and accessible to professionals and families all across the globe. The Cradle connects Cradle friends and families through Facebook and Twitter.https://www.cradle.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.

Connect with Brian here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-lynch-a7352320a/Brian is CEO of The Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut This is a multiservice agency founded in 1999 whose mission is to provide diverse and creative support services to children and families throughout Connecticut. Find out more and connect at https://www.ccp-ct.org/https://www.facebook.com/CCPConnecticut/https://twitter.com/ccpconnecticuthttps://www.instagram.com/ccpconnecticut/ 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.

Allison Davis Maxon, M.S., LMFT is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of child welfare and children’s mental health specializing in Attachment, Developmental Trauma and Permanency/Adoption. She is the Executive Director of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency and was the foster care consultant for the Paramount Pictures movie Instant Family. Allison was honored in 2017 with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute ‘Angels in Adoption’ award and is the co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency: A Guide to Promoting Understanding and Healing in Adoption, Foster Care, Kinship Families and Third Party Reproduction, Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2019.https://allisondavismaxon.com/https://www.facebook.com/allisondavismaxon/https://twitter.com/AllisonMaxon 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.

Anna Valdez is the Program Director at Chosen and came on board in January of 2022. She is bilingual, and holds a BA in English with a Teacher Certification and an MA in English with a concentration in Literature and Culture and is completing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.After teaching high school for 2 years, Anna Valdez lived in Monterrey, Mexico for 5 years as a Program Coordinator for the international organization, Back2Back Ministries. Along with being a Program Coordinator, Anna was the primary caregiver for 17 teenage girls in a span of 5 years with whom she successfully applied the Trust-Based Relational Intervention strategies. She is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention Practitioner from Texas Christian University, a Trauma Free World affiliate trainer, and a Making Sense of Your Worth facilitator. She’s had the opportunity to train on trauma-informed care to organizations internationally and around the United States.Her background includes building educational programs for families, other caregivers, and professional staff in trauma-informed care and strategies, developing audience-specific curriculum, and coordinating trauma-informed efforts for organizations as they move through the continuum of trauma-informed care. She has served vulnerable children and their caregivers for over 10 years and she is passionate about helping anyone who works with children gain skills to understand them and love them well.Anna lives in Austin, Texas and you can find her visiting coffee shops, biking, and hiking on her free time.https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-valdez-ma-b3989b139/Chosen’s mission is to help children heal from trauma by strengthening their families. Once a child is safely placed in a home, Chosen comes in with ourModel of Care, delivered by licensed care managers who do whatever it takes to equip families with tools to overcome trauma and thrive together.https://www.facebook.com/chosen.carehttps://www.instagram.com/chosen_care/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvAJKSmWGWYZqRWhNdMlFOAhttps://www.pinterest.com/chosencare/ 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 link to the episode I mention in the podcast https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-joy-carter-Ni_rUkb3 Lori Holden writes at LavenderLuz.com and hosts the podcast Adoption: The Long View. She’s the author of the acclaimed book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, written with her daughter’s birth mom and featured on required reading lists with adoption agencies across the United States. She has keynoted and presented at adoption conferences around the US, and her work has appeared in magazines such as Parenting and Adoptive Families. In 2018, she was honored as an Angel in Adoption® by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), nominated by Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. She and her husband live in Denver, Colorado with their two young adult children.Connect with her at:https://www.facebook.com/LavenderLuzWriter/https://twitter.com/LavLuzhttps://www.instagram.com/lavluz/ 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.

Abby Jacobson is a professional Adoption Consultant bringing over 20 years of experience from her previous career as a psychotherapist & substance abuse counselor. Additionally, she has received training as a National Adoption Competency Mental Health Provider.With her knowledge of family systems & networking, it is her aim to provide support to individuals who have experienced the process of adoption, both adults & youth alike. Coming from a family with 4 generations of adoptions, this is an issue she is very familiar with and which originally led her into the field of counseling.Her greatest accomplishments have been to raise two healthy mature sons and reuniting with her brother after a separation of 15 years due to his being adopted out of the family. As a result of Abby’s familiarity with being a foster child, an adoptee and a clinician she brings opportunities for offering support, mentoring and coaching.Outside of her work life she enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, gardening, cooking and spending time with her sons, brother, friends and her 2 cats, who are also adopted.Find out more about her at:https://www.adoptionconsultant.net/https://www.instagram.com/adoptconsult/https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-jacobson-a3a6021b8/ 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.

Marnie and Gail work with The Forget Me Not Family Society. Here's more about them from their website. It was formed for education, consultation, peer counselling and to offer support to all those who are impacted by adoption. We are a provincially registered, non-profit society in British Columbia, Canada and a federally registered charity, (88908-4869-RR0001) run by a dedicated group of volunteers in the Metro Vancouver area and the Interior of B.C.Our PurposeTo establish and operate a Post Adoption Resource Centre providing education, consultation, counseling and support to those touched by adoption: adoptees, birthparents, adoptive parents, and concerned professionals.To provide community education programs, panel presentations and workshops on post adoption issues for any members of the community who wish to learn more about adoption and reunion issues.To encourage and develop a recognition of the benefits of family preservation and openness in adoption practice.HistoryThe Society was instrumental in changing the legislation to open adoption records in British Columbia, Canada. In November 1996 the BC Adoption Act was amended to provide for an Active Adoption Reunion ServiceThe Forget Me Not Family Society (originally Missing Pieces Thru Adoption Society) began with two birthmothers (Donna Doogan and Marge Beddington) talking over tea at a kitchen table. The first president was Alison Anderson, then Kathryn Vea, Sandi Blackie, Cecelia Reekie, Nancy Kato, and now Marnie Tetz.Adoption Circles newsletter was started by Millie Strom in 1991. Missing Pieces Thru Loss Society was incorporated as a non-profit Society in January 1992, the name was changed to Forget Me Not Family Society in June 1992 and became a federally registered charity in November 1992. Support groups have been ongoing since the early days and the Society has offered annual workshops on adoption search and reunion issues since 2006.More at http://adoptioncircles.net/wp/ 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 Christian at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mayer-001/Email him at [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.

