Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

What's wrong with me? Perhaps our most fundamental question. One we can answer intellectually 'nothing'. Or we can see that we are perfect - in theory. But how do we get to that place in our soul, gut or bones. How do we transcend cellular shame to love ourselves unconditionally? Listen into Lilly's learnings on healing. Profound and empowering, just like we like our interviews on Thriving Adoptees. We're still a niche but boy do we go deep to share catalysts. We heal together.https://www.instagram.com/anspach_https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilly-anspach-097a294/https://www.facebook.com/carrie.anspach 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.

Trigger warning: mention of suicidal ideation. Sometimes we have to break down to break through. Our biggest insights come in our lowest moments. So what's the biggest insight? The insight with infinite levels: there's nothing wrong with us. All is, in fact, right with us. We are perfect with our imperfections. Listen in as Sue, adopted in the 1950's, shares her breakthrough healing moments. 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.

Have the most popular ways to heal left you still feeling wounded? Perhaps it's time for a different approach. Listen in as Zhen shares what has helped her feel whole. A conversation full of healing nuggets.Here's a bit about Zhen's first interview:Are you a transracial/transnational adoptee with a complex relationship to your birth country/culture? Listen in as Zhen shares what she's learned navigating that complexity. Highly empowering.Here's a link to Zhen's first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/zhen-rammelsbergZhen E Rammelsberg is a Korean American adoptee and new playwright and has had her Heuer Play Canst Thou Hearest Thee Now produced and performed in multiple states. She has traveled to a few of these states to see the productions. Her newest play loosely based upon her adoption story called Black Box: An Adoption Choreopoem is yet unpublished but has been performed in Chicago at an all Asian American Playwiting festival and was most recently performed in Cedar Rapids Iowa at the Underground Playwriting Festival where it won 3 awards Best Youth Performer, Best Ensemble and Runner Up for Best New Play. Zhen E resides in Marion Iowa with the Spock to her Kirk of a husband Robert and her 2 cats Toulouse and Pip. The Rammelsbergs split their time traveling from Iowa to Milwaukee to visit their son and also to Korea. As well as being a part time playwright, Zhen E is a part time massage therapist, part time Wedding Official, part time wig and make up technician for several local theatre and opera companies, and Full Time lover of Hello Kitty and a Student of Life and Philanthropist.https://www.facebook.com/zhen.e.rammelsberghttps://www.instagram.com/zhenerammelsberghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/zhen-e-rammelsberg-03448021/ 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.

Does trauma feel dark to you? Does that darkness take you down? I know it has that effect on me. So how do we find more lightness? Listen in as Jennifer points us to toward a lighter life.Here's a link to the interview with Jill Bolte Taylor https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-jill-bolte-taylorHere's a bit about Jennifer's first interview:The powerful emotions we adoptees feel can sometimes threaten to overwhelm us. So how do we get past those feelings? Listen in as fellow adoptee and podcaster Jennifer and I explore trauma, deceit, identity, mindful awareness and much more. Here's a link so you can listen to it https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/acceptance-with-jennifer-dyan-ghostonHere's a bit about Jennifer from her website:Hi, I'm Jennifer who is an adoptee in reunion with both sides of my birth family. I have been connected with the adoption community for over a decade and am always interested in hearing the personal stories of adoptees from all over the globe. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. and in foster care for two years before my adoption. Prior to my 48th birthday, I set the intention to search for my birth family. The Truth So Far… is a memoir of my willingness to be open, honest and public about my adoption experience.Once Upon A Time...In Adopteeland, the podcast is another way for me to hopefully add a valuable resource to the adoption community from the perspective of the adoptee.https://www.jenniferdyanghoston.com/https://www.instagram.com/jenniferdyanghostonhttps://www.facebook.com/Onceuponatimeinadopteeland/ 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.

Trauma can wreak havoc at every level. Psychologically. Emotionally. Sociologically. Biologically. Spiritually. Theresa's body knew she was an alien but she wasn't told that she was adopted until 19. Listen in as she shares a lifetime's insights into healing at every level.https://www.instagram.com/theresaknorhttps://www.facebook.com/theresa.knorr/https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-m-knorr-carc-243543b/https://www.tiktok.com/@taichi4recoveryhttps://tknorr12.wixsite.com/wellnesseducator 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.

Do you yearn for more peace? Listen in as we dive into the profound place underneath our trauma. The place we feel at home and at peace.At some level, often unconscious, many of us believe that a good reunion will make us whole again. But that reunion might not even happen. And even if it does, we haven't got a clue how well it will go. So where's the hope given all the unknowns? How best should we navigate the process? Adoptee Heather shares her what she's learned from her own reunion and coaching fellow adoptees on their own journeys.Heather G. Marshall was born in Leith, Scotland and grew up in Kilmarnock. From there, she emigrated to Kinsale, Ireland with her family before moving to the United States. Her fiction and creative nonfiction are published in literary journals in both the US and the UK. Her first novel, The Thorn Tree, is set in South Carolina and on the islands of Arran and Skye in Scotland.Here's a link to Heather's previous interviewhttps://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-reunion-with-heather-g-marshallhttps://heathergmarshall.com/https://www.instagram.com/heather_g_marshall/ 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.

Trying to push away, numb or suppress tough emotions is exhausting and a short term fix if it works at all. We have to feel it to heal it. Nicky shares wisdom bombs to help us heal, including one that really landed for me - making friends with shame. It's so counter to what we normally do.Nicky Hammond is a transracial adoptee who was born in South Korea. She and her identical twin sister were adopted by white parents in Sydney Australia. She currently lives with her hubby, two primary school aged boys and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the Northern Beaches of Sydney.Nicky is a breathwork facilitator, master coach and former coach instructor. She is an expert in deep enquiry and using somatic practices to heal and expand. She is on her own healing journey using a whole range of modalities to heal. She calls herself The Coach's Coach because she is passionate about helping other coaches deepen their coaching conversations, so they can help facilitate their clients’ transformation and create ethical businesses aligned with their own values. Nicky has been using breathwork to nurture her own nervous system for years and loves sharing it, to help other people take care of themselves, heal, transform and flourish.https://www.facebook.com/CoachsCoach.co/https://www.instagram.com/coachscoach.cohttps://www.coachscoach.co/https://www.linkedin.com/company/coachscoach/https://www.tiktok.com/@coachscoach.co 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 a wise man once said to me, what we resists persists. So how do we accept the tough stuff we've been through? How do we get to the peace that lies at the other side? Listen in as Stephen shares hard won learnings. Powerful!https://www.instagram.com/stephen_sternejr/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sas-jr/Here are some links to episodes with birth mothers 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.

