Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Are you looking for insights to help you heal? Many of us feel overwhelmed by our trauma. Engulfed by it. Consumed by it. Or perhaps tainted by it. I felt that way. I sometimes still that way. So how do we separate from our trauma to find healing and peace? Listen in. 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.

There's a LOT of secrecy and shame around adoption. So it's no wonder we are confused about our identity and wrong about our self worth. Listen in as I dive into our deepest questions: Who am I? What's wrong with me? 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 felt empty inside? Many of us seek to fill our aching emptiness through alcohol, drugs and other addictions. Anything to numb the pain. Adoptee Leon is in recovery and has been sober for 2 years. Listen in as he shares what he's learned on a long journey to being ok with being himself.Find out more about leon at:https://www.instagram.com/leonclowes/https://vimeo.com/user11974720https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC84DG4627RX9a95wZD1d_eAhttps://www.leonclowes.com/https://twitter.com/ClowesLeonhttps://www.facebook.com/leon.clowes 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 if you could harness your trauma to grow? You can. Listen in as Steve shares the silver lining of what we've been through - the past that sometimes feel so painful. A truly transformational episode with conversation and poetry to help us tap into who we truly are underneath our trauma.Steve reads two poems from his book The Clear Light. And the transformation through turmoil material and his examples are from his book Extraordinary Awakenings. Steve Taylor is a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, and the author of several best-selling books on psychology and spirituality. He is a past chair of the Transpersonal Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. His new book is Extraordinary Awakenings: When Trauma Leads to Transformation, and his other books include The Clear Light, Out of the Darkness, Back to Sanity, The Calm Center, The Leap and Spiritual Science. His books have been published in 20 languages, while his articles and essays have been published in over 100 academic journals, magazines and newspapers. He regularly appears in the media in the UK, and has been recently featured on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, BBC Breakfast, Radio FiveLive and TalkRadio. He writes blog articles for Scientific American and for Psychology Today. Eckhart Tolle has described his work as ‘an important contribution to the shift in consciousness which is happening on our planet at present.’ Steve lives in Manchester, England, with his wife and three young children.https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/https://www.facebook.com/stevetaylorauthorhttps://www.facebook.com/stevetaylorauthorhttps://www.youtube.com/user/stevetaylorauthor/https://www.pinterest.com/stevetaylor1420/steve-taylor/ 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.

Self worth seems like a nice idea. Something we are working on. Something that we might have some day. What if that day is today? Listen in as transracial adoptee and therapist Sally gets right to heart of feeling our value for ourselves.Sally is a licensed clinical social worker, who enjoys working with adults who need support during a variety of life stressors. She understands how challenging it can be to trust someone new, so she does her best to earn your trust by being honest, consistent, following through, and prioritizing what you want to get out of therapy. Once that trust is earned, she enjoys the privilege of joining you in exploring your values, identity, habits that work and ones that don’t, skills to manage stressful situations, and responses that help you live a more manageable and enjoyable life. Clients say she is calming, honest, respectful, supportive, and encouraging. She helps people with adjustment to changes in life, anxiety, depression, stress, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, relinquishment and adoption issues, relationship difficulties, and grief. She values discovering the “Why” and shifting the focus to the questions of “How”, “When”, and “What” to help people move toward what is important to them.Working with individuals who are adopted is especially close to Sally’s heart because she was adopted at age 5 from Seoul, Korea. She presented on panels and individually at Bethany Christian Services, Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network (KAAN), China Culture Club, Families for International Children (FFIC), Calvin Theological Seminary, Pine Rest’s CPE classes for pastors, Adoption Family Support Network (AFSN), and church groups to help educate and walk alongside adoptees, adoption workers, adoptive parents, pastors, foster parents, friends, and family as they learn to understand and work through the 7 Core Issues of Adoption (Deborah N. Silverstein and Sharon Kaplan, 1982). Since she is transracailly adopted, she also understands the challenges of being racially Asian and culturally white, so enjoys helping other transracial adoptees sort through the layers of their identities and belonging.She graduated with her Master’s in Social Work from Western Michigan University. Her clinical background includes working with adults at Pine Rest in various areas, such as Spruce Lodge, Mother Baby and Adult Partial Programs, and at the Pine Rest Northeast Clinic as an outpatient therapist for individuals and groups. She was also Executive Director of Ramoth House, an emergency shelter for abused women and children.Email her at [email protected] out more at:https://www.instagram.com/sallyvjo/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-verstraete-lmsw-2b7394b4/ 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 get clear on who you really are? Identity confuses the heck out of us adoptees. Until it doesn't. Listen in as we peel back the many layers of identity. We go beyond trauma to the very essence of who we are. One of the most profound interviews in over 350 conversations on this podcast.Here'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.