HelpUsAdopt.org, founded in 2007, is a national 501(c)(3) adoption grant program. HelpUsAdopt.org was founded by Becky and Kipp Fawcett as a response to their own personal adoption experience - they have 2 daughters - in an effort to make adoption more feasible for all families. The organization is the only one of its kind in the United States that embodies all of the following criteria:awards large, life-changing and problem-solving grants up to $15,000supports all types of families (married couples, single parents and LGBT families)supports all types of adoptions (domestic, international, foster care)supports all types of religions, and does not require a statement of faithdoes not charge applicants to applyFind out more at:https://www.instagram.com/becky.fawcett/?hl=enhttps://www.helpusadopt.org/https://www.facebook.com/helpusadopt.orghttps://www.instagram.com/helpusadopt/ 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.

Paige Adams Strickland (1961- ) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and adopted at 13 months. In 1987 she began a search for her biological family members. She has a BA from Florida State University in Spanish Education. She has 30 years experience in teaching. Her writing has been featured and won attention from scinti.com, a wordwithyoupress.com, soniamarsh.com and adoptionvoicesmagazine.com.Find out more about her at:https://stricklandp.wordpress.com/author/stricklandp/https://www.facebook.com/groups/149150308577705/user/542530458/https://twitter.com/plastrickland23Check out her books at:https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3APaige+Strickland&s=relevancerank&text=Paige+Strickland&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paige-Adams-Strickland/e/B00FQ6GU5C?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1644231531&sr=8-1 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.

Steph is an independent Social Worker, Therapist , Trainer, Manager, Academic, Practice Educator and Consultant.The main focus of her career has been children's mental health and she managed an award-winning mental health service for children and adopted children for over a decadeConnect with her at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-dip-s-w-ba-bsc-ma-pgce-fhea-08633890/ 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 Little About Damon Davis"I had the good fortune to be reunited with my biological mother in 2009 in a heart warming story of coincidental history, a mutual desire to be reunified, and the pure luck to be able to surprise my biological mother, Ann, for our reunion on her birthday! I always enjoy hearing and sharing the real stories of our lives that makes each of us who we are.I’m devoting this program to helping people placed into adoption or who grew up in foster care to explore their own emotions, desires, and questions about reuniting with their biological family by asking others to share their true stories."Listen to his podcast and find out more at:https://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/https://twitter.com/waireallyhttps://www.facebook.com/WAIReallyHere's the podcast I mention:https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/podcast/jonny-wilkinsonhttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jonny-wilkinson-how-mental-health-crisis-led-to-life/id1500444735?i=1000491917639 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 Jaclyn from her website "I believe healthy, post-adoption outcomes begin with pre-adoption education and intentional parenting.My goals are to create a space that embodies compassion, to foster a therapeutic relationship that enables vulnerability, and to support the exploration of your whole self. I am an ally, an empath, and an attuned listener. I offer a safe environment without judgment to best encourage and support your self-exploration. As a trauma-informed clinician, some of my areas of specialty include; transracial adoption, attachment, grief & loss, identity exploration, racial equity and social justice. As an international and transracially adopted person, I weave my personal experiences into my professional training to offer perspective and insight. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Wisconsin, a public speaker, a national trainer for adoption competency, adoptive parent coach, adoption consultant, adoptive family homeland journey social worker and have facilitated international birth-family searches and reunions."Find out more and connect with Jaclyn at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-skalnik-lcsw-12731b2a/https://www.adoptionwellness.com/https://www.facebook.com/adoptionwellness/ 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.

Jeanette Yoffe, M.A., M.F.T., earned her Master's in Clinical Psychology, specializing in children, from Antioch University in June of 2002. She treats children with serious psychological problems secondary to histories of abuse, neglect, and /or multiple placements. She has specialized for the past 18 years in the treatment of children who manifest serious deficits in their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development.She is the Founder of Celia Center Inc, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles supporting all members of the foster care and adoption constellation. She is also the Clinical Director of Yoffe Therapy Inc. A mental health center in Los Angeles providing services to families, children, teens, and adults connected by foster care and adoption. Learn more here.​Jeanette’s desire to become a child therapist with a special focus on adopted and foster care issues derived from her own experience of being adopted and moving through the foster care system. Her personal experience has informed her education and provided insight into the unique stresses involved with these issues.​More at:https://www.jeanetteyoffe.com/https://twitter.com/JeanetteYoffehttps://www.instagram.com/jeanetteyoffe/https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.yoffe 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.

