Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

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.

Are you happy with your healing? If not it may be because there are still some parts of you yet to heal. Listen in as Danielle explores where we heal and what hinders our healing. Here are Danielle's previous interviews on Thriving Adoptees:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/upping-our-empathy-gamehttps://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/seeing-our-untarnished-soulHere's a bit about Danielle from her website:My name is Danielle and I am an Earth Citizen 🙂 .What I mean when I say that, is I have a sincere desire to see a healthier, happier and more peaceful world, and I believe it starts with me.I have dedicated my life to growing my own light by helping others to grow their light also. For this, I currently work as a Regional Manager of Body & Brain Centers in Seattle, WA., giving lectures and leading training and coaching sessions.My journey with this work and this path began over 20 years ago – when I started to seek healing for my own body, mind and spirit. I have created Healing Tree – the blog, and now the book – in order to share my stories and inspirations family, friends, my students, and anyone else who may be interested in the healing journey.It is a journey – and a long one at that! Sometimes it’s nice to know you have companions along the way, traveling down similar roads as you. It is my hope that the words you discover here become comforting friends for you, finding their way to your heart. Who knows, they may even turn on a small light in there 🙂 When my light, your light, and our lights shine bright together, what a beautiful world it will be! “Our adopted angel” – that’s what Danielle’s adoptive parents called her. She grew up adored, doted on, and unconditionally loved. It wasn’t until she was in college that she first felt a gnawing curiosity about her roots. From time to time, she would wonder: Where did this face come from? Where did this body come from? Where did this blood come from? Her search to find her biological parents had begun – one full of surprises and revelations.After reuniting with her birth mother – and uncovering the primal wound that lay deep within her – Danielle embarks on a twenty-year healing journey of self-discovery, reconciliation, and forgiveness.At once a heartfelt memoir and a guide to self-awareness, Healing Tree offers a compassionate exploration of self, family, and what it means to be whole. Rooted in her twenty-year practice in Body & Brain holistic mind/body techniques, Danielle offers an approachable eight-step method for anyone wishing to heal from emotional or psychological wounds. This method invites readers to cultivate a loving relationship with their authentic selves and charts a pathway to inner peace.For anyone who feels stuck, hurt, or rudderless in the sea of life, for anyone interested in doing the deep work of self-healing, becoming liberated, and realizing the potential to heal beyond themselves, Healing Tree is a source of direction, inspiration, and hope.Find out more at:https://www.daniellegaudette.com/https://www.facebook.com/danielle.gaudette.33https://www.facebook.com/DGhealingtreehttps://www.instagram.com/danielle.gaudette/ 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 confused about who you are? Identity has many layers is inextricably linked with healing. Transracial Adoptee Corissa suffered in the deep darkness of depression and addiction. Listen in as she shines clarity on who we are and how we heal.Here's a link to her first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/how-we-find-ourselves-with-corissa-saint-laurentHere's more about Corissa from her website:WHO AM I?I’ve been asking myself this question my entire life. I’m a Korean-born, adopted, American, mother, wife, entrepreneur, energy worker, storyteller, teacher, mystic, marketer, connector, curator, manifesting generator, ENFP, nature worshipper, and spiritual explorer.When my mother was pregnant with me, she awoke from a dream of a giant shooting star falling to earth, and named me Byul Nim, the honorific form of the word ‘star’.It’s my destiny to shine light in this world.HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?Being given up for adoption at 3 years old and moved to the United States to be raised by a new family who didn’t look, sound, or act anything like what I knew created a deep sense of abandonment and uncertainty about my identity.I adapted. I had to. And in the process locked all of my needs, hurts, and traumas away where they wouldn’t interfere with the success of my life. Other childhood traumas piled upon the already shaky foundation....More at:https://corissasaintlaurent.