Do you believe you are unloveable? If so you're going to love this interview with Amy. She shares how she's deconstructed her beliefs. An incredibly vulnerable and empowering episode looking back at lessons from the ups and downs of a 25 year reunion that's now going strong. Find out more at https://www.instagram.com/amynicrn/ 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 looking for more balance? Is a negativity bias getting in the way of you enjoying your life? Listen as adoptee and psychotherapist explores balance (and balancing).Find out more about Kate:https://katemurphytherapy.com/https://www.instagram.com/katemurphylcsw/https://www.facebook.com/katemurphy.therapyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katemurphy1/ 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 smoother relationships with others? And yourself? Grace makes relationships easier. Listen in as Melissa shares how she is finding grace for her adoptive mother and herself. The conversation was packed with insights for me and I'm sure it will bring you some lightbulb moments for you.Find out about Melissa's work supporting adoptees who want to be writers here:https://www.ulvencoaching.com/writingforadopteesFind out more about Melissa here:https://www.instagram.com/ulvencoaching/https://www.ulvencoaching.com/https://www.facebook.com/melissa.nelson.545 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 struggle to see your own value? Has what you've been through impacted your self worth? Emberly was raised by foster parents and her grandfather because of her mother's addiction. She was verbally, physically and sexually abused. Listen in as she shares how she overcome the odds to see her true value and thrive.Find out more at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/emberly-zellars/https://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Maddy-Emberly-Zellars/dp/1667886789https://www.joiaboutart.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 believe you're broken? Or not good enough? These are things that we all struggle with. So how do we change our beliefs? How does trauma shape those beliefs? Listen in as Sara goes deep on the spiritual epiphanies that have improved her life.Here's a bit about Sara from her website:I’m an adoptee. I’m a mother (to two teen daughters). And I’m a writer (of books and essays).I am also a reading aficionado, and hold a special place in my heart for children’s literature. I’ve studied child development from an attachment perspective and am a trained facilitator with the Neufeld Institute. I’ve worked as an author publicist and event planner, and in corporate advertising and marketing.I love animals. I mean, I really love animals. I care for a menagerie of rescued fur-babies that currently include five indoor bunnies, three guinea pigs, and two darling dogs. In my free time I practice horse showmanship (a.k.a. informal equine therapy).Supporting my fellow adoptees and their families is deeply important to me. I’m Founder of Adoptee Voices, Co-Host of the Adoption Unfiltered podcast, and I regularly write and speak about adoption.My adoption-focused books include a spiritual memoir, Searching for Mom (Heart Voices, 2019), and Adoption Unfiltered (Rowman & Littlefield, December 1, 2023), co-authored with Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (birth parent) and Lori Holden (adoptive parent).Find out more at:https://saraeasterly.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOXVmp-TiNZIDQLj_8rPcAhttps://www.instagram.com/saraeasterlyauthor/https://twitter.com/saraeasterlyhttps://www.facebook.com/saraeasterlyauthorhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/168430.Sara_Easterly 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.

Who would we be without that voice in our head that tells us there's something wrong with us? That we're substandard? That our birth mother rejected us? That we'll never heal because we're forever stuck with our trauma? Listen in as I suggest answers to some of our most fundamental questions.Connect with me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn 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 felt uncomfortable in your own skin? Uncertain about who you are? Sensed something missing? Eric's anxiety about people sometimes compelled him away and he didn't know why. He felt incomplete. Listen in as he shares the most important things he's learned on the journey to feeling whole and healed.Eric’s life experiences inspired him to give back and to serve others. In 2005 while climbing Mt Denali in Alaska, Eric made the decision to seek out his birth family. After reaching out to Catholic Charities, he was connected with his birth family. The experience of meeting, establishing, and growing a relationship with them deepened Eric’s understanding of himself and was an integral part of his finding his identity both personally and professionally.https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtiseric/https://twitter.com/CurtisStrategy 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 heal from a poor adoption? Listen in as Gaynor shares some of her most important lessons in releasing trauma by being raised by a narcissistic adoptive mother.Here's a bit about Gaynor and her book.Gaynor Cherieann lives in Northamptonshire. She is married has four grown up children and four grandchildren.She was born in a church mother and baby home and adopted at six weeks old.She tells of her life growing up with a narcissist her reunion with her birth family and the life she has created for her own children.Her book is written in the form of letters to people throughout her life some who are no longer here others still in her life.It is the 1960s; a sixteen-year-old girl is in a mother and baby home; her heart is breaking as she prepares to give up her baby for adoption.Shunned by society, she has no choice.That baby was me.Join me on my life’s journey through the letters I have written to everyone who has shared my unique story. Follow me as I find the courage to share this story, from my birth to my unhappy adoption to getting married and becoming a mum and granny.Learn how I took control of my life after disassociating myself from my past, unearthing my birth family, and realising what true happiness means.Amazon USA https://www.amazon.com/Adoptees-Journey-Letters-My-Life-ebook/dp/B0BNQHB2CFAmazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BNQHB2CF 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 considering a search for your biological family? Or in the middle of a search and struggling. Listen in as Colin shares what he learned through a 28 year search including how to ride the emotional rollercoaster of search and more.Here's a bit about Colin's book:“I doubt that another human being will tread this same unconventional path.” This is an intimate and emotive account of an adult adoptee’s journey as he spent nearly three decades searching for his biological parents. Capturing his thoughts, emotions and physical encounters along the way, this rollercoaster ride demonstrates the determination and resilience of an adopted person to achieve his personal quest. There’s no doubt that this account will provide support, comfort, and inspiration to those thinking of searching for their biological parents, and those who have already started out on this journey, as well as those interested in wider adoption matters. Discover the relentless challenges and amazing encounters faced in pursuit of the truth when no stone is left unturned.Amazon UKhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Left-Unturned-relentless-biological-ebook/dp/B0B5DNRMPGAmazon USAhttps://www.amazon.com/Stone-Left-Unturned-relentless-biological-ebook/dp/B0B69R78FD 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 find identity confusing? Transracial and transnational adoption adds another layer to identity. Listen as Mariela shares her insights on identity, trauma, gratitude and more. We strip back the layers of identity to the universal heart. We both loved this conversation and hope you do too.Here's more about Mariela and her book.Adopted as an infant from Colombia and raised in the United States, Mariela Andersen has always been curious about her biological roots. She wants to know about her birth family and wonders if they ever think about her. When a search agent helps her locate her birth family and the mystery of her past is revealed, she discovers more than she could have ever imagined.Mariela shares the story of her birth family and her journey to Colombia to meet them. She takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions as she sorts through the multifaceted layers of her own identity. This story is nothing short of miraculous; it changed her, and it is sure to touch the hearts of its readers.https://www.instagram.com/marielaandersennhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mariela-andersen-a3a03649/https://www.marielaandersen.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.