Has trauma imprisoned you? Created a trauma bound identity that feels like a life sentence? Listen in as Jude shares the hard won insights that have set her free. This interview was originally a Facebook Live. The first live an in person interview we've done on Thriving Adoptees. It's one of the most powerful and freeing of all 450 plus episodes. We hope it catalyses some insights for you.https://www.facebook.com/jude.a.hunghttps://www.instagram.com/finding_home_with_judehttps://fhwithjude.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.

Is your brain stuck in trauma? Do the same old feelings keep coming back? Listen in as Lorah shares insights across all the levels of healing - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and relational.Here's a link to Lorah's previous interview - God Hated Me https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/god-hated-me-with-adoptee-lorah-geraldThis episode is all about one of the most dramatic turnarounds we've ever heard on the podcast. Lorah used to think that God hated her. That she was a demon. That her soul was shattered. Reunion shook her to the core. So what changed? Listen into her profound shifts. Let them catalyse shifts in you.Here's more about Lorah from her website:Welcome! Here’s a little bit about me. I am The Adopted Chameleon on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest. I found writing and being creative was therapeutic. I started these pages when I was at a very low point until I found solace in the adult adoptee community. This group knows my pain and understood how I feel. I felt seen and heard for the first time. I had a language and was able to better express what I needed to heal. Being vulnerable and talking about my pain has helped me. Now I write to help myself as well as others. I am a trained Kundalini yoga instructor, TIYT-Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy, instructor, Reiki Master, and Intuitive. With my training in energy healing, trauma and breathe work training, I have studied methods that help with the healing process. Working with these tool I have learned to better understand my own trauma. I use my training to help myself and others. When we heal ourselves, we heal the world.Having worked for Whole Foods Market for almost 7 years as their Marketing Team Leader, I relearned what whole, unprocessed food was. I enjoyed hosting many cooking classes, healthy eating events and, in turn, cleaned up my own diet. When I was young, my adoptive parents and I grew our own food. Food is important to our physical and mental well-being. I learned what foods to eat for optimal health. I was born with abilities that allow me to see/feel/hear things that other people may not. I found out after reunion with my siblings, that a strong intuition ran in my genetic family on both sides, as well as with my adoptive mother. With my intuition and my training, I have come up with ways to help myself and offer to help others.Using all these tools, I have helped myself manage the trauma that adoption caused me. I had some life-changing events that have sent me on this path. This healing power lies within all of us. I will share my knowledge and training, to help you unleash your own healing power. I am an adoptee finding her way without her roots.https://lorahgerald.com/https://www.facebook.com/hela.goode.5https://www.instagram.com/theadoptedchameleon/https://www.pinterest.com/lorahwg/the-adopted-chameleon/https://www.tiktok.com/@theadoptedchameleonhttps://twitter.com/adptdchameleonhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Ov54pUZ-uUNrGoqmZd33g 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.

Have you sought validation from others or through your career? Pursued relationships in the hope that someone else can save you only to find out that didn't work? Listen in as Andrew shares his learnings on finding validation and wholeness within.Connect with Andrew at:https://www.facebook.com/AndrewCGlen 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.

Freedom. Elusive for some of us. Practically impossible for others. Listen in as AJ shares how she's found freedom, the healing power of writing and much more. Powerful and empowering. Listen in with big ears.Here's a link to AJ's previous interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/aj-bialoDo you ever feel uncomfortable? AJ grew up in a very toxic environment that left her grieving the loss of what her life might have looked like if she hadn't been adopted. She was very uncomfortable at home and outside was rarely better. She captured her experience in a poem "Alone in the crowd" which she reads to us. Listen in as she shares how she eventually got to feel comfortable in her own skin for insights to help you.Here's a bit about AJ from her website:I have read many peoples biographies over the years and the one thing that people usually start with is the line “I was born…(fill in date and place). I suppose that I could start out the same way. After all, I do have a birth certificate that has a date and time on it.But, I also have other documentation from the hospital where I was born that contradicts the official date. So since I am not sure exactly when I was born I will start with the statement: I celebrate my birthday every year on May 8th. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, I still call the Salt City home. There is nothing that has impacted my life more than being adopted. Like a black cloud, it has followed me around every day of my life since childhood. It has caused abandonment and self worth issues that have affected every relationship I have ever had. It has plagued every holiday with wondering and yearning to know who my birth family is and to know if they were thinking of me as I often thought of them. Being adopted has caused me to question my whole identity. Always wondering, who am I really? A fellow adoptee once told me that being adopted was like being a red marble in a family of blue marbles. You don’t look like them, you don’t sound like them, you don’t act or think like them. And no matter how hard you try to be more like them you will always be the outsider.You will always be the red marble in the family of blue marbles. But the sense of disconnection does not end there. For even if you are lucky enough to find the family of red marbles that you came from, as I have, you still don’t find a place where you fit in because you don’t know what it means to be a red marble. There is a spiel that I give at the beginning of every poetry and short story reading that I appear at. A J Bialo is not my legal name, but it is my legal alias as recognized by New York State and the Federal Copyright Office. It is the name that I have chosen to define who I am, as a writer and a person. It is a tribute to my two maternal grandfathers – without each of them I would not be the person I am today. I have always been an introvert and never really connected with kids my own age.My best friends growing up were the characters in the many books I would read every week. I remember my father would take me to the library every Saturday where I would scour the drama, horror, fiction and science fiction shelves and I would peruse for hours the synopsis on the inside of dust jackets and the back covers of paper backs. When I didn’t find much new to read at the library I found myself with a notebook and pen writing my own stories. These stories weren’t great writings but just naïve childhood stories that were more interested in the characters than the stories. But my childhood writing career would be short lived. My mother was very concerned that I spent too much time with my made up friends and not enough time socializing with real friends. What she didn’t understand was that I didn’t have any real friends. She discouraged my writing by reading what I wrote and belittling it as stupid and childish. Of course it was childish, I think now in retrospect, I was a child exploring my world in a way that was comfortable to me. Despite her criticism I continued to write and make up characters that I found intriguing. But she would also continue to read my work and continued to criticize what I wrote.I continued writing, hiding my notebooks where I thought she wouldn’t find them. But it seemed no matter where I hid them she would find them, read them, and have some nasty comment about what I was writing. When I ran out of hiding spots, I took my notebooks and a book of matches to the park where I hung out and burned them. I wouldn’t start writing again until I was in my thirties. The first poem I ever wrote was on a train returning from a long weekend in New York City for a professional conference. When I found my family of red marbles the one thing that I wanted to know was who my birth father was. But this information was evidently a red marble secret which was not to be given up, at any cost. To this day, I still don’t know who my birth father is. The only hint I do have is that he was from Brooklyn. So, wh