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corissasaintlaurent/https://www.youtube.com/@corissasaintlaurenthttps://www.instagram.com/theeverydaymystic/ 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 have been fighting our feelings for so long that war is all we know. Pamela's whole life typified that. So how do we find peace? Listen in as she shares key moments, insights and much more on her hard fought journey to peace.Here's Pamela's interview from earlier this year https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-happiness-within-with-pamela-karanovaHere's the adoptee therapist directory https://growbeyondwords.com/adoptee-therapist-directory/Pamela Karanova, an adult adoptee, living in Lexington, Kentucky, was born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1974. Although Pamela’s roots are scattered all over Iowa, she considers Kentucky to be her home.Pamela is the President of a National Nonprofit called Adoptees Connect. Adoptees Connect is focused on putting adoptee voices first, creating irreplaceable adoptee-centric spaces where adoptee voices meet. The original connect group was planted in Lexington, KY, in January 2018. In just three short years, 50 connect groups have been planted in different locations around the USA, with two being in Canada. Pamela’s vision for Adoptees Connect didn’t stop in her community. She desires all adoptees to have an adoptee community to fall back on, so these groups are growing and expanding globally. They are designed to take online relationships offline and get to know the person behind the profile. In April 2019, Pamela won the “Angel In Adoption” award on behalf of the National Association for Adoptees and Parents for her role in the adoption community. Pamela is the creator and founder of Adoptee Remembrance Day – October 30th. Here is a Adoptees Connect, Inc. Google Earth Project she’s created that shows all the group locations scattered all over the USA, Canada and even Queensland, Australia.Check out The Real Adoptea Moxie - adoptee-centric writings that boldly highlight the adoptee experience where motivation meets moxie at:therealadopteamoxie.substack.comhttps://www.facebook.com/pamelakaranovahttps://www.instagram.com/pamelakaranovahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelakaranova/https://open.spotify.com/show/2FGmPmog8cFONagMM7ILja?si=a8a26cdc659c4a4d&nd=1https://pamelakaranova.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 broken? Or that bits of you are? Adoptee and psychotherapist Elliott and go deep on figuring out the broken bits including the hard to get bits we don't have words for. Empowering insights into the things stored in our implicit memory.Elliott Driscoll (he/him) is a psychotherapist at The Resource Group, and has been practicing for more than 20 years in New York, New Jersey and Maryland. He works with clients ages 22 and older. He holds a Master’s of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Loyola College. He specializes in treating individuals struggling with addiction, trauma, and depression. Elliott is Psychodynamically trained and uses aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, and Logotherapyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-driscoll-13434a7/https://resourcegrp.org/https://www.facebook.com/ResourceGroupMDhttps://twitter.com/ResourceGroupMDhttps://www.instagram.com/resourcegroupmd/ 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.

Spontaneous gratitude from within is way different to being told to be grateful by others. Listen in as we explore Jill's expansive and powerful take on healing - loving our lives.Jill Uchiyama (Skufakiss) was born in New York City in 1968. She grew up in Hammond, Indiana and attended Indiana University and Western Michigan University where she received a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Her passion for psychology later turned to a lifelong interest in spirituality. As a long-time meditator and seeker, Ms. Uchiyama draws upon her love of nature, philosophy, education, and life in all of her creative endeavors- including writing, playing music, and filmmaking.Her first collection of poems, "Out of the Fog," was published in 2022. It was inspired over a lifetime of writing poetry dedicated to her family members- her adopted family and her imagined biological family. Many of the poems touch upon the closed adoption experience. Prior to writing this first book, Ms. Uchiyama was published in many online magazines including The Huffington Post, The BBC, Apple News, Slate, and Time. She was awarded Quora Top Writer from 2013-2018. In 2013, Ms. Uchiyama produced her first Legacy film which appeared at the New Filmmaker's Film Festival in NYC and debuted at Boston University's Tsai Performance Center. She is for hire in order to do films and videography about the personal purpose and meaning of the lives of her Legacy subjects and crafts films that artfully express those stories. Her films have been shared and shown all over the world and are available to watch on Vimeo.In addition, Ms. Uchiyama has had a 30 year career in human service work- beginning as a family counselor in Lowell, MA- she then became an EFL teacher in Japan from 1996-2001. In Boston, she continued to teach English as a Second Language and then became Director of several educational programs. She has taught people from over 40 countries. ​Currently, she is a grant writer for the Manchester School District and lives in New Hampshire. Her love for walking and nature has inspired her filmmaking and writing. In 2017, she completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Her latest adventure is learning the sitar. Listen to Jill's first interview here https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/a-clearer-sense-of-self-with-jill-uchiyamahttps://www.jilluchiyama.com/https://www.facebook.com/jill.uchiyamahttps://www.facebook.com/legacyfilmsbyJillhttps://www.youtube.com/@jilluchiyamahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jilluchiyama/ 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 belong? Being relinquished disrupts our attachment and reunion doesn't always fix that. Julie shares how she found the feeling of belonging and peace when reunion didn't go to plan. Here's the link to the article Julie mentions https://www.thebeacher.com/2023/pages/110223p.html#lg=1&slide=19Julie Ryan McGue is an author, a domestic adoptee, and an identical twin. She writes extensively about finding out who you are, where you belong, and making sense of it.Julie’s debut award winning memoir Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging (She Writes Press) came out in May 2021. It is the story of her five-year search for birth relatives. Her weekly blogs That Girl, This Life and monthly column at The Beacher focus on identity, family, and life’s quirky moments. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Julie received a BA from Indiana University in Psychology. She earned a MM in Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business, Northwestern University. She has served multiple terms on the Board of the Midwest Adoption Center and is an active member of the American Adoption Congress.Julie splits her time between Northwest Indiana and Sarasota, Florida. She is the mother of four adult children and has three grandsons. If she’s not at her computer, she’s on the tennis court, or out exploring with her Nikon. Julie is currently working on a collection of personal essays.https://juliemcgueauthor.com/https://www.facebook.com/juliemcguewrites/https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ryan-mcgue-a246b841/https://www.instagram.com/julieryanmcgue/https://twitter.com/juliermcgue 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.

It's hard to heal pre-verbal trauma through talk therapy alone because we literally can't put words to it. So what do we do? Adoptee and adoptee coach dives into a holistic approach to healing. I hope it sets off as many lightbulb moments for you as it did for me.Here's a bit about Claire from her website:"I was born in South Korea and was adopted from Star of the Sea Orphanage by an American family in Wellesley, MA. I have an older brother and a younger sister, also a KAD (Korean Adoptee).Growing up in a predominantly white community was difficult for me and I never felt like I fit in, or belonged. I faced racism and bullying pretty much as long as I can remember. For most of my life, I suffered from anxiety, depression, and I had low self esteem. I was a rebellious teenager and I developed unhealthy addictions and toxic relationships. But the worst relationship was with myself. I knew that I needed a big change in my life but I didn't know how to start.Over the years, I went through lots of therapy, coaching, and did the hard work on myself so I could change my negative patterns and learn how to transform my mindset. This is what allowed me to evolve into who I am today and become more aligned with my true authentic self. I have discovered that by following my dharma, it has led me to embrace my true purpose in life - to empower others to go within and find their own light.As an adoptee empowerment coach, I possess a profound understanding of the unique emotional journey that adoptees face. I noticed that many adoptees were struggling with stress, anxiety, emotional regulation, people pleasing, overthinking, fear of rejection and abandonment, numbing out with unhealthy habits, somatic symptoms, and chronic illnesses. They all were in need of tools to help them navigate these challenges.My coaching approach is centered on meeting my clients exactly where they are in their personal journeys. I firmly believe in tapping into my clients' inner wisdom to facilitate lasting transformation. I view each client as a whole, resourceful, and complete individual who doesn't need "fixing." My role is to guide and support them on their path to self-discovery.With over a decade of experience as a health, wellness, fitness coach, and empowerment coach, I’m committed to providing invaluable support and guidance to individuals ready to make positive changes in their lives. My client-centered approach, rooted in neuroscience and nervous system regulation, empowers my clients to embrace their unique journeys, overcome challenges, and achieve lasting transformation.As a Somatic Breathwork practitioner, I have been trained to hold space for each client and guide them through a powerful journey using specific breathing techniques. This process allows clients to uncover blocked emotions, release stored stress and trauma in their bodies, and connect with their inner truth and power. After each session, I support my clients in integrating these insights to re-pattern their thoughts and behaviors, ultimately helping them create a more empowered and fulfilling life.My mission is to empower my clients and partner with them while they navigate the distinctive challenges and emotional complexities that come with being an adoptee. Through my expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication, I hope to make a profound difference in the lives of people I serve."Listen to Claire's first interview here: https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/overcoming-struggles-with-transracial-adoptee-claire-magenheimerConnect with her here:https://www.facebook.com/claire.magenheimerhttps://www.instagram.com/claire_magenheimerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-magenheimer/https://coachwithclaire.mykajabi.com/coach-with-claire 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.