What gets in the way of you thriving? For many of us, it's been anger and resentment. What about you? Listen in as transracial adoptee and therapist Jaime shares the antidote to anger.Here's a bit about Jaime from her website.My name is Jaime Weatherholt (she/her/hers) and I am excited to work with you. I enjoy working with adults who experience anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. I will support you by providing a compassionate, safe space. You will gain useful tools to cope and heal from sources of pain that may be holding you back from your true, happy self.My style of treatment is collaborative, meaning I will work on your goals, leading to the life that you want. My approach is warm, friendly, and interactive. I am certified in hypnotherapy and trained in Brainspotting; these methods are further described in my Counseling tab.I am certified in Past Life Regression and use this as a tool to heal relationships, subconscious thoughts or behaviors, or to simply explore your curiosity of previous lives.My education is in Social Work, so I will naturally focus on you and your resources, your relationship with your environment, and community.I am the co-host of The Shrink Show Podcast, a therapeutic happy hour format for those interested in how therapists balance work, family, parenthood, and everyday stressors.https://www.facebook.com/EnlightenedOmaha/https://www.instagram.com/enlightenedomaha/https://www.enlightenedomaha.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 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.Zhen 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.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.

Do you fear rejection? Many of us are on high alert scanning what other people do and say for signs of potential rejection. We're desperate to avoid big feelings like rejection. And yet we have to feel to heal. Listen in as adoptee and mental health therapist Lisa shares her learnings about finding herself by feeling the big feelings.Here's more about Lisa from her website.Education · B.S. in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies, University of South Dakota 1989 · M.S. in Counseling and Human Resource Development, South Dakota State University 1997. Licenses and Certifications · Qualified Mental Health Professional · Licensed Professional Counselor – Mental Health · Licensed Addictions Counselor · Trust Based Relational Intervention Certified Practice Areas and Specialties· Adults/Individual Counseling · Depression/Anxiety .Trauma · Couple/Family therapy · Post-Adoption CoachingAfter completing her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of South Dakota, Lisa moved her budding career as a prevention specialist to the golden state of California. At a school in Pasadena, she first witnessed amazing resiliency working with gang kids abused from struggling neighborhoods. After a couple of years in the Los Angeles area, she felt drawn back home to Sioux Falls, SD where she decided to explore the possibility of a degree in interior design. Through investigation of this area of study, she realized that she was more interested in the interiors of people than the interiors of buildings. Reconstructing and enriching continue to be her passions whether in her career improving intangible human advancements or in her hobbies refurbishing physical structures. During her second round of college at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, she transitioned to a master's program in Counseling and Human Resource Development. All the while, she was employed part-time at a residential home for individuals with developmental delays and mental health issues. Following graduation, she accepted a position at Keystone Treatment Center in Sioux Falls as a Student Assistant Professional teaching mental health and drug prevention in large group assemblies for high school and college students. This led her to an opportunity at Southeastern Behavioral Health, a non-profit community mental health center, where she completed an eight-month internship before graduating with her master's degree (1997). Armed with a background in the addictions field, Lisa saw her clientele transitioning from chemical dependency to broader or co-morbid issues such as depression, anxiety, broken attachment, identity issues and trauma. As the number of foster and adopted children in her practice rose, she discovered her natural ability to relate to and interact with kids and their families as they were adjusting to significant life changes using art, pyschodrama, somatic processsing and music. With limited resources for post-adoption services in the local area, her practice was full, there were trainings at schools and churches, various speaking engagements and classes held. Hence, the dream of The Barn was born. Created as an office complex housing several independent counseling practitioners, The Barn succeeded in multiplying the number of hands to help with needs in the community. Coming full-cirlce, Lisa's efforts to help foster and adoptive families, is limited to teaching and supporting parents through consultation. Presently, she is happy to see adults and teens with various issues as her days of playing on the floor and orchestrating movement of the whole family systm are over. As a testament to her over 25 years working with the foster &/adopted children, Lisa published a book (see link below) in April of 2022 for parents, giving them knowledge and tools to help their children heal and recover from the trauma of orphanhood. In the meantime, she loves seeing individuals and couples with her longstanding practice, and she feels blessed to go to work everyday!https://www.amazon.com/s?k=orphan+dreams+and+nightmares&i=stripbooks&crid=2275J7NFVC4KZ&sprefix=orphan+dreams+and+nightmares%2Cstripbooks%2C94&ref=nb_sb_noss https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-stellinga-86724b11/https://www.facebook.com/LANWSD/ 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 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, when I was in New York City I was hit by the fact that I was not far away (geographically) from my roots although I was light years away from knowing who and where he was. The poem, Melancholy Home, was written quickly on the train and was finished before I reached Albany. I don’t know where the poem came fro