Feeling insufficient - not enough - is rife amongst us adoptees. So how do we get past that to the relief of being enough and beyond even that. Buckle up for a wild ride to places we've not been before on this podcast.Here's a link to Jeff's previous interview - A Journey To Self on https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/a-journey-to-self-with-jeff-forneyWith our life story missing chapter 1, it's no wonder identity can be tricky or a complete mystery for us adoptees. How can we feel good enough if we don't know who we are? Listen in as Jeff and I explore identity beyond shame, guilt and trauma.Jeff was adopted at birth. Raised in the Bay Area by two wonderfully loving parents, Jeff still felt a pull to know and uncover the mystery of his origin. Jeff eventually found his biological roots and has been in reunion with his birthmother for almost 30 years.Now, a photographer living in Los Angeles, a chance photoshoot with Ray Liota and discovering he, too, is adopted, a project was ‘birthed’ to photograph and interview adoptees in reunion with their biological parents.The project has been a transformative process, but Jeff now finds himself hosting adoptee meetings at his home twice a month. Through Jeff’s involvement with the adoption community and just so happening to be a close friend of Jennifer Griffith and her husband Mark, Jeff has lent his ‘adoption constellation membership’ to Jennifer when her podcast touches the subject of adoption and foster parenthood.He is not claiming to be an expert on adoption but a mindful devotee to living open and vulnerable. Jeff is happy to help others identify with those who have dealt with adoption/foster care issues and create a community of nourishment.https://jeffforney.com/https://www.instagram.com/jeffforney/https://www.byjennifergriffith.com/jeff-forney/https://www.facebook.com/jeffforneyphoto 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 Nicolle's first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/experiencing-healing-with-nicolle-tremitiereWe can't talk ourselves out of our pre-verbal trauma. Our intellect can't heal pre-intellectual trauma. So what on earth do we do? Listen in as we dive into healing as an experience with adoptee and therapist Nicolle.Here's a link to the EMDR International Association https://www.emdria.org/Find out more about Nicolle at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolle-a-tremitiere-lcsw-79199a25/https://www.facebook.com/TtraumaR/ 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.

Could trauma still be stuck in your body? Perhaps you've done a lot of talk therapy and yet you're still triggered. Talk therapy has a tough time healing trauma that we can't remember or that happened before we had words. Listen in as adoptee and coach Laurie dives deep into somatic healing and how it reaches trauma other therapies can't get to.Listen to Laurie's previous interview - Healing Our Feelings here https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-our-feelingsSign up for her guide to Somatic HealingFeeling unwanted is a central theme to many of adoptees' lives. We ache for connection. And it's a deep throbbing heartache that hurts like hell. Listen in as adoptee Laurie and I explore what she's learned to help you heal that heartache.What does it mean to belong? Laurie James spent most of her life wondering that same question. A lack of belonging and loneliness dictated how she spent most of her life. She rarely shared her secret with others—it was always hidden behind a carefree and can-do attitude. In her mid-forties, Laurie is sent down an unwanted path after her mother has a heart attack and her husband’s lawyer delivers some shocking news. She suddenly finds herself Sandwiched between caring for her parents, managing unruly caregivers, raising four teenage daughters, and trying to understand the choices of her husband she thought she knew. Sandwiched is a story about one woman’s struggle to do “it all” while facing the reality that the ideal life and family she believed she had created was slowly crumbling beneath her. As she tries everything to keep her family together, Laurie seeks therapy, turns to yoga, rediscovers nature, develops a strong female tribe and begins writing. As she explores the layers of her life and heals her past, she realizes that she’s the only one who can create the life she wants and deserves. Sandwiched, is a memoir debut about what it means to let go of the life you planned in order to find the life you belong to. https://www.instagram.com/laurie.james/https://www.facebook.com/laurie.james.79219754https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-james-8336a0168/https://www.laurieejames.com/Here's a another episode on the primal woundhttps://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/primally-wounded-or-fundamentally-unwoundable-with-nick-mabeyHere's a link to the event on 3 January 2023 about healing the primal wound https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whole-healing-my-primal-wound-tickets-473258638327 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.

Do you want to do you? Expressing the truth of you are? Feeling the whole of your emotions? Listen in as adoptee and clinical social worker Jean shares her learnings on authenticity so you can do you.Here's a link to Jean's interview on busting beliefs https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/jean-provanceHere's a bit about Jean from her website:Jean Provance graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in visual arts and psychology and then moved forward completing her Master’s degree in social work in 2008. For Jean learning is a lifelong process and continuing her education to deeply specialize in work with trauma survivors especially those affected by adoption and foster care. Jean’s background in visual arts and play therapy allow her to integrate creative interventions that reach children, adolescents and adults alike. She is an EMDR certified therapist. Jean also holds a certificate in adoption counseling. She completed the training to supervise social workers towards their clinical licensure in 2013 and completed SIFI to provide field instruction to MSW interns in 2010. Jean anticipates her play therapy credentialing to be completed in June of 2023.Jean loves utilizing known strengths and discovering new ones during therapeutic work with clients. She wants sessions to be collaborative, with mutual consent while providing a safe holding environment that allows clients the room they need to grow and flourish.When Jean isn’t holding space for client’s she enjoys spending time with her family, running, gardening and caring for family pets. Jean continues to work on many artistic projects and is always looking to have some fun. https://www.featherlightcounseling.com/https://www.instagram.com/featherlightcounseling/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086935247788 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 interview challenged me. And that's a good thing. Introspection and questioning our beliefs can lead to change for the better. A different perspective. A healing perspective. Roderick's perspective is very different. You might find it challenging like I did. Listen in and make up your own mind.Here's a link to his previous interview: Reconstructing My Identity https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/reconstructing-our-identity-with-roderickeHere's more about Roderick.Roderick Edwards (aka RoderickE) is a multi-genre author of over 25 books on topics as wide ranging as an autobiography of his being left for dead at the hospital at birth and his subsequent adoption at age 4 and reunion with his birth family at age 50. Or a series of books on WW2 cargo pilots that served in India with one of the men returning to the USA to develop the satellite program during the space race with the Soviets. RoderickE also has time travel fictions, books on politics, race relations, religion, philosophy, and poetry. Sometimes called the "Bansky of Books" due to his unexpected style that bypasses the cookie-cutter market-driven fare, you'll be certain to find something you will enjoy, or you will dive into a new genre with seamless crossover.https://www.facebook.com/roderickehttps://twitter.com/roderickedotcomhttps://www.instagram.com/roderickeauthorhttps://tiktok.com/@roderickedotcomhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/roderick-edwards-56170a24ahttps://www.youtube.com/@roderickeauthorhttps://truthsocial.com/@roderickedotcomhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Roderick_Ehttps://www.bookbub.com/profile/roderick-edwards 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.