Andrea Damone-Brown received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and her Masters in Education focusing on Professional Counseling and Psychotherapy through Oklahoma City University. She has been working in the adoption field since 1992 and was the Director at a licensed adoption agency in Dallas for six years. Andrea also co-founded and co-Directed Lifetree Adoption Agency in Dallas, Texas from 2003 to 2014.Continuing her passion for adoption, she recently branched out on her own in 2014 to focus on serving individuals in each area of adoption through Texas Christian Adoptions. It is her passion and ministry to love and help people as Jesus loved and served. God is Love, and it is her goal to counsel those who feel alone, and to help them see how much God loves them and that He has a plan for their life. His unfailing love will guide them through their journey.https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-damone-brown-754a868/Here's more about her agency from their website:Texas Christian Adoptions, LLC has over 30 years of experience in the field of adoption. We are a licensed child placing agency that provides professional guidance in pre- and post-adoptive services for both Expecting Mothers and Adoptive Families. It is important that our Expectant Mothers find peace about their decision, which is why we offer professional counseling services and a Support Group to help them find that peace.Our objectives are to help Expecting Mothers determine if placement is in the best interest of both them and their child. Second, to place newborns up to three years of age with families who desire to adopt a child. Third, for Expectant Mothers who decide on adoption, we help them through the emotional and legal processes of adoption.Our goal is to ensure solid placements by guiding our Expectant Mothers in a supportive manner, and assisting them in a healthy recovery from normal grief and separation loss issues. We encourage our clients with the knowledge that God is faithful and loves His children. That the trials they are encountering are opportunities to see God work miracles in their life. Texas Christian Adoptions, LLC offers open, semi-open, and closed adoptions. Semi-open adoptions are the most common type of adoption. It means that first names are shared and the Birth parents would be receiving updates and pictures until the child is 18 years old. The Birthparents can also send correspondences and gifts for the child if they felt comfortable doing so.Texas Christian Adoptions, LLC is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau.We are also licensed by the Department of Family and Protective Services. To learn more about them and how they serve the community, you can go to their website: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/default.aspMore at:https://www.facebook.com/texaschristianadoptionshttps://texaschristianadoptions.com/https://www.instagram.com/texaschristianadoptions/ 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.

Steve Sunday has worked in the field of adoption for more than four decades as a caseworker, supervisor, and administrator. Currently, he is the Founder and President/CEO of Forever Bound Adoption, as well as an advisor to the adoption advocacy support organization, United for Adoption.Since graduating with his MSW in 1981 from Arizona State University, he has worked professionally in Arizona, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Utah. He has taught students at the collegiate level in three states. He has also spent hundreds of hours coaching and mentoring young people, largely on a volunteer basis.Steve was the project lead on the award winning “Adoption, It’s About Love” television and radio commercials in partnership with Bonneville Communications. He spent approximately 30 years of his career with LDS Family Services. In 2009, he was appointed to the board of directors for the National Council for Adoption. Steve also served on the board of directors for the Foster Care Foundation of the State of Utah for six years. He was named the adoption “Professional of the Year” in 2013 by the Utah Adoption Council.More recently, Steve was selected to represent adoption experts and professionals as part of the April 2020 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services panel on private infant adoption policy in Washington D.C. He is a passionate advocate for the needs of children not only in the United States, but worldwide.Reflecting on his life’s work, Steve commented that it has been one of the choicest blessings in his life to be associated with the great work of caring for children and building families. Family is central to Steve’s personal life, as well as to his professional life. Steve and his sweetheart, Karen, have been married for over 40 years and have seven children and twenty five grandchildren.Connect with Steve at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-a-sunday-77934a26/Here's a link to episode about infertility I mention https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/the-impact-of-infertility-with-erika-schmitt-director-of-adoption-and-permanency-servicesFOREVER BOUND ADOPTION’S MISSION IS TO BENEFIT CHILDREN BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, GUIDANCE AND LIFELONG SUPPORT TO CREATE, SUSTAIN AND PRESERVE NURTURING FAMILIES.Founded in 2012, Forever Bound Adoption is a licensed 501(c)3 adoption agency. They are passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves a nurturing, permanent family. They serve children, birth parents and adoptive families.More at:https://www.foreverboundadoption.org/https://www.instagram.com/foreverboundadoption_/https://www.facebook.com/foreverboundadoption/ 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.

Pat joined the Coalition team in December 2016 as the Director of AGAPE in the Southern Tier/Finger Lakes region. After three months he transferred to the Long Island Rockland Region to be the Director of AGAPE after AFFCNY was awarded an additional contract. He now serves as the Coalition’s Executive Director. Pat is an adoptive dad.The former Founder and Executive Director of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, Pat was also previously Board President of the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York. Other work experience includes seven years directing another adoption agency’s New York Regional program that placed older youth for adoption and working as a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter in Connecticut where he found homes for a caseload of youth on the verge of aging out of the foster care system. Pat also served as a consultant to Spaulding for Children’s Federal cooperative grant with the Quality Improvement Center for Adoption and Permanency (AIC-AG).Pat currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of the North American Council on Adoptable Children as its Secretary. He produced and hosted a radio broadcast called “The Adopting Teens and Tweens Radio forum” for 13 years on WGBB, Long Island’s oldest radio station. Pat also serves as a community board member of Brooklyn’s Community Board 13 a position he was appointed to by the Brooklyn Borough President. He is an honorary board member of Voices for Adoption, an organization which is the adoption advocacy arm in Washington DC. Pat is also on the Advisory Board of Foster Families Today and the Treehouse Foundation.Pat has received numerous honors in his career for his work in adoption including The Angels in Adoption award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, the Adoption Excellence Award from the US Department of Health & Human Service’s Children’s Bureau, and The Child Advocate of the Year award from the North American Council on Adoptable Children.Pat has his BA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he graduated as his class’s co-valedictorian. He has his M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University. Pat has a certificate in Adoption Therapy that he received from Hunter College in 2007 and he recently completed a course of study in the Training in Adoption Competency, an evidence based curriculum created by Center for Adoption Support & Education (C.A.S.E.)Pat is an adoptive father who lives in the Coney Island community of Brooklyn, New York.https://www.facebook.com/pat.obrienhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-o-brien-0071ab6/The Coalition unites foster, adoptive and kinship care families, giving them a voice and providing support, information and advocacy. By fostering communication and collaboration between families, agencies and concerned citizens, we seek to ensure the stability, well-being and permanency of all children.No foster, adoptive or kinship care family in New York State will feel alone or unsupported and that all such families will have the tools, support and community they need to nurture their children and be role models for others. Goal:Educate and support foster/kinship care/adoptive parents and the professionals who serve them by utilizing information-sharing, services, peer support and referral.Improve services available to children and families.Increase citizen involvement in local service planning and delivery.Educate leaders and stakeholders about the realities, challenges and rewards of foster/kinship care/adoptive parenting.Advocate for greater support of foster/kinship care/adoptive families by federal, state and local agencies.To learn more, read our history, learn about our current programs, join us at an event and meet our team.https://affcny.orghttps://www.facebook.com/affcny/https://twitter.com/AFFCNYhttps://www.instagram.com/affcny/ 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.