Are you stuck with beliefs that stop you from loving you? That make you feel less than? Beliefs that keep you small? Listen in as Terri shares her insights on becoming unstuck from these beliefs and setting her free to realise her potential.Here's more about Terri from her Amazon profileTerri always knew she was adopted, but it was never a topic of conversation, ever. She was in her forties when she and her biological brother met for dinner and had their very first conversation about loss and adoption.For most of her life she lived in a constant state of guardedness and didn't feel safe-but was unaware of it. This was "normal" for her. It's just how life was. She had few opinions, at least few that were voiced. It wasn't safe to have feelings, especially if they clashed with the feelings of others or might cause any kind of disapproval or confrontation.In her candid memoir Terri addresses the complicated issues of adoption. She draws from her experience as one of five adopted children as well as her experiences as a biological and adoptive mother. Terri is a certified yoga instructor with training in the expressive arts. She experiments with a variety of artistic mediums, including writing, photography, silk dying, and acrylic pour painting. She loves being in nature, gardening, and hiking. Terri and her husband live in the north Georgia mountains, where they frequently welcome their six beloved grandchildren.You can contact the author at: [email protected]://www.amazon.com/Adoption-Constellation-Memoir-Adopted-Adopting-ebook/dp/B0BGQLW4VPhttps://www.instagram.com/adoption_constellation/https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-decker-12464020/ 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 suspect your beliefs may be holding you back? Are you sure that you're getting in your own way? Listen in as Jean shares how our beliefs form, how we get wise to them and, most importantly, how we bust them. An incredibly thought provoking episode.Here'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.

Are looking for love from others because you don't love yourself? Shame can drive us to do that. And in some cases we take that to extremes. Yi’s love addiction spiralled until she became acutely aware of it and joined a 12 Step programme to overcome it. Listen in to see how loveable you are.Woo Ae Yi, formerly Ame Ai, is a screenwriter, playwright, author, poet, lyricist, and unofficial anthropologist. Both “Woo Ae” (우 애) and “Ame Ai” (雨愛) translate to “rain love,” and Yi believes that, just as rain falls on everyone, that everyone deserves to be loved. With a prolific library of thirteen titles, Yi has written on the topic of adoption, race, culture, romance and sex, spirituality, and prison since 2008 through various mediums. Yi has been publishing creative and nonfiction works only somewhat longer than she has enjoyed membership in Toastmasters International. In the future, Yi plans to write more about Korean (and/or Asian) adoptees, prison, her personal experiences as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, paranormal topics, and Islamic hell. Yi has been happily married for four years and enjoys watching animé and musicals, and listening to K-pop and The Beatles.https://www.facebook.com/authorameaihttps://www.instagram.com/krazeanpoet/https://twitter.com/YiWooAe_Krazeanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/authorameai/ 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.

Our relationships are fundamental to our happiness. And attachments are fundamental to our relationships. So how can we have healthier attachments? And avoid toxic attachments? Adoptee and mental health counselor Emelia shares what she's learned personally and professionally.Emelia Thygesen is a licensed Mental Health Counselor. She received her Masters degree in community mental health at Canisius College in Buffalo New York in 2011. A proud adoptee and mental health advocate, she has over 10 years of experience working with clients in their teens to adulthood, in a variety of mental health settings. She is an adoption competent counselor who is a part of the adoptee community. https://www.courageforchange.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/emeliathygesen/https://twitter.com/ethygesenlmhchttps://www.facebook.com/Courageforchange1 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 frustrated on your healing journey? How can you heal faster? Listen with big ears as Isaac goes deep to share his ongoing insights on healing to speed you along your healing journey. A very vulnerable, inspirational episode.Isaac Etter is a social entrepreneur. Isaac was transracially adopted at the age of two. He is the founder of Identity a startup focused on using technology to help foster and adoptive families thrive and the owner of a small business strategy agency, Etter Consulting. Isaac has a deep passion for innovating the adoption and foster care space and helping passionate people build their first company. He is also the father of an amazing son and avid learner.Isaac has been bringing his ideas to life since his first business, a recording studio, he started in his parented basement in high school. He has been on several non profit boards in the Lancaster, PA community where he resides. Before starting Identity, Isaac co-founded an education and advocacy organization, SafeHouse Lancaster, where he was the co-executive director. SafeHouse Lancaster merged with YWCA Lancaster in July of 2021.Isaac began his work in adoption and foster by speaking and leading trainings for adoptive and foster parents. He still has the joy of leading trainings whether through Identity or for adoption agencies, college, or an event. Isaac is always open to keynoting or leading a workshop for organizations.https://isaacetter.com/https://www.facebook.com/isaacettershttps://www.instagram.com/isaac_etterhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPxVJcXBCUjmYpVKdpR8pghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-etter-/ 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 feel there's something missing from us. Perhaps a hole only our birth mother can fill. Or something else that will make us whole. We've felt this so long we ache for completeness. So what do we do? Where do we look? How will we go from having a hole to feeling whole? Listen in as adoptee and coach Candi answers some of our most existential questions.Here's a link to the image Candi mentions:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XvuxuHZgi8PDyA6cx0yvj2q61B6N-K2k/view?usp=sharingHere'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.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.