Have you ever numbed, denied or suppressed your feelings? To fit in? Or because the feelings hurt so much they threatened to engulf you? Listen in as Fred shares his insights on feeling to heal.Here's a link to Fred's first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/discovering-who-i-am-with-fred-nicoraHere's a bit about Fred from his website.Fred Nicora has followed a path of unexplained restlessness ignited by undisclosed triggers in his efforts to find the right fit for his own identity and seek truth in his life. Careers explored on his journey include health care administration, architecture, business consulting, high school and middle school teaching, corporate business management, and his own entrepreneurial endeavors including a startup fitness-based nutrition company and now authoring stories reflecting his perspective and insights of experiences from traumatic events and unusual life altering experiences including his status as a Late Discovery Adoptee. His work thoughtfully examines self-identity, adoption, recovery from addiction, spiritual, mental, and physical fitness, and faith.​Fred’s other passion is developing and selling nutrient packed, delicious, gluten free baked products sold as Fred’s Breads, www.fredsbreadstore.com. Offerings focus on a unique blend of mouth-watering flavor combinations naturally high in protein with additional protein boosts available. Some products are also offered as vegan gluten free. Fred holds a B.S. in Business Administration, an M.S. in Management Technology, a Master’s in Architecture and a secondary lifetime Teaching License via a master’s program. Following a traumatic life altering event, Fred struggled with drug and alcohol addiction eventually finding sobriety and his need for spiritual, mental, and physical health. A father of three grown children, Fred currently lives and maintains a small hobby farm in Southeastern Wisconsin where he breeds and sells registered Dexter cattle. Lines are bred for excellent temperament, in both polled and horned options with strong confirmation in both milking and beefing lines.https://www.instagram.com/frednicora.fitness/https://twitter.com/frednicorahttps://www.facebook.com/fred.nicorahttps://www.frednicora.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.

Do you feel you've lost yourself through being adopted? Listen in as adoptee and adoptee coach Rae shares her take on finding ourselves, how insights heal and overcoming emotional challenges. Enlightening and empowering.Here's a bit about Rae from her website:I'm a domestic U.S. adoptee, adopted from the foster care system when I was three years old. I spent my whole life trying to be "someone else's child" until my world crashed around me as a senior in college. I was not succeeding while wearing that mask. I was lost. Confused. Unsure what I was experiencing or why things just didn't seem to 'work'. I wanted to self-destruct! When I sought support, the nuances of adoption were rarely addressed. I had never learned how to voice my experience as an adoptee. After college I entered reunion with my biological mother. As our relationship blossomed, there was still so much I couldn't understand. Over time, it became apparent: Adoptees need adoptees.https://www.adopteereclaimed.com/https://www.facebook.com/raekrecoverycoachhttps://www.instagram.com/adoptee_reclaimed/ 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 clear on you on what heals you? The clearer we get, the better we heal. Listen in as adoptee, birth mother and adoption professional Rebecca shares how lightbulb moments in and after her darkest moments have brought clarity to her healing journey.Connect with Rebecca here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ricardo-6766318/https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.ricardo.9/Find out more about adoptee advocacy in Michigan here:https://www.adopteeadvocatesofmichigan.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.

Are you conflicted? Caught between your biological and adoptive mothers, fathers or broader families? Seeking peace, love or something else that you can't get? Eva's story is very different to most adoptees' stories and yet many of the feelings are the same. That different story gives us a fresh perspective to reflect on our own emotional and the shared emotions give us permission to learn.‘Eva Asprakis was raised in South London by her American mother and Cypriot stepfather, who subsequently adopted her. She now lives in Nicosia with her partner, and is the author of two contemporary fiction novels. Her work explores themes of immigration and cultural identity, as well as sexual politics and complex familial relationships.’Connect with Eva at:https://www.instagram.com/eva.asprakis/https://eva-asprakis.mailchimpsites.com/Link to order her book https://books2read.com/38dor. 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's your healing? If you're looking for more healing then a broader, holistic, view may help you jump the barriers on your journey. Listen in as adoptee and holistic healer for adoptees Sarah goes wide (and deep) to speed you along.Here's a bit about Sarah"I am 53 yrs old adoptee, English/Indian and a mom to two teenage boys. As a fully qualified Bowen Therapist and Reiki Master my goal is to unify the mind, body and soul for healing and recovery. I work from my own space in Silves, Portugal and globally remotely. Life gave me the opportunity to take a new path which began when I received a course of Bowen treatments after the birth of my first son in 2007. This led me to retrain into the holistic health field, since then I have been dedicated to the wellness of others on all levels. Over the last few years I felt a pull to expand into learning about the synergy of the mind and body. After a profound personal transformation, I knew that I could guide others on their own healing journey, specifically adoptees. My heart-led goal is to guide, encourage, lead and support you in creating a solid foundation for yourself, your family, your life. A foundation that is real, meaningful and unshakable from where you can expand and transform."Here's a link to Sarah's grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/574139124622133Connect with Sarah here:https://www.globalhearthealing.com/https://www.facebook.com/bowentherapyalgarvemstrhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpatstone/https://sarahpatstone.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.