Matthew McCall started at The Home in 1998 as a Child Care Worker. Matthew has held virtually every client serving role at The Home, from counselor, to clinician, program and department director, in both congregate care and community settings. For much of his career at The Home, Matthew served as an internal consultant to all The Home’s programs, providing support and leadership during times of transition, challenge, growth, or reimplementation. In his current role he brings these skills to bear developing and supporting new programs, business lines, and initiatives for The Home. Matthew also oversees The Home’s Family Support Programs, Foster Care and Adoption, Transition Aged Youth, and Therapeutic After-School Programs. Matthew has spent most of his professional career at The Home, working in a variety of their programs. He is a graduate of Curry College and Simmons School of Social Work, and is a professor of Social Work Practice at Simmons University and Bridgewater State University.https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmccallmsw/The Home for Little Wanderers helps build stable lives and hopeful futures for children who are abused, neglected or at-risk.Here's some more 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/https://www.youtube.com/user/home271 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.

This Is Me - No Darkness Too DeepHere's a bit about Fiona's Autobiography"This is my story, a harrowing account of me as a young mixed up teenager going down many wrong paths, into the darkness of drug and alcohol addiction, prostitutution and surviving more than one life-or-death moment in the midst of the madness. The book also details my encounter with Christ and the journey of a baby Christian trying to find their feet in a church where not many had come from my background. One of the main factors I believe led me to head off down the paths I did is that I am adopted. I struggled greatly with the concept as a child, not really feeling like I fitted in anywhere, always looking for something to meet the need for connection in my life. "https://www.fionamylesauthor.com/bookshttps://www.facebook.com/fionamylesauthorhttps://www.instagram.com/fionamylesauthor/ 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.

Karen is the State Director for Pennsylvania at Children's ChoiceHere's a link to podcast mentioned in this episodehttps://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/unpacking-our-own-baggage-as-adoptive-parents-with-hollyann-petree-mom-executive-directorChildren’s Choice was founded on April 1st, 1982. By Reverend Doctor William and Doctor Carolyn Eberwein. Affectionately known as Doctor Bill and Doctor Carolyn. They had worked in a variety of Social Services fields including church ministries, juvenile justice prison systems, halfway houses, and had even done some fundraisers.Through their experience, they began to notice that the children of their clients were entering Social Services systems, repeating the pattern of their parents. The other ones felt that if they could reach out to people at an earlier age, as children, then perhaps they might be able to affect and potentially break the dependency, suffering and failure cycles that many of the children were facing. Since 1982, Children's Choice has expanded from its original Foster Care service to other services that include: Medical Foster Care, Treatment Level Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, and types of Adoption Services, as well as Kinship Care.https://www.facebook.com/childrens.choice.inchttps://www.childrenschoice.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.

Shaun Doyle comes to Adoption STAR with 20 years of experience working for not-for-profits in the area of developmental disability. After studying at SUNY Fredonia, Shaun moved to Orlando, Florida to work for Walt Disney World. There he learned to train not only Disney Cast Members, but also to train people from other organizations on Disney’s Approach to Quality Service and Disney’s Innovation in Action. Shaun also created and led youth programs at the Disney Institute.Prior to joining the STAR team as the Intake Manager, he was the Director of Training and Staff Development for Autism Services of WNY. In his time there, Shaun developed multiple training curricula in not only working with people on the spectrum, but in leadership, hands-free intervention and customer service.At the start of his career, Shaun traveled to Romania to help train staff in institutions and orphanages that were about to close, to ensure effective and humane treatment for the children that would be returning to their communities. In addition to training and staff development, Shaun also worked closely with the Quality Improvement department to investigate incidents that may have occurred in the programs.Shaun and his husband Eric adopted their son in 2015 with the help of Adoption STAR. Their second son was born in 2019 and was also adopted with the agency’s help. Adoption is part of his family’s story and he is passionate about connecting people, building relationships, and following up with other families looking to grow through adoption. He is a well skilled storyteller, a performer by nature and has an innate ability to be inclusive no matter the setting. Shaun is a volunteer Wish Granter at Make a Wish, teaches new member classes at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo and sang with the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus for over 10 years, serving as board president in 2012. Shaun is most proud of his role as daddy to his sons, Jackson and Frankie. Shaun is also so proud to come home every day, and tell his children that he spent the day working hard to help children find forever families.Connect with Shaun at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-doyle-jr-40831147Listen to the podcast he hosts here https://www.adoptionstar.com/resources/podcast/Adoption STAR is a non-profit New York State Authorized, Florida and Ohio Licensed Adoption Agency, and is a compassionate and unique organization. From the onset, Adoption STAR wished to utilize the words within their name: Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources (STAR) to provide wide-ranging services to all members of the adoption community. This commitment grew into developing several programs and services.Find out more athttps://www.facebook.com/adoptionstarhttps://www.adoptionstar.com/https://twitter.com/adoptionstarhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptionstar/ 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.