Does rejection haunt you? Feeling you were rejected as an infant is one thing. Being rejected as an adult takes rejection to a whole new level and can lead us adoptees to very dark places. That's why some of us shy away from search and reunion. But what if we can heal from rejection as an adult? How does that healing happen? Listen in as Reenie takes a deep dive into healing after reunion breaks down. Wherever you are on the journey you'll get something from this.Here's link to Joanne's interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/theres-nothing-wrong-with-us-joanne-bagshawHere's a link to the other podcast I mentioned https://dramyjohnson.com/free-resources/changeable-podcast/Reenie Robertson was adopted at 3 days old. She is passionate about the topic of adoption and has helped several people find and connect with their biological family.She enjoys writing short stories about adoption as well as life in general: it's struggles and joys.She lives in Washington with her Husband and two children.https://reeniesramblngs.blogspot.com/https://www.facebook.com/ReenieRob 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.

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.https://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.

Trauma can keep us mired. Or help us grow. So how do we make sure it helps us grow? So we harness it to live our best lives? Listen in as Maya dives deep on her hard won insights on going beyond the pain.Maya Fleischmann is a freelance writer and the author of Finding Ching Ha and If You Give a Mum a Minute. Her book reviews are published in book industry trade journals, such as Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and Audiofile Magazine. Her stories and articles have appeared in travel and cultural magazines and books, to include Peril and Chicken Soup for the Working Mom’s Soul.Born and raised in Hong Kong, Maya has lived and traveled overseas extensively. She currently lives in Florida, where the turquoise waters and sunlit skies remind her of her childhood home in Hong Kong. Read more about island talk and travel tales at Turquoise Maya.https://mayafleischmann.com/Here's a link to the interview with Elliott Driscoll https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/genetic-validation-with-elliott-driscoll 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.

Ruptured attachment with our birth mothers often weakens our sense of self. So what do we do? Jo shares her top insights as a psychotherapist who's worked with 14,000 clients.Here'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.

Many of us share the belief that there's something wrong with us. What would happen if we were to focus on what's right with us? Wouldn't that help us heal, grow and thrive? Yes! Because what we focus on gets bigger - like magnifying glasses enlarge objects. Listen in as transracial adoptee and counsellor Lynn goes deep on seeing ourselves differently.Here's more about Lynn from her website:"I use a positive psychology approach, identifying what is right with us in order to support and motivate change away from the areas of our life that no longer serve us. I believe that mental health has to do with our whole self; something that cannot simply be captured in a diagnosis and that traditional Western clinical therapy practices don't always work for everybody. Because of that, it is important that we explore different options and find what does work best for you.Working with adults on their experience of anxiety and depression, people experiencing addiction or folks who are in recovery, grief and loss, and identity and trauma work with adoptees is what I am most passionate about. Outside of counseling, I also provide clinical supervision for mental health practitioners who are working on hours for licensure."https://www.sandowellness.com/https://www.instagram.com/sandowellness/https://www.facebook.com/sandowellnesshttps://twitter.com/sandowellnesshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnmykytyn/ 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 grow? Listen in as transracial adoptees Cosette and Zoe share what helped - and continues to help them - grow so they can overcome adversity and challenges.Here's more about today's guests from their website:My name is Cosette Eisenhauer. I am a 21-year-old transracial adoptee from Guangdong, China. I am going into my senior year at the University of Texas in Arlington. I am studying Social Work and my hope is to work with adoption and foster care or work in the legislative area to help pass and create new laws that might help adoptees, while still advocating for adoptees. My mom and dad are both Caucasian and I have a younger brother who is adopted from Dalian, China. I am also engaged right now and actively planning a wedding! (Lol fun times)I'm Zoe (she/her) and I am a 22-year-old transracial adoptee from China! I am a senior in college in Ohio and I am studying psychology, math and Chinese. I just finished my year-long research project for my senior year regarding adoption, and hope to do adoption-related work post-college (among some other fun things!). You can find my work at www.overlookedadoptees.org. I also worked on some adoption-related projects in the summer of 2022. I have a single mom and a younger sister who is also adopted. https://www.facebook.com/navigatingadoptionhttps://twitter.com/navigatingadopthttps://www.instagram.com/navigating_adoption/https://www.navigatingadoption.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Do you long to belong? To feel loved and loveable? Late discovery adoptee Nancy didn't find out she was adopted until she was 37. She was devastated. She was haunted by a feeling of loss. And yet there was a part of her that she never lost. A part where she felt she belonged, loved and loveable. Listen in and she takes you to that healing place. Deep and profound. Touching and powerful.Find out more about Nancy here:http://www.nancymccaughey.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymccaughey/https://www.facebook.com/nancy.mccaughey.3 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 can you get a stronger sense of your own identity? Whether it's a full blown identity crisis or a vague lack of clarity on who we are, most of us struggle to see who we are at some stage of our lives. Transracial adoptees are, unsurprisingly, particularly conflicted. Listen in as Shelley shares how she's developed a stronger sense of self. Let her insights guide you to clarity.Here's a link to the poem Shelley reads https://www.shelleyrottenberg.ca/writingShelley Rottenberg (she/her) is a transracial and international adoptee. She was born in China at the time of the One Child Policy and adopted to Canada at eight months of age. With a Master of Arts in Human Geography, Shelley has a passion for learning about people’s lived experiences and intersectional identities across space and time. She is currently working in qualitative research and volunteers with a number of adoptee-focused organizations in her spare time.https://www.shelleyrottenberg.cahttps://www.instagram.com/shelleyrottenberg/https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyrottenberg/ 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 become more than our trauma? Through the epiphanies that help us see, understand and heal. Adoptee and psychotherapist Cristina goes deep on what she's learned to help you heal too.Here's more about Cristina from her website:I am a licensed clinical social worker with over ten years of experience in the field of mental health. I have worked with various populations including children, adolescents, adults, and the chronically mentally ill. As an adult adoptee, I know the challenges of coping with the primal wound of having been put up for adoption, even if the life with your adoptive family was very happy and loving. My primary treatment approach is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This is a type of therapy where the therapist helps the client identify and change any irrational or unproductive thoughts. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is scientifically valid and is used in many settings with a high level of efficacy.I have two daughters, ages 12 and 2 ½. When I’m not working I like to read, write, jog, and spend time with my girls.https://www.instagram.com/eclecticswhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069269746456https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-cristina-uribe-48167815/https://www.aculcsw.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.