Are your feelings sometimes unbearable? No wonder we try to stuff them down! But that doesn't work does it? So what are we to do? Listen in as Ferera shares her take on healing and feeling less hurt by the hurt. Trigger warning: mention of suicide ideation.Bridging music and activism for adoptee rights, social change, and collective healing, Ferera has channeled her trauma into a creative and personal rebirth. “Some of our greatest gifts can be found in our deepest pain. Explore what hurts, and find yourself."Listen to Second Time here:https://open.spotify.com/track/0PwocyGJiMjThJexY5e3enRead her blog here:https://www.fereraswan.com/theswanprojectFind out more here:https://www.fereraswan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/fereraswanhttps://www.facebook.com/fereraswanListen to Hayley Radke interviewing Ferera here:https://www.adopteeson.com/listen/178 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.

So many of us spent so long pushing tough emotions like loss away. So much of that has been unconscious. What if we can welcome loss in like a friend? So it loses its power over us? Jen shares her learnings from the loss of two mothers. From Laguna Beach (Orange County), California, Jennifer Bao Yu "Precious Jade" Jue-Steuck is an author, screenwriter, children's novelist, adoption researcher, and adoption columnist. Adopted from Taipei (by an American family from Los Angeles), Jennifer is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Harvard University, where she was a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Scholar.She is the founder of Chinese Adoptee Links (CAL) International — Global Generations, the first global group created by and for the more than 150,000 Chinese adoptees growing up in 26+ countries around the world. She currently serves as the co-founder of Harvardwood Vancouver-Seattle (for Harvard alumni in the Arts & Entertainment), and is the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs (HAE) Canada.Jennifer has given more than 100+ adoption talks in 8 countries, including several Keynote Speeches, on behalf of the international adoption community. A contributor to St. Martin’s Press, Oxford University Press, MIT Press, Conde Nast and more, Jennifer was recently awarded a runner-up prize by International Thriller Writers (ITW). She won her first writing competition at age 9, and has been writing ever since. The Stepmother's Project is Jennifer's first Canadian global media project ("EVERY MOTHER MATTERS").https://www.gofundme.com/f/Stepmother-Projecthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-jue-steuck/ 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.

Would you like a better relationship with yourself? Less anxiety? Less anger? Listen in as we talk about forgiving ourselves, grace and much more. I don't usually swear on the podcast but I do so for emphasis. Sorry for any offence caused.Would you like a better relationship with yourself? Less anxiety? Less anger? Listen in as we talk about forgiving ourselves, grace and much more. I don't usually swear on the podcast but I do so for emphasis. Sorry for any offence caused.Louise Browne is a baby scoop era adoptee from the United States living in California. She Co-Hosts a podcast, Adoption: The Making of Me, that helps to get adoptees stories out in the world to help change the narrative around adoption. Louise enjoys spending time with her grown son, her husband, family and friends, hikes, enjoys nature and is working on writing her first novel and getting a Young Adult published. Find out more at:https://twitter.com/LouiseBrowne_LAhttps://www.facebook.com/louise.b.gonzalezhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-browne-3b5a0519/https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.comhttps://www.facebook.com/themakingofmepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/themakingofmepodcasthttps://twitter.com/makingofmepdcst 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.

One of the strongest themes in our conversations on healing is that it's an ongoing process. So what do learn over that process that helps us along that process? Listen in as Paige shares what she's done and continues to do to help her along the process.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.Listen to her previous interview:Paige felt ashamed about being adopted when she was younger. Listen to what she's learned over the years to leave this behind. We discuss overcoming stigma, questioning the primal wound and our true identity to feel better, do better and thrive. https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/from-shame-to-thriving-with-paige-stricklandFind out more about her at:https://stricklandp.wordpress.com/author/stricklandp/https://www.facebook.com/23plashttps://twitter.com/plastrickland23https://www.instagram.com/paigeladamsstrickland/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-adams-strickland-4819722b/https://www.instagram.com/akin_to_and_after_the_truth/Check 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.

How do you feel when say that you should be grateful for having been adopted? Angry? Frustrated? Invalidated? Feeling grateful is totally different to being told to feel grateful. Listen in as Josee shares a lifetime's of insights on gratitude and much more. https://www.facebook.com/JoseeBraultofficial 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.

Does trauma sometimes keep you locked up?Listen in as transracial adoptee shares Suni powerful insights about breaking free from our trauma to find the freedom that sets us free.Here's a link to Suni's previous interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/lightbulb-moments-with-adoptee-suni-zmichHere's a bit about Suni and her book:After ignoring her own adoption story for 50 years, SUNI MILLER ZMICH journeyed alongside the interviewees as they described their stories, connecting on an elemental level, her unanticipated reward was she could clearly see herself in the mirror for the first time in her life. She is the mother of two daughters, a retired accounting and finance manager, and a transient ex-army brat poised for the next adventure. Practically empty nesters, she and her husband, Kurt, live in Minneapolis. For Now. When I first started Through the Lens of Ourselves,I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to accomplish.​I am an adoptee. After conducting many interviews, my personal journey melded with the interviewees. I learned that ALL members of the adoption triad yearn for familial connection. In listening to the birth mothers, I was surprised at my own reaction. For years, I had harbored resentment about my own birth parents and would not fully invest myself emotionally with my adoptive parents. But after allowing myself to see through the lens of the birth parents in my book, I felt safe enough to become closer to my adoptive parents.My hope is that my book will bring peace to to those who are still traumatized by their adoption experience. I will forever be grateful to the individuals who were brave enough to share their stories with me. They nourished my soul and I hope their stories will feed the world.Listening to the stories of others touched by adoption healed me.My hope is that my book will also heal you.You know that quiet voice that whispers to you when you first wake up in that fuzzy space between sleep and full consciousness - where your dreams and reality collide? I would sometimes hear those little nudges to examine my adoption.Here's the link I to the Dragon story mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7stT4OQoFGUHere's links to her website with links to Amazon etc:https://www.sunimillerzmich.com/Here are links to her social media:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068780925549https://www.instagram.com/sunimillerzmich/ 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.