“Adoption is my life and passion! I was adopted at birth, domestically. I have searched and found my birth family. I am also a mother of four children. I became the Executive Director of CHI in 1994, after adopting our daughter in 1991 in Romania, on our own. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work and have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work worldwide with CHI, developing programs and giving children who really need homes, a chance at having one of their own. A permanent, loving family is what children need. I’ve personally been in the adoption journey from several angles and I enjoy assisting others in theirs. I have traveled to over 40 countries in the past 20 years, developing a greater understanding of the cultures and how much adoption- permanency- is needed in the world for children.”https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-price-5987a222Children’s House International provides ethical adoption services, child-focused recruitment, and family support. We support disadvantaged children with humanitarian aid worldwide.https://www.facebook.com/CHI4Adoptionhttps://www.instagram.com/chi_adoptionshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC02zaJYyrk3BBCICQu1VElQ 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.

Emily is a Care Leaver Mentor for Empower Change. Since graduating high school in 2016, Emily has completed her certificate four in community services. In 2015 she had her son, who has just started kindergarten. In 2016 pursued photography as a formal trade and experienced some of the most special moments between married couples and families but it still wasn't fulfilling her.After her care experiences from the age of nine, a foster family friend mentioned for a job as a residential staff worker for Youth in Out Of Home Care.Since then she has made a profession from her experiences. Fresh out of high school and only recently 18 she started to see from a staff members point of view what her childhood might have looked like to them. Her experiences quickly turned into an aggressive passion. She enrolled into her Certificate, and made a conscious effort to start making changes in her local area.She started networking with CREATE Foundations as a Residential Staff Member, bringing Young People to their events in her region. Within months she was doing Speak Up training and attending FACS facilitations. It didn't stop exceeding her expectations. She started making some life long friends in Advocacy. Attended Advocate for Children and Young People conferences, and assisted CREATE on a number of occasions and events as a Young Consultant.She now recognises her work as A National Advocate and Consultant for Children in Out of Home Care.Approached by Adopt Change in 2019, meeting them in 2020 and appearing in their National Conference held online. From there I was asked by their CEO to become a Brand Ambassador and appeared in their TV Commercial late last year.Also a Kindred Warrior for The Warrior Woman Foundation and have been short listed for The Advocate for Children and Young People 3 years running.Emily is assured that this is her life work. She is content in working with the Community Services Sector for years to come as a voice and representation for Youth in similar situations.https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-hikaiti-1494011ba/https://www.facebook.com/Emilyannelorrainepaulhttps://www.instagram.com/emily_hikaiti/?hl=enAdopt Change believe that every child has the right to grow up in a safe, nurturing and permanent family home, and that all families need the appropriate supports for children to thrive.Adopt Change work towards every child and young person having access to a safe, nurturing and stable family upbringing. They recognise the impact of childhood trauma, and provide a number of services and education so that children and families can be supported and thrive. They also work with government, sector and community to seek changes to legislation and policies to better provide for children and families.Find out more at:https://www.adoptchange.org.au/https://www.facebook.com/AdoptChangeAUhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptchangeau/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHbUn6jHDfCS3sHWhvJfsmwhttps://twitter.com/AdoptChangeAU 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.

Michele Fried is the founder of Adoption STAR. Though the “title” most special to her is “mom” ~ it was a long time ago, but the experiences of becoming an adoptive mother led Michele to enter the adoption field. Michele’s background as an educator complimented this path. Michele served as the agency’s chief executive officer for over 20 years and grew the staff from a tiny office with one person (just her!) to three states, more than 50 professionals including full time, part time and per diem assessors and conducted over 1,000 adoptions. Today, Michele holds an advisory role with the organization and continues to be a passionate advocate for children in need of permanency planningConnect with Michele at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adoptionstar/Listen to the interview with MIchele's son here https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-zack-fried-adoptee-associate-directorAdoption STAR is a non-profit New York State Authorized, Florida and Ohio Licensed Adoption Agency, and is a compassionate and unique organization. From the onset, Adoption STAR wished to utilize the words within their name: Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources (STAR) to provide wide-ranging services to all members of the adoption community. This commitment grew into developing several programs and services.Find out more athttps://www.adoptionstar.com/https://twitter.com/adoptionstarhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptionstar/ 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.

Skip joined the Lifeline team in August of 2018 and serves in the Birmingham office as the Assistant to the Executive Director. Skip comes from a family with 7 adopted siblings. She also lived in Zambia, Africa for 2 years working with and counseling vulnerable children. She’s originally from Montgomery, AL and attended Covenant College where she studied Sociology: Social Work and Family Studies.Connect with her here:https://www.facebook.com/skportisHere'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.

Connect with Kristine athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinemoser/here's a bit about Bellis from their website:Our mission is to serve as an empowering voice for adoption that connects, inspires, and transforms.Our reach extends to all people with any adoption experience who seek peer-based support for ambiguous grief related to adoption. Often, participants work together to advocate for greater awareness and understanding of adoption in schools and communities.Our work is neutral – it is not affiliated with any political or religious agencies. Bellis does not receive funding from any entity involved in the child-placement process or the process leading to or including the termination of parental rights.While benefiting from the expertise of many throughout the adoption, foster care and social service sector, Bellis works independently as a provider of peer-based support and advocacy.While fully appreciating and acknowledging the trauma associated with the termination of parental rights, and many injustices within that process, our focus lies entirely on the phase of life following the termination, specifically on the long-ignored grief and loss needs of the mother.Bellis strives to refrain from judgment, understanding that each adoption is unique. As such, terms used to universally describe the impact of adoption, including “primal wound,” are not part of our organizational culture or language.We believe the stigma, stereotypes, shame, and myths attached to adoption over decades exasperate challenges related to the lived experience of adoption.https://www.mybellis.org/https://www.facebook.com/MyBellisCommunity/https://twitter.com/my_bellis 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.