Many of us feel that we've lost our identity. How do we get it back? Listen in a Rod shares how he as constructed and reconstructed his identity to live life on his own terms. A profoundly different and empowering take on being an adoptees.Here'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.

How do we process trauma so it no longer hurts so much so often? For many of us this a lifetime's journey. Adoptee from South Korea Shelby shares 35 years of ups, downs and insights. Listen in for your own insights to processing your own trauma.Shelby Redfield Kilgore is an adoptee from South Korea and has dedicated this channel to all things foster care and adoption. In between freelance work as a TV producer, Shelby's passion project is to spread awareness and education about foster care and adoption through the video lens. The best way to support her work is to subscribe to her channel, share about it with your friends, family and community, purchase the book she co-authored with another adoptee, Rooted in Adoption: A Collection of Adoptee Reflections at BookBaby or Amazon, along with merchandise at veronicashelby.redbubble.com and Etsy. Coming soon you'll be able to book a Rooted Conversation at rootedinadoption.comhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC29mX9k1rO1TXv7ubmZDlghttps://twitter.com/kilgoreredfieldhttps://www.instagram.com/yoonmeichaehttps://www.wearemirrorlight.com/bookhttps://www.facebook.com/kismetadoptionawareness/ 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.

Want a smoother reunion?Reunion is often an emotional rollercoaster and we can get thrown off the ride. How do we get back on again? Yvonne placed her son for adoption in 1973 and reunited with him in 2018. She shares a lifetime's personal experience. She also goes deep on expectations and shares what she has learned talking with thousands of birth moms and adoptees. This episode is all about helping you navigate the tough stuff with grace.Here's a link to her incredible storyhttps://birthmomsrealtalk.com/episodes/0-yvonne-i-felt-like-i-could-breathe-again-2/More at:https://birthmomsrealtalk.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068148750078https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyvonnerivershttps://www.instagram.com/birthmomsrealtalk/ 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 wish your healing was faster?Did your world fall apart when you came out of the fog? Are you wondering what comes now you're consciously aware of your trauma? Listen in as Becca shares how she came out of the fog after tragedy and what's helping her heal. An incredibly vulnerable and empowering episode.Becca was born in 1975, adopted at 2 years old and lives in Seattle.Here's a link to the Kubler Ross curve https://www.ekrfoundation.org/5-stages-of-grief/change-curve/https://www.rebeccawellington.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawellington/https://www.instagram.com/_rebecca_wellington/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085186204263 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 your truth has been shattered this episode is one for you. Jack opens up about how we get through the challenges life throws at us adoptees. Jack has a gift for clarity and distills neuroscience from his college days in a way that we can all understand healing. He changed my take on trauma. Listen in and see if he does the same for you.Jack Rocco is one of the more than two million babies born in the 1960s who were taken away from their birth mothers and sent to live with an adoptive family. He was adopted by a blue-collar, Italian American family. Jack’s identity was built around his Italian heritage and while he knew the story of his “Gotday,” he didn’t know the story of his “birth day.” His was a closed adoption, and all he knew was that his birth parents were a young couple—an Italian father and a German Irish mother—who couldn’t afford to raise a child.He was also one of the lucky ones. On the outside, it appeared that Dr. Rocco had weathered the adoption phenomenon with ease: he had a successful career as an orthopedic surgeon, a nice home, a beautiful wife and two children, and he traveled the world helping children in faraway places like Madagascar. But then his marriage broke down and the pandemic hit and he began to question everything.Turns out he didn’t know the truth.In Recycled, Dr. Rocco shares his journey of discovering that the birth story he's been told and his belief about closed adoptions—that there's no way to obtain details—might not be true. He devours books about adoption and adoption trauma. He tries to follow the long and twisted tentacles of nurture, nature, and free will—which parts of him were due to genetics? The nurturing environment of his adoptive home? And which parts did he have control over?As some of the puzzle pieces of his life click into place, others remain disconnected and swirling out of reach. And then, he makes a discovery that shatters his very self-identity.Here's the link to the video on PTSD and trauma I mention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRS3xiDp6yUhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrocco/https://twitter.com/JRocco34https://ingeniumbooks.com/recycled/https://www.facebook.com/jack.rocco.376 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.

Feeling like a victim of circumstances - poor little me - is totally normal for us. But we don't want to feel like that. So how do stop feeling that way? Listen in as poet Jill and I explore how we get a clearer sense of ourselves. When I spoke with Jill before we did the recording I knew we'd be in for a big and empowering conversation. Jill really delivered. Enjoy.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. https://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.