Peace. Isn't that what all want? Or maybe just a bit more peace would be nice. A bit more well, peaceful. Triggered less of the time. Trigger for shorter periods of time. How do we find peace when our nervous systems have been shot to pieces? When we are constantly hyped up and hyper-vigilant. Adoptee and therapist Gill shares 25 years of learnings and what's really worked for her.https://www.facebook.com/gilli.brucehttps://www.lara-leon.com/first-retreat-for-adopted-adults-june-2023/https://howtobeadopted.com/blog/2021/study-into-lifelong-impacts-of-adoption-by-gillian-bruce 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.

Most of us aren't choosing how we feel most of the time. Most of us aren't choosing what we think most of the time. Our trauma is choosing our thoughts and feelings for us. So how DO we choose? Listen in as neuroanatomist Dr Jill Bolte Taylor dives deep into learning to choose. Fascinating and empowering.Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist whose research specialized in understanding how our brain creates our perception of reality. She was interested in this subject because she has a brother who is diagnosed with the brain disorder schizophrenia.As irony would have it, in 1996 at the age of 37, Dr. Jill experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain. On the afternoon of this rare form of stroke (AVM), she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took eight years for Dr. Jill to completely rebuild her brain to recover all physical, emotional, and thinking abilities.Dr. Jill is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey (published in 2008 by Viking Penguin), which is still often the #1 book about STROKE sold in the Amazon marketplace. In addition, her second book WHOLE BRAIN LIVING: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life was published in May of 2021 by Hay House and is now readily available.In 2008, Dr. Jill gave a presentation about her experience with stroke at the TED Conference in Monterey, CA, which was the first TED talk to ever go viral through the internet. TED and Dr. Jill became world-famous instantaneously and that TED talk has now been viewed well over 27.5 million times. This 18-minute presentation catapulted Dr. Jill into the public eye, and within six weeks of presenting that TED talk, she was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, she was the premiere guest on Oprah’s Soul Series webcast, and her book My Stroke of Insight became a New York Times bestseller and remained on the list for 63 weeks.Dr. Jill is passionate about educating the public about the beauty of our human brain, and she is committed to not only helping others find their way back from neurological trauma but is eager to help everyone better understand their brain so they can live their best life. Her Foundation Jill Bolte Taylor BRAINS is dedicated to providing educational services and promoting programs that are related to the advancement of brain awareness, appreciation, exploration, education, injury prevention, neurological recovery, and the value of movement on mental and physical health, as well as other activities that support this purpose.Dr. Jill remains the National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (Harvard Brain Bank), whereby she educates the public about the shortage of brain tissue donated for research into the severe mental illnesses. Since 1993, she has been an active member of NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness), by serving for three years on the National NAMI Board of Directions and later spent over ten years as the president of the local level NAMI Greater Bloomington Area affiliate in Bloomington, Indiana.https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_my_stroke_of_insighthttps://www.instagram.com/drjillboltetaylorhttps://www.facebook.com/DrJillBolteTaylorhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfUhV_xjrJLPiLZSlTRNvghttps://www.drjilltaylor.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.

Whilst we are consumed with our trauma, we miss our potential. Listen in as therapist Anneke points us towards hope, the future and healing. Profound and empowering.Here's a bit about Anneke Vinke from her website:" I studied orthopedagogy in Nijmegen, specializing in educational and behavioral problems in young children. I then worked as a scientific researcher at Utrecht University. I received my PhD there in 1999 with a dissertation on adoption. I am a Certified Advanced Practitioner Sensorimotor Psychotherapy ® and Consultant -internal for Sensorimotor Psychotherapy ®, trained and certified in the use of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT™️) Orthopedagogue (NVO), Registered Psychologist and supervisor Child & Youth (NIP) and Body-oriented Working Psychologist (NIP). In addition, I am included in the government's BIG register as a GZ psychologist and Orthopedagogue Generalist . I am a member of the following trade and professional associations: NIP , NVO , ESTD , SPIPA-NL .My first real contact with adoption was during my internship in a child psychiatric clinic in the 1980s. After graduating in 1991, I had the opportunity to study adoption scientifically through a PhD research project. This resulted in a dissertation on adoptive parenting and ultimately in Adoption Practice in 2006. In addition to (intercountry) adoption, I am involved in foster care, trauma, attachment and youth protection (including child abuse, diagnostics and risk assessment). A portrait can be found on Project Adopted.In the period after my graduation until the establishment of the Adoption Practice, I explored and carried out the full breadth of youth protection work. I have worked as a care provider, as a researcher, as a teacher/trainer and supervisor (university & HBO), as a behavioral scientist in youth protection (BJZ) and as a senior (policy) advisor/researcher at a commercial consultancy firm (youth care). In 2006 I decided to return to clinical practice and founded Adoption Practice Vinke. More information about education and experience can be found on Linkedin ."https://www.facebook.com/anneke.vinkehttps://twitter.com/Adoptiepraktijkhttps://www.adoptiepraktijk.nl/wie-ben-ik/ 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 we grow? What stops us growing? How do we remove those barriers? Emma shares hard won insights to empower us along our life-long healing journey.Her first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/freedom-with-emma-stevensHer second interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/becoming-our-own-guru-with-emma-stevensHer third interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-changeLinda Pevac aka 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.More about Linda/Emma at:https://linktr.ee/EmmaStevensWriterhttps://www.instagram.com/EmmaStevensWriterhttps://www.facebook.com/EmmaStevensWriterhttps://www.tiktok.com/@EmmaStevensWriterhttps://twitter.com/emmastevenswrtr 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 we move forward on our healing journey given the complexities around adoption. Remaining open seems to be one of Fiona's key drivers. Listen in as she shares insights from navigating her ongoing healing process. https://www.fionamylesauthor.com/bookshttps://www.facebook.com/fionamylesauthorhttps://www.instagram.com/fionamylesauthor/https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-myles-960470226/ 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 many reunions are still going over 2 decades later? How does reunion help healing? Listen in as birth mother Melisha and her daughter Lizz talk about what they have learned through reunion. Melisha also talks about Barrack Obama and his role supporting her change adoption law in Illinois. Connect with Melisha here https://www.facebook.com/melisha.mitchell.5/ 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.