Today's episode is a LOT different. Listen in as I point you towards that healing space beyond trauma.Here's the link to a spine tingling video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbGC1UWaLQ 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 much compassion do have you for yourself? We give ourselves a hard time, until we don't. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Spring shares insights about giving ourselves more compassion along the healing journey. I learned a lot from this great conversation - especially about being at peace with my anger. I hope you find some healing insights too.Here's the book I mention:https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Parts-Restoring-Wholeness/dp/1683646681Here's the interview I mention:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/freedom-with-emma-stevensMy name is Spring Hecht and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals, children and their families. In my former role as the Vice President of Social Services at one of the foremost foster care and adoption agencies in the country, I had the privilege of helping transform the lives of many. I have served on the Board of Washington Adoption Reunion Movement (WARM) the Vashon Island School Board, and the Adoptee Mentoring Society. I also enjoy additional volunteer work as co-chair of a Racial Equity & Inclusion Committee in my school district. I have presented at numerous conferences and been a guest speaker on NPR and an NBC-affiliated television station. I am an adopted person with a unique understanding of the lifelong adoption issues that can impact all members of the adoption constellation. Education and TrainingI attended Whitman College in Washington State and earned a B.A. in Psychology. I continued my studies at Columbia University in New York where I completed a Masters degree in Social Work in 2001. I am certified as an Attachment and Trauma Therapist through Cascadia Training, and I have post-graduate certification in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) through TCU Institute for Child Development. I am an Emdria trained EMDR therapist and IFS trained therapist. I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Psychodynamic ApproachPsychodynamic therapy aims to address the foundation and formation of psychological processes in order to alleviate symptoms and improve people's lives. My treatment approach is client-centered and tailored to fit your individual or family's needs, in a safe and supportive environment. Together we will consider emotions, thoughts, early-life experiences and beliefs to gain insight into your life and better understand present-day challenges, and to evaluate the patterns that have developed over time. I will provide support, encouragement and practical strategies, and help you develop and achieve your goals and find hope and healing. ExpertiseAdoption, trauma, grief/loss, identity issues including race/culture, depression, anxiety, ADHD, family conflict, parenting, teens, divorce, infertility, post-partum issues, life transitions, and personal growth. I welcome people of all races, ethnic groups, religions/creed, genders, and sexual orientations. https://healingworkstherapy.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/spring-hecht-62a3a075/ 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 don't hear the word mindset a lot in adoptee circles. That's strange because healing often involves a change in what we think. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Megan shares her insights to help you heal.Here's a bit about Megan from her website:Megan's specialties are working with all facets of the adoption constellation and with women experiencing stress, anxiety, and burnout. She's trained in TBRI, Theraplay, Brainspotting, and Trauma Informed Care and has worked with families in the child welfare/ adoption realm for the last 18 years. She's very passionate about this work as she is an adoptee.She has three children and my dog, Tucker, often makes appearances in my telehealth sessions from home.Megan is licensed in Indiana.Here's a link to the interview with Cindy of Hiraeth, Hope and Healing https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/how-we-heal-with-cindy-mcquayhttps://www.facebook.com/meganstrouptic/https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-stroup-lcsw-3377901b0/https://inadoptioncounseling.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.