Our feeling of loss somehow turns into the belief that there's something wrong with us. It's central to our lives. But what if it's not true? Join adoptee and therapist Joanne as we bust this belief and explore how to improve reunions.Here's a bit about Joanne from her website:As a trauma and sex therapist, my work in this field is highly influenced by my education, training, and research in attachment and psychodynamic theories, sexual health, trauma, mindfulness, and somatic psychotherapies such as Family Constellations and Core Energetics. I am licensed as an LCPC in Maryland, an LMHC in New York, and a registered Telehealth provider in Florida and Vermont. I am AASECT certified, and my approach to working with sexuality is focused on sexual health. Additionally, I’m an award-winning professor of psychology and women’s studies at Montgomery College, and the author of “The Feminist Handbook.” Lastly, I am an expert on adoption and mental health in personal injury cases, and I perform immigration psychological evaluations, working directly with attorneys. I have been in practice for 25 years, and I am the founder of Joanne Bagshaw & Associates.Find out more at:https://www.joannebagshaw.com/https://www.joannebagshaw.com/adult-adopteeshttps://www.instagram.com/joanne.bagshaw/https://twitter.com/joanne_bagshawhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100061304029748 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 a Christian then you're going to love our very first unashamedly Christian interview. Jane goes deep into healing through Christ and I try to follow her. Do I keep up? Well listen in and make your own mind up. Then let me know! She takes a very intimate look at her off and on relationship with Jesus and what 'whole' means to her. Listen and be prepared to be stretched - in a good way. I know the interview stretched me and really enjoy that. Would you like to stretch me with a new take on thriving as an adoptee? Please email me [email protected]'s more about Jane:As a baby sold at birth, I’ve made my way through life asking a lot of questions. Born and sold out of the Hicks Clinic in McCaysville, Georgia, to a couple from Akron, Ohio, as you can imagine, I grew up always looking for answers. I’ve made my way as an investigator, first as a novice and then as a professional. Gaining an education in English and Criminal Justice from the University of Akron.Beginning in the private sector in my late teens, cutting my teeth with basic private investigations research casework, to surveillance for workers compensation fraud and continuing with my work in birth family search, I’ve covered all the bases of working with people and situations. Today I’m considered a subject matter expert in the field of black market adoption search, my expertise is contributed to the decades in the making, unraveling of the mystery of the Hicks Clinic.I was the first adoptee to search for the truth of what went on at the Hicks Clinic and broke the case and subsequent story in 1997. My personal birth search, as well as, acting as a search facilitator and representative for those sold by Doctor Thomas Hicks, has personalized my expertise and reputation. Today, I continue to assist those who are still bound to the Hicks Clinic and looking for answers. I’ve found most of what I was looking for, but not how I ended up at the clinic in the first place. The search of what happened in the clinic will not end until the deception which has marked everyone it touches, is burned off and truth restored. Truth that is owed to all of us lost and torn from the Hicks Clinic.https://www.janeblasio.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063382950567https://www.instagram.com/janeblasiobonafide/ 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.

Coming out of the fog is often a painful experience. Trauma threatens to engulf us. The narrative from society or our adoptive parents is revealed to be lies. So what's healing? How do we heal? Where's the hope? Listen in adoptee and therapist Marcella shares illuminating insights.Here's more about Marcella from her website:I began my work in the mental health field working with children and adolescents in the public school system, as well as working with refugee and immigrant families in the city of Buffalo. Additionally, I worked in a clinical outpatient mental health setting working with Spanish and English speaking individuals of all ages and their families with a range of mental/emotional health needs. Within my private practice I offer therapy services and consultation focued on the areas of attachment, complexities of international and domestic adoption and foster care, dissociation through the lifespan and complex trauma.I utilize a strengths based and trauma informed approach and incorporate evidence based practices including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Progressive Counting, Safe and Sound Protocol, Brainspotting, IFS (internal family systems)/Ego states/parts work and various play therapy modalities into my work with individuals and families. I am a certified EMDR therapist and Approved Consultant through EMDRIA and a registered play therapist through the Association for Play Therapy.I strive to provide a therapeutic environment that promotes acceptance, understanding and growth and will work collaboratively with you/your family to achieve goals. It takes courage to seek help; it is my mission to empower clients/families to take steps to create a healthier, more balanced life.Find out more at:https://www.marcellamoslow.com/https://www.instagram.com/marcellamoslow/https://www.facebook.com/marcella.moslowAdoptees Dish podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/1C22L0oLf7yHbYkQ27CzxS Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Here's the link to Pamela's interview:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-happiness-within-with-pamela-karanovaHere's the link to the podcast about us being more than molecules.https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/challenging-the-mainstream-model-of-reality-bernardo-katdrupSome words from Miguel:Before there was my adoption, there was my relinquishment. And here is something I have believed about myself since I was a child, since before I knew I was an alcoholic: My birthmother took one look at me and knew that I was worthless and unlovable and unredeemable. She didn’t want to keep me because she knew something was wrong with me.(I know that this absolutely isn’t true, and that my birthmother loved me very much and made a very difficult choice. But this is what I have told myself.)Adoptees & Addiction is a peer led support group. We are NOT an official 12 step program or officially aligned with any. Most members are a part of AA or NA or OA or SLA or have been in the past, but it's absolutely not a requirement for being a member.Most members would say that the power of the group comes from being in a meeting where you don't have to explain anything about being an adoptee, where you can talk about adoptee issues or addiction issues without fear of judgment or misunderstanding and with lots of heads actually nodding in recognition along with what you're saying.Find out more at:https://www.adopteesandaddiction.com/Email Miguel - [email protected] Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Time is not the greatest healer. So what is? Aha moments. Those moments when we see something new for ourselves. Insights. Quite literally sights from within. And insights from others can catalyse insights in us. Listen in as adoptee, therapist and birth mother Abby shares some of her most profound aha moments. They helped me see things I'd not seen before. I'm sure they'll do the same for you.Dr. Abigail Hasberry splits residence in Texas and Maryland. Her work focuses on examining and developing a person's identity, experiences, passions, and support networks. Abby prides herself on being able to support people as they plan to meet and exceed their potential. She provides a safe and supportive space where her clients are guided to growth by enhancing their confidence, knowledge base, and network. Dr. Hasberry deeply understands her clients’ passions and listens for the things that are not said. "I am also my clients’ biggest cheerleader and problem solver all at once." https://www.instagram.com/d.e.a.r._abby/https://www.instagram.com/d.e.a.r._abby/https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailhasberry/https://twitter.com/DEARAbbyEduhttps://dearabbyllc.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