Do you want to feel more connected? Listen in as transnational adoptee Sara shares how she found that feeling of connection with her birth family. You're going to want to listen to the very end. She touches on profound and surprising insights that will touch you even if you're not a transnational adoptee.Sara Docan-Morgan (PhD, University of Washington) is Professor of Communication Studies. Dr. Docan-Morgan's work has been published in Adoption Quarterly, the Journal of Family Communication, the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Communication Quarterly, Family Relations, and the Journal of Korean Adoption Studies, as well as in edited volumes. Her research focuses on how personal identity and family identity are formed, maintained, and negotiated through discourse in both adoptive and birth families. She teaches courses in interpersonal communication, family communication, gender and communication, communication and race, research methods, and intercultural communication, and directs senior thesis projects.Sara is a transnational Korean adoptee who was adopted at the age of 4 months. She has been in reunion with her Korean family since 2009. https://tupress.temple.edu/books/in-reunionhttps://www.instagram.com/esjaydm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-docan-morgan-8642175/https://www.facebook.com/sara.docanmorgan 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 stuck on your healing journey it may be because you're not seeing clearly. I know I've done that. But we don't know what we don't know. So grace for ourselves is really important. Vin turns the tables on me to explore some of what I've learned from my own experience and over 400 interviews..Connect with him here:https://www.facebook.com/vinadopteejarrodhttps://www.instagram.com/Vinadoptee 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 stuck in the abyss hurts like hell. So how did Lisa Ann find a ladder out? Listen in for a deep exploration of healing through self reflection and discovery.Adoptee Lisa Ann is the engaging host of Wandering Tree Podcast connecting with her guests on thought-provoking discussions focused on the adoption journey; and spoken with each person’s unique perspectives. Guests show their resilience, personal growth, and the power of positivity.Known for her empathetic interview style, insightful questions, and the ability to authentically connect with her guests, Lisa Ann creates a welcoming space for constructive discussions on the lived experiences of adoption.Her background in early childhood development, combined with decades of service in public safety, and a deep commitment to her local volunteer efforts, has garnished Lisa Ann with an insightful understanding of human development, community dynamics and the powerful flow of life.Outside of her podcasting work, Lisa Ann devotes her professional expertise to helping others save lives and passionately believes in empowering the adoptee community to become builders of connections.In her downtime, you'll find her spending time with family and friends, experimenting with new food concoctions, and immersing herself in books of all genres.https://wanderingtreeadoptee.com/https://www.facebook.com/LisaAnn4040https://www.facebook.com/wanderingtreeadopteehttps://www.instagram.com/wanderingtree_podcast_lisaann/ 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.

Do you yearn to feel whole? Understanding the really tough stuff birth mothers went (and are still going through) has profound effects on how us adoptees feel. Candace lost her son. Twice. The first time to adoption and the second not long after their reunion twenty years later. She also suffered abuse and by being adopted by her stepfather. A whole lot of trauma to heal from. And a whole lot of learning to help you on your journey to feeling whole.https://candacecahill.com/https://twitter.com/candace_cahill_https://www.facebook.com/candace.cahill.16https://www.instagram.com/candace_cahill_ 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 have to feel it to heal it. So how do we do that? Listen in as Liz sets out how the creative process that helps her process trauma. We dive into granular detail to catalyse you to your own insights and shifts in perspective.Find out more about Liz:https://www.instagram.com/lizdebetta/https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-debetta-ph-d-7b4ba953https://www.facebook.com/liz.debettahttps://www.lizdebetta.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.

Do you sometimes feel you're getting nowhere fast? Like you're treading water instead of making progress? I don't know about you but I've gotten stuck a lot of times on my healing journey. So what's the catalyst that moves us on? A shift in our perspective. Seeing the bigger picture. Spotting things we haven't noticed before. Kelly explores how curiosity on what he's NOT seeing has driven progression. Connect with Kelly on https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552376577563 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.

Wave after wave of powerful emotions threaten to engulf us as trauma blows like a force 10 gale. Anxiety, insecurity and fear feel like they can drown us. So how do we ride the waves rather than fighting them? Because we know that's futile right? Listen in as we take a deep dive into the storm that is adoption trauma.Here's the link to the Ministry of Inspiration https://www.theministryofinspiration.com/Janeen Jackson was a longtime resident of Santa Monica, CA, and in 2022 moved to Evanston, IL, with her husband, Ron Clark, and their two sons, Tyson and Phoenix. She received her B.A. from Norfolk State University, an HBCU, and completed her master’s in Education Leadership and Change in 2020 from Antioch University.In 2018, at age 46, Janeen received unexpected news through DNA technology: she was adopted and biracial. Read about Janeen’s adoption discovery at:https://janeenjackson.com/Mixedupdiary.comhttps://www.instagram.com/mixupdiary/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091805086716https://twitter.com/hello_janeenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janeenjackson 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.

In this podcast, Guy Gray walks us through dealing with anger that has come up as a result of abandonment. Guy was placed for adoption at birth and was in a foster home until he was 10 weeks old.Guy feels that his adopted parents were loving and nurturing. Yet the feelings of the initial wound, being abandoned at birth, does flare up, sometimes with explosive anger.As Guy indicates, this has become more in control by talking to another birth mother, challenging Guy's false assumptions, and by forgiving his birth mother.Find out more about Guy and his book...https://www.storiesandphotosbyguy.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.

So many of us have felt wounded so long. So what would it feel like to be whole? Listen in as we explore experiencing wholeness and what get in its way. Profound and enlightening. Just how we like our conversations on Thriving Adoptees.Find out more about Dawn here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-tracz-37700516/Read about her research here:https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2462/ 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.