Looking for a roadmap to healing? Listen in as adoptee and therapist Abby sets out how the stages we go through. Very succinct and clear. Here's a bit about Abby from her website:"I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that specializes in Complex Trauma, Dissociative Disorders, and Attachment. (I know, it's a mouthful)! I have a passion for finding innovative solutions to complex problems. I work from a systems model, meaning that I look at how different parts of a dynamic interact as a whole. Therefore, I tend to see issues from a variety of unique perspectives that allow for creative solution making that it not typically considered while helping clients learn to tap into their strengths within. I believe that every individual and family has the innate ability to heal. In turn, I spent over a decade’s worth of education and clinical experience learning how to tap into a person's natural ability to heal. As a clinician, my energy in the therapy room is warm, compassionate, and transparent while also knowing the importance of adding some comic relief, creative expression, and play throughout the therapeutic process. How My Passion Became My ProfessionMy path towards becoming a clinical counselor started with an interest in Biology. Biology? Yeah, I know, nerdy. Please bear with me. I always had a fascination for how nature seemed to always find a way to maintain balance (or what is called "homeostasis" in the scientific world). It was fascinating to see that when nature became imbalanced, it could self-correct on it's own with the right support--that the destruction of wildfires could led to the growth of new life, that a broken bone could repair itself, and so on. Then a personal mentor showed me the world of psychology and I fell in love with the matters of the mind. In college, I struggled to know what path to take. Pursue a hard science or soft science career?Fortunately, in my last semester of college, I took a Marriage and Family Psychology course where I learned about systems theory and how biological concepts of homeostasis were applied to human relationships. From there, I pursued my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I learned how to help individuals, couples, and families tap into their ability to renew balance just by making subtle shifts in how each member interacted with each other.But once I started working in a community with a high number of families experiencing chronic trauma and attachment difficulties, I was struggling to tap into these natural healing processes. I noticed that it was common for many facing these complex issues to express feeling lost or defeated--even with the best of efforts. Clients started to believe “it was all in their heads” and that they should “just get over it.” But I knew their pain and experience was valid and I still strongly believed that with the right support, every person and family has the innate ability to heal. So I knew I was missing something. In turn, my strong belief in the human spirit led me to spend the next several years learning how complex trauma survivors can access their natural ability to find balance within and to heal throughout.In that, I discovered that by nature, trauma presents a paradox which contradicted some of the traditional ways I was taught to renew balance in a system. I found science that proved that "it's not all in your head" and that one can't "just get over it." In fact, it is actually the body that carries the trauma and humans heal attachment injuries through safe relationships. I also realized that despite these issues being quite common, very few clinicians were trained in complex issues around trauma, dissociation, and attachment. In turn, this fueled my desire to specialize in complex trauma so every client could have the opportunity to heal, renew balance, and find strength in their story."https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-derr-moore-lpc-lmft-9b347295/https://www.renewedbalancetherapy.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 long to belong? Could belonging help you heal? Listen in as transcultural adoptee Nicole shares her profound insights to help you along your healing curve.Here's a bit about Nicole from her website:"I was born to one set of parents and adopted by another set. I grew up always knowing that I was adopted, yet I knew very little about my roots. Consequently I lived in the fantasies that only children can invent––as an adoptee from a closed adoption, those fantasies were always a plausible reality.The influence of my adoption and reunion (with my biological family) feature prominently in my studio practice where I explore concepts of intimacy, identity, and belonging through visual work as well as in community-based works.In 2021, I received my MA from Loyola Marymount University in Marital & Family Therapy with a Specialization in Clinical Art Therapy. I came to that program as I began more decidedly to do work with the community, specifically my community of the adoption constellation.Proudly, I was awarded an Adoptees for Awareness Grant, Individual Artist Fellowship (California Arts Council), and a Creative Corps Grant (Arts Council for Long Beach/California Arts Council) in 2023, received an Artistic Community Engagement Grant from the Rema Hort Mann Foundation in 2016, and I have collaborated and shown work internationally in Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, South America, and North America (specifically the US, Canada, Mexico and Cuba).I currently live and work in Los Angeles."Photo credit: Jeff Forney @jefforney on Insta https://www.instagram.com/jeffforney/We Are Not Our Cruxes:https://bit.ly/wearenotourcruxesRSVP for first event of We Are Not Our Cruxes:https://bit.ly/cruxes-session-oneArtist website: nicolerademacher.comTherapist website: nicrrad.