Maris H. Blechner, M.Ed., LCSW is a well-known and well-respected educator, consultant, and motivational speaker. An adoptive parent, she spent many years in the child welfare field as Executive Director of an adoption agency, and is a wide-ranging speaker and trainer. She is now doing independent work, and has a great deal to offer. Whether teaching at a social work school, training foster and adoptive parents, helping agency staff navigate difficult cases, providing advanced training, or doing a lunch or dinner speech at a wide variety of venues, Maris is helping caregivers of all types learn to take care of themselves. Maris is ready to work.Connect with herhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/maris-h-blechner-8975503/https://www.marisblechner.com/Here's a little about the agency she founded from their website:Since its inception as an accredited non-profit agency in 1987, Family Focus has added its own unique voice to the adoption community with its pioneering philosophies, training and adoption practices. Family Focus's board and staff, many of whom are adoptive parents, share a belief that adoption transforms the lives of children and the families that adopt them.Our Training and Meeting Centers are located in Castleton (near Albany) and Little Neck, Queens - also the location of our Administrative Office. Our mailing address is in Melville, Long Island. We license families from the Capital District through Metropolitan New York City and Long Island to be able to adopt from the foster care system, and we place children from all over the United States. Our agency is also approved in New Jersey and Connecticut.More at:https://www.familyfocusadoption.org/https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFocusAdoption/ 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.

Lori is the founder, CEO and President of FosterAdopt Connect. Lori and her husband Randy have been foster/adoptive parents since 1985. Together they have cared for more than 400 foster children and adopted 23 children, in addition to their five biological children. Lori and Randy are currently also the proud grandparents of 17 children so far. Lori holds a degree in psychology which she completed Summa Cum Laude as an adult learner, and has completed thousands of hours of additional training in issues related to the special needs of abused and neglected children. Lori began her professional child welfare career working with the Missouri Children’s Division, and the Kansas Department for Children and Families as a teaching foster parent over 30 years ago. She worked with other families to help found FosterAdopt Connect in 1998 initially as a support group, and in 2000 as a nonprofit agency, and has served as the organization’s President and CEO since that time. Lori also worked with the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) as a consultant in their Community Champions Network, providing child welfare services in the states of Texas, Colorado and Ohio. Her reputation within the child welfare community is an invaluable asset to the organization, and has contributed to FosterAdopt Connect’s effective advocacy work on behalf of kids and families in Missouri, Kansas and nationally. Throughout her career, Lori has served on a variety of boards and task forces related to foster care and adoption, including serving as the chair of the Missouri Task Force on Children’s Justice for several years. She is currently the board chair for Voice for Adoption, a DC based national child welfare advocacy organization.FosterAdopt Connect’s mission is to provide foster and adoptive children a stable, loving and nurturing family environment by support and advocacy for abused and neglected children and the families caring for them.Find out more at:https://www.fosteradopt.org/https://www.facebook.com/fosteradoptconnect/https://twitter.com/fosteradopt_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.

Crystal Young is the founding director of Hope Center and has served in this capacity since 2018. Crystal is a 2006 graduate of Tennessee Technological University, and holds a Masters of Public Health from Liberty University.Prior to her role as Hope Center’s Executive Director, Crystal served for 5 years with Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services, and also as Vice President to Hope Center’s Executive Board. Crystal and her husband Jonathan are proud parents to their two daughters and one son, ranging in age from 13 years to 1 year.In her role as Executive Director, Crystal looks forward to seeing the hopes and dreams of parenting and adoption become reality for both birth and adoptive families here in the Upper Cumberland.Hope Center Adoption & Family Services is a Christian family adoptive services center. lhttps://www.facebook.com/hopecenteradoptionshttps://twitter.com/JamiThornsberryhttps://www.instagram.com/hopecenteradoptions/https://hopecenteradoption.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.

Connect with Celestina at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachcelestina/PullTogether is about enlisting parents, families, community members, and young people in the fight to make sure New Mexico's children are safe, cared for, and ready to succeed.Find out more at:https://pulltogether.org/The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department provides an array of prevention, intervention, rehabilitative and after-care services to New Mexico children and their families.Find out more at:https://cyfd.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.

After successfully adopting 2 children in 2020, Eric and Marissa decided to work at helping other families achieve the same. In addition to a fulltime job as a lead pastor, Eric worked 20 additional hours a week on a side hustle making websites. Marissa got a part-time job in addition to homeschooling their two biological children. With these additional jobs, fundraisers, the generosity of friends, and a small grant from “Gift of Adoption”; Eric and Marissa adopted debt-free. They decided at the end, that something more had to be done to help other families cover the cost of their adoptions.In addition, God grew a passion within them to make a deeper and generational impact around the world by responding to the question, “Why don’t people in other countries take care of their own orphans?”After turning the leadership of their church plant over to a new partner church’s senior pastor, Eric and Marissa set out on their next journey to start Achieve Adoption.Admitting their strengths and acknowledging their weaknesses, Eric and Marissa decided that if the vision of “all countries adopting their orphans” is to be fulfilled, it will require leadership beyond their experience.Find out more at:https://achieveadoption.org/https://intransitstudios.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.

Jenn is Co-Founder & Executive Director of UARE Utah Coalition for Adoption Reform & Education.She's been recognized nationally with Spokeo Search Angel Award 2015 for personally facilitating over 100 adoption reunions.She has also lead online support community for over 300 members of the adoption constellation and trained teams of volunteer DNA researchers to help adult adoptees find birth familiesConnect with Jenn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferajohnston/or [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.