Many of us - myself included have sought to fix our trauma only to find it exhausting and ineffective. So what we do instead? Listen in as adoptee and therapist Joyce shares 55 years of experience on creating a new relationship with trauma to bring us peace.Here's the link to Joyce's previous interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/theres-nothing-wrong-with-us-with-joyce-maguire-pavaoHere's the link to the interview with Leon https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-leon-clowesDr. Pavao has done extensive training, both nationally and internationally. She is a lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and she has consulted to various public and private child welfare agencies, adoption agencies, schools, and community groups, as well as probate and family court judges, lawyers, and clergy. Additionally, she has worked closely with individuals and families touched by adoption, foster care, and other complex blended family constructions.She has developed models for treatment and for training using her systemic, intergenerational, and developmental framework, The Normative Crises in the Development of the Adoptive Family, and her book, The Family of Adoption (Beacon Press), has received high acclaim.Dr. Pavao has received many awards and honors, including the Children’s Bureau/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Adoption Excellence Award for Family Contribution (2003) and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption award for Angels in Adoption (2000).http://www.pavaoconsulting.com/https://www.facebook.com/Dr.JoyceMaguirePavaohttps://twitter.com/GetKinnectedhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kinnect/ 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 can't talk ourselves out of our pre-verbal trauma. Our intellect can't heal pre-intellectual trauma. So what on earth do we do? Listen in as we dive into healing as an experience with adoptee and therapist Nicolle.Find out more about her at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolle-a-tremitiere-lcsw-79199a25/https://www.facebook.com/TtraumaR/ 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 does our pain become resilience? Filmmaker and transracial adoptee Glenn has, with his wife, interviewed 100 Korean adoptees for their Side by Side project. Having compartmentalized his own pain, he was surprised about the amount of pain he heard. What he's learned from his fellow adoptees has, and continues to be, vital on his journey to resilience. Listen in as we dive into the profound learnings on that journey.Glenn and Julie Morey are a husband/wife filmmaking team. Glenn (AKA Kim Kang) was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1960. He was abandoned days after birth, taken to Seoul City Hall, then to a Holt orphanage, and adopted at the age of six months to the US. He has a long career as a commercial and documentary filmmaker. Julie Morey is an artist and filmmaker, and her work has been recognized in film festivals across the country. They live in Denver as empty-nesters, but with adopted cats.https://sidebysideproject.com/https://www.facebook.com/glennmoreyhttps://www.facebook.com/SidebySideDocumentaryhttps://twitter.com/sidebysideprojhttps://www.instagram.com/glennfmorey/https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-morey-b297174/ 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.

What helps you heal? Other people's perspectives continues to be a huge catalyst on my healing journey. Whether it's validating our feelings or showing us something new, we heal. Their truths can shift our truth. Insights from others in the adoption constellation can be particularly potent. This episode brings you not one, but three perspectives so listen in and let their healing insights and highlights from their new book, heal you.Adoption Unfiltered is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. We understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation, and we are recognized throughout the adoption community as thought leaders, influencers, and bridge-builders.Sara Easterly is an award-winning author of books and essays. Her memoir, Searching for Mom, won a gold medal in the Illumination Book Awards, among several other honors. Her adoption-focused articles, essays, and book reviews have been published by Psychology Today, Dear Adoption, Severance Magazine, Feminine Collective, Godspace, Her View from Home, and Englewood Review of Books, to name a few.Sara is founder of Adoptee Voices and previously led one of the largest chapters of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, where she was recognized as SCBWI Member of the Year. She is on staff with the Neufeld Institute, where she supports the Adoption & Foster Care cohort of the Reaching Troubled Kids course, spearheads the Kid-Lit Book Club, and oversees the Neufeld Institute Children’s Book List. Additionally, Sara brings 20+ years of experience as a publicist and event planner orchestrating book tours, launch campaigns, and large-scale events.Link Instagram Facebook TwitterKelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard spent several years working in the adoption field, most notably working on public policy issues impacting all adoption-triad members. Kelsey has played a part in the success of state legislation and has tirelessly advocated for current federal legislation. She’s a birth mother who is passionate about raising the standards in adoption to better serve the children, mothers, and families affected by family separation.Adoption has been a monumental part of her entire life: Kelsey is the daughter and granddaughter of adoptees. She can often be found fervently and frequently demanding, “How do we fix this?” She is also a co-host of the first-ever birth-mom podcast,Twisted Sisterhood.Link Instagram SpotifyLori Holden, a veteran parent of two newly-minted young adults, 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 (recommended by People magazine in 2021), written with her daughter’s birth mom. Her book is featured on adoption-agency required-reading lists across the country. 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.Link Instagram Facebook Twitter Spotifyhttps://adoptionunfiltered.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.

I've been getting in my own way!!! As I reflected on David's words it struck me that I've TOTALLY over-estimated my openness to change. It's time for me to really open up. I'd encourage you to listen to this episode. It might reveals new insights to help you on your healing journey.Here's a link to David's previous interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/who-am-i-with-david-enkerHere's a bit about David and his bookDavid Enker (Amsterdam, 1970) is a Dutch writer and artist. He was unofficially adopted as a baby, using the experience to explore the world from that unique perspective.An unusual adoption, a gruesome family discovery, a lonesome journey, a brush with death in the London Underground and a life-altering diagnosis are just some of the ingredients in this collection of short stories.This book will lead you on a sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes humorous journey of self-discovery that inspires hope and renewed appreciation for the blessings in life.https://www.davidenker.com/https://twitter.com/david_enkerhttps://www.facebook.com/davidenkerart/https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidenker/https://www.instagram.com/davidje/ 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.

Mindset is rarely talked about in adoptee circles, it's trauma all the way. And yet it's a big part of what helps us heal according to Damon who's interviewed over 200 adoptees for his podcast. Listen in as he shares what he's learned through his own experience and listening to all those other fellow adoptees.Here's the link to Damon's previous episode:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-damon-davisHere's a link to the Adoptee Therapist Directory:https://growbeyondwords.com/adoptee-therapist-directory/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/WAIReallyhttps://www.instagram.com/waireally/https://www.facebook.com/damon.l.davishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/damonldavis/ 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.

Do you feel at home? Like you belong? With a complete sense of your identity? Therapist Jo and I go deep on healing. We explore barriers on that journey to speed you on your way home.Here is Jo's first interview:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/securing-our-sense-of-self-with-jo-northHere's a bit about Jo from her website:I have been a practicing psychotherapist for thirty years with a focus on mental health and wellbeing and supporting adoptive families and adults affected by adoption. I am a Senior Accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.Adopted adults have a unique identity and broader perspective and understanding on what it means to be parented and belong in a family. But even the best adoption can leave an adopted person with questions about their life that they need answered. Often these answers can be found in birth records, and we are now running a Birth Records Retrieval Service, we also offer you time to think and reflect with others in our Adults Affected by Adoption Listening Group and to participate in our Blog by sending us news and articles on adoption (please contact us if you would like to contribute).https://joannanorthadoption.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.