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nicrradhttps://twitter.com/nicrradhttps://www.facebook.com/nicrrad/ 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 psychology - the most common path in the western world - failed to make you feel whole? Are you looking for something more healing? A spiritual exploration can help us heal as part of a holistic approach. Listen in as Christelle brings her unique experience to support us along the path to wholeness.Here's a bit about Christelle from her website:"I was born in Madagascar, raised in South of France, lived in the UK for over 20 years and I now living in Portugal.I was adopted in South of France at the age of 10 and my lived experience as an transracial adoptee as led me to do work with adoptees and adoption agencies.Embraced early in a world of fashion and design, I grew up surrounded by dress makers. At the age of eight, following the death of my mother, I was placed with a Catholic missionary school for girls to learn to sew and to knit. At the school, I designed and created my first dress and learnt how to knit. Since then creativity has been an important part of my life and I have always been fascinated by beautiful design and fashion which later extended to my love of makeup, hair design and costume.It’s this passion that led me to study makeup artistry at the Academy of Freelance Makeup in London. My work experience covers advertising campaigns, films, music videos, TV shows, London and Paris Fashion Week, products launches as well as lifestyle, fashion look books, magazine and beauty shoots. I later expanded my skills into producing fashion events. My background also includes working in the education sector for over 15 years undertaking programme/project management roles with an international focus. I also led a non-profit organisation and co-led a community theatre company.I was shortlisted in the 2018 Bristol BME Powerlist, which showcases the city’s 100 most inspiring, successful and influential black and minority ethnic people. I was shortlisted in the top 100 West Women of the year 2019 and nominated to be part of the Black Hall of Fame at the University of the West of England.I am a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, fellow of the School of Social Enterprise Creative Leadership programme and a fellow of National Arts Strategy (USA-based) Creative Community Fellowship programme.I am also a presenter on Imperial Voice Radio, with a show called Fashion Rendez-vous."https://www.christellepellecuer.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/christellepellecuerhttps://www.instagram.com/mschristellerosettehttps://twitter.com/mschristellephttps://www.facebook.com/christelle.pellecuer 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 to bust the belief that there's something wrong with you? It's a belief born out of us being relinquished. One that's shared by so many of us. A belief that shapes our lives. Candi shares a 5 step process to bust the belief. Empowering. Inspirational. Healing.Here's a bit about Candi and her book:A raw, often wry, memoir of mothers, mysteries, and miracles. Surrendered at birth in a closed adoption, Candi Byrne’s biology and ethnicity is a secret. The impending arrival of her first grandchild ignites an urgency to identify potential genetic time bombs and confirm her ancestry. Due to arcane privacy laws, Candi is repeatedly denied access to the one person who could provide that information—her biological mother.After years of failed attempts, she resigns herself to never learning the truth about her roots; that is, until her ninety-year-old Aunt Delores has a vision and insists Candi resume efforts to find her birth family. Candi is gobsmacked when an internet search she’s performed thousands of times before suddenly reveals her birth mother’s identity. Within hours, she ends up on the doorstep of her birth mother—a place she’s sworn never to visit.After a series of guilt-driven interactions with “Those People,” as she refers to her maternal birth family, Candi terminates contact. Although the reunion proves disastrous, it opens her eyes to truths about her relationship with her adoptive mother, Delphine. Though their relationship was difficult and contentious during Delphine’s life, a series of miraculous experiences after her death guides Candi home to herself—where, she learns, she has belonged all along.https://www.instagram.com/candibyrne/https://www.sweetfirecoaching.com/https://www.amazon.com/dp/1647422795/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0J00P6AHHVS73TT69EYB 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.