Marcie J. Keithley, Co founder and President, is a retired Vice President of Retail Bank Management and was also a licensed securities and insurance representative serving the financial community for over 32 years. Her background includes sales, management, operations, team development and leadership. She has served on a variety of boards during her career such as Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Kiwanis International and Executive Director for her local Chamber of Commerce.A birthmom in reunion since 2008, she co founded Indiana Adoptee Network and testified multiple times throughout the years in support of OBC access for the sister organization, H.E.A.R. Hoosiers for Equal Access to Records where she served as Vice President. She also hosts a weekly Friday night virtual event, Adoption Happy Hour, with global attendance from the adoption constellation.Keithley is the author of The ShoeBox Effect, Transforming Pain Into Fortitude and Purpose as well as the co author of Frankie and Friends Talk Adoption. She is a director for Women’s Writes Publishing and Author Services that gives voice to inspiring women authors and resides in southern Indiana along the banks of the Ohio River.Connect with herhttps://www.facebook.com/shoeboxeffecthttps://twitter.com/shoeboxeffecthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marcie-j-keithley/https://www.instagram.com/theshoeboxeffect/The roots of the National Association of Adoptees & Parents began in 2009 when Pam Kroskie and Marcie Keithley joined forces in an effort to unseal Indiana’s closed adoption records.In 2015, Hoosiers for Equal Access to Records (HEAR) a 501(c)4 non-profit organization, was formed dedicated to educating legislators and the public about the importance of original birth certificate (OBC) access for adult adoptees, and mobilizing those touched by adoption to stand up for their rights.In 2016, upon the passage of SEA91, HEAR formed Indiana Adoptee Network, Inc. (IAN) a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization when it became clear that the education/awareness of state’s lawmakers and the general public around adult adoptee matters was limited.Over the course of four years, IAN was able to build a nationwide network allowing them to impact education, attitudes, and legislation through their alliance with other nonprofit organizations, annual conferences, newsletters, social media, and webinars.In 2021, IAN expanded its vision to educate, empower, and elevate adoptee voices when Marcie Keithley and Jennifer Fahlsing founded the National Association of Adoptees & Parents (NAAP), a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization which is committed to building unity in our communityhttps://naapunited.org/https://www.instagram.com/naapunited/https://www.facebook.com/NAAPUnited/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChLlRoOseJEuSGz-Mitt9ow 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.

Born in India, adopted at 10 months, raised in Australia, Vin is a true one off. He runs a Facebook group where adoptees and adopters can learn from one another in a friendly and no conflict environment.Connect with him at:https://www.facebook.com/VinAdopteewarrior/https://www.instagram.com/vinadopteeHere's the link I mention in the show https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Neill/e/B0034PVSJ0 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.

Annalisa is mixed-race Welsh and Jamaican and was adopted at four years old by Jamaican parents. Annalisa is an award-winning cultural producer, communications and marketing consultant, and journalist whose work and research focus on racial identity, anti-racism, sustainable change, and developmental trauma. You can read more about Annalisa's adoption story here and her thoughts on why adult adoptees need to be heard here.Connect with her at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalisa-toccara/https://twitter.com/AnnaToccaraMore at:Adoptee Futures is the first UK adoption organisation made by adopted people, aimed at everyone involved in adoption with adoptees at the centre. Adoptee Futures aims to help create a better future for adoption by reclaiming the adoption narrative, reframing the world's view on adoption, and helping adult adoptees heal through their trauma to evolve into the best versions of themselves. Adoptee Futures is a registered mental health CIC and provides various training, workshops, support groups, coaching, and events. https://www.adopteefutures.org/https://twitter.com/AdopteeFutureshttps://www.instagram.com/adopteefutures/ 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 Taylor from his websiteMy name is Taylor and I was born in Cheboksarui, Russia in October 1986. I lived there for five years with my family. I had one brother who is four years older than me and one sister who is two years younger than me. At the age of five, I lost my dad. Since that point, my biological mom, my younger sister, and I began traveling all over Russia as a homeless family, which some considered “Gypsy”. We stayed in train stations, under bridges, in haystacks, and other places I don’t care to remember. For food, I had to jump over fences into other people’s gardens and take vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots... just to stay alive. Some days we ate nothing. During the winter, I had to beg people for a place to stay each night on behalf of my mother and sister.I wanted a chance to go to school as I realized that a life without education would offer us nothing. At an early age, I already knew that to have no education, would offer me a life of nothing later on. Because of our constant moves and homelessness, I had no friends. So, as simple as it sounds, I also wanted to have friends.At one point in my life, I lived with a family on the farm who decided to become my “foster family”. While not the ideal family: an alcoholic father who refused to come home and help on the farm, a mother who was constantly angry due to her husband’s absence, and an older brother who had severe mental problems and was also full of anger… this was a real family for me. They agreed to put me in school, so I realized one dream and began first grade at the age of 9. The school became my favorite place because, at home, I had to take care of the farm. In the morning, I took the cows to the city where a common caregiver watched them in the pasture, then, I fed the pigs, chickens, and other animals. Only after my chores were done, was I able to go to school. And, I knew once home in the afternoon, other farm chores would again take over such as cleaning pigsties, chicken coops, horse barns and spreading the manure onto the field and garden, cultivate the garden, cut and stack wood for the winter, plow the fields for other crops, sickle the grass to collect hay and store it for winter in the barn and finally feed all animals before dark. On a large farm, the work is never done. Only after all chores were done, was I able to complete homework with dim lights.​I lived with this family for 4 years, until the age of 12. At the end of the fourth year, I got transferred to another family and after, into a large regional hospital before settling in an orphanage.......These are some of my memories on paper that I have published.Thank you so much for reading my story "Wait For Me"I hope this inspires others to share your past with me and start a healing process. We all have a story to share and I am here to listen....Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorda/https://www.facebook.com/WaitForMeByTaylorDhttps://www.taylordakake.com/https://www.instagram.com/tdakake/https://twitter.com/wdakake 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.

Dr. Catherine Horvath is a registered psychologist with competencies in clinical work with children, adolescents, and families, as well as forensic work with adolescents.Dr. Horvath has experience in working with those struggling with disruptive behaviours, self-regulation, attachment, and sexual behaviour issues related to histories of adverse childhood experiences, complex developmental trauma, adoption related issues, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and involvement with the child welfare and/or criminal justice systems.Dr. Horvath has a particular interest in offering parenting interventions and family therapy whenever possible because parents are the most influential people in their children’s lives, and children and adolescents have a better chance of improvement if the whole family is supported.Connect with her athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-catherine-horvath-c-psych-a53276b7/Her Center's mission is to champion the provision of accessible, effective, trauma-informed assessment and treatment of children, teens, and families impacted by experiences of adversity, trauma, and mental health difficulties.Find out more athttps://ocfr.ca/https://www.facebook.com/ocfr.ca/?fref=nfhttps://twitter.com/ocfresilience 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.

David Schunk was born in Smolensk, Russia in 1994. He was adopted at a young age by an American family from New Hampshire. He was a resident of Bedford, New Hampshire since he could remember until he left for college in 2013. He studied Computer Networking and Cyber Security at Champlain College, located in Burlington Vermont.David currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Founder for the Russian Adoptees nonprofit organization. In addition, he served as a Board Member for the non profit group, Adopted For Good. Adopted For Good advocates for positive rights and positive policies for adopted children. David has traveled to Washington, D.C. many times to advocate for adopted children with local Congress members regarding adoption issues.Connect with David at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dschunk/https://twitter.com/davidmschunkClaire was also born in Russia and adopted by parents in the USA.Connect with Claire at https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireives/Russian Adoptees is a coalition to support the unique needs of persons adopted from Russia and the former Soviet Union.Find out more at:www.facebook.com/RAnonprofitwww.russianadoptees.orghttps://www.instagram.com/russian_adopteeshttps://twitter.com/russianadoptees 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.

Melanie Scheetz and her husband are proud adoptive parents of two children. Melanie has 29 years of non-profit management experience in the areas of administration and development. She joined the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition as its Executive Director in 1999. Under her guidance, the agency developed the groundbreaking programs, Extreme Recruitment® and 30 Days to Family®. Melanie has been honored with the St. Louis Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Business Women of 2019 award; North American Council on Adoptable Children’s “National Adoption Advocate” award; the Congressional “Angels in Adoption” award; and the “Women of the Well” award.Connect with her athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-scheetz-622118a/The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition strives to create permanency in foster children’s lives by recruiting and supporting foster and adoptive families in the metropolitan St. Louis region.Find out more athttps://www.foster-adopt.org/https://www.facebook.com/FosterAdopt/https://www.instagram.com/foster.adopt/ 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.

Tony, a former foster youth and adoptee, was adopted by a same sex couple in the mid 1990’s. He writes about his experiences growing up as both an interracial adoptee and as a child growing up in a same sex headed household in his memoir “The Son With Two Moms.”Connect with Tony:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-hynes-283aa941/C.A.S.E. offers mental health services and educational resources for all members of the adoption and foster community. They are committed to nurturing, inspiring and empowering children, teens, their families and the professionals who support them.https://adoptionsupport.org/https://twitter.com/CASEadopthttps://www.facebook.com/caseadopt/https://www.instagram.com/caseadopt/ 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 first encountered the child welfare system in 1995 when her foster brother entered their family as a toddler. His story and five-year adoptive journey had a profound impact, and she has had a desire for systemic transformation since. After several years in the business sector, the road for professional advocacy opened up in 2008 when she had an idea of how to help children who needed loving and safe families. Subsequently, she founded Chosen.Jenni has a background in Communications, Psychology, and Counseling. She has extended her professional training with a Nonprofit Management Certification, along with certifications in Leadership and Fundraising. Part of her role is advocating for systemic policy reform, and she is active in both federal and state affairs.Chosen‘s mission has evolved with her at the helm to fulfill a unique need in the childcare welfare continuum. Jenni recognized that there is a real deficiency in long-term support of families impacted by the grief and loss associated with foster care and adoption. She is extremely passionate about children healing from the trauma of abuse, neglect, and abandonment, which is the agency’s primary focus today. Equally, she is dedicated to strengthening families as agents of healing for their children.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni-lord-498057105/Chosen’s mission is to help children heal from trauma by strengthening their families. Once a child is safely placed in a home, Chosen comes in with ourModel of Care, delivered by licensed care managers who do whatever it takes to equip families with tools to overcome trauma and thrive together.https://www.facebook.com/chosen.carehttps://www.instagram.com/chosen_care/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvAJKSmWGWYZqRWhNdMlFOAhttps://www.pinterest.com/chosencare/ 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 Sandy at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-pricer-566741107/RiseUP is a nonprofit that supports teens and at-risk youth (13-23 years old). By teaching life and leadership skills and by filling in service gaps, RiseUP is working to make sure that no child becomes a statistic. We believe every teen can learn the skills and principles needed to become responsible, independent, strong, empowered, upstanding, and productive adults with a positive mindset and self-esteem.RiseUP stands for Responsible Independent Strong Empowered Upstanding Productive in society!A desire to help all teens and at-risk youth have the same opportunities as our own children is what inspired us to create RiseUP. A teen’s future is vitally important, which is why we provide the tools and knowledge each individual needs in order to have a better tomorrow. Our volunteers bring their passion and experience to every life and leadership skills workshop they teach. We also offer workshops for adults, which give parents information they can use to help the teen(s) in their lives. We welcome all adults—those who work with teens, are raising teens, or just want to learn more about these valuable topics. This is one way RiseUP aims to help stop the generational cycle of poverty, trauma, and brokenness. Find more at:https://www.riseupcooperative.org/https://www.facebook.com/RiseUpcooperativehttps://www.instagram.com/rise_up_cooperative/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfXg7_TuJnpjyHU6SSAu8Rg 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.