So many of us feel stuck. Unable to move on. Frustrated. Aching. Suffering. Our trauma is preverbal - so we have no words for it. How can we talk about it in talk therapy? How can we heal? Ellianna shares what's helped her heal. Profound. Uplifting. Healing.Here's a link to the interview with Emma Stevens:https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/freedom-with-emma-stevensHere's a link to the book about a spontaneous healing from cancer:https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Be-Me-Journey-Healing/dp/B09RY5S44R/You can contact her at:elliejaved @ gmail.com Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

For adopted individuals to be empowered to advocate for their healthcare needs, medical providers must know how to interact in an adoption identity affirming manner and create an environment where patients feel safe discussing their biological history. This episode brings together pediatrician Elaine and 2 transracial adoptees Ramya and Julia to discuss advocating for our own health.Julia Small, MS III is a transracial adoptee from Hunan, China who was raised in Topsfield, Massachusetts. She is also a third year medical student at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Julia is enrolled in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track, a pathway that focuses on healthcare disparities, underserved populations and social determinants of health. One of her greatest passions is fighting for equity and social justice through grassroots advocacy, public policy and education reform. She has a particular interest in minority affairs and child and elderly welfare. She aspires to bring to light the experiences and challenges faced by adopted patients in the healthcare setting.https://twitter.com/julialsmall12https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasmall/Ramya Gruneisen, MS is a transracial adoptee living in St. Louis, Missouri. She has a found a passion in sharing her story and educating adoption agencies and adoptive/prospective families on adoption. She works in Public Health for the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). She works in the Refugee Medical Screening and Refugee Health Promotion programs where she educates service providers on culturally informed and trauma informed care to refugees and immigrants, as well as monitors and reports on public health data for new arrivals. She has found it to be the most lifegiving and humbling work. She also works as an adjunct professor at Lindenwood University in the Health Sciences Department. One of her greatest passions is teaching and sharing her love for health and wellness with others. She loves spending time with her friends and family, climbing mountains and watching the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues play.https://www.ramyagruneisen.com/Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH is one of the leading adoption medical experts in the country, having founded one of the earliest, comprehensive adoption programs in the early 1990’s. She is the Vice Chair for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Professor of Pediatrics. She directs the Adoption Program and provides pre-adoption consultation, post-adoption evaluations and ongoing medical care for adopted children and their families. Dr. Schulte is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption and Kinship Care. She is the author of “Caring for Your Adopted Child; An Essential Guide for Parents” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has created clinical guidelines and educational programs for pediatricians and adoption agencies and has given numerous national presentations. She has two daughters adopted from China.https://twitter.com/drelaineschulteHere's the report that they wrote together:https://adoptioncouncil.org/publications/family-history-unknown-understanding-adopted-individuals-needs-in-the-healthcare-environment/Here's the survey to complete if you're an adoptee in the US and share on social media if you'd like to support your fellow adoptees: https://arcsapps.umassmed.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=RY9EM9NCCT 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 goes round and round in a loop for so many of us. So how do we try stop it? Many of us try talk therapy. But much of our trauma is preverbal - it happens literally before we have words. How on earth can we talk to a therapist about our trauma we don't have words for? Listen in as adoptee, clinician and author Julie Lopez challenges how we see healing and dives deep into ending the trauma loop.Here's more about Julie from her organisation's website:As a trauma-informed practitioner, Dr. Lopez’s clinical specialty is working with trauma and PTSD. Her subspecialty is in compulsive behaviors.Dr. Lopez understands addictions to be an effective way to cope with unresolved, internalized traumatic experiences, either discrete or chronic. This coping strategy, while effective at managing the effects of trauma, can have negative consequences that the client may wish to reduce (eating, drinking, shopping, working, sex, etc.).Dr. Lopez has been qualified as a trauma expert by both legal courts and the media. Her extensive knowledge and training comes from early specialization and immersion in trauma settings. Additionally, Dr. Lopez works with phobias, self-injury, implicit (pre-language and pre-developmental) memory, sleep disturbances, low self-esteem, relationship challenges, obsessions, and compulsions.In 2019, Dr. Lopez released Live Empowered!, a self-help primer on overcoming obstacles using implicit memory. Her expertise has been featured on numerous podcasts, blogs, and more, including The Associated Press, Adoptees On, Author Hour, Yes, And… and more.https://www.vivapartnership.com/https://resilientbrainproject.com/https://www.amazon.com/Live-Empowered-Rewire-Implicit-Business-ebook/dp/B07N2YN1GKhttps://www.facebook.com/vivacenter/https://twitter.com/thevivacenterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/viva-center-dc/https://www.instagram.com/vivacenterdc Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

The Primal Wound is, for so many of us, the 'bible' because it describes our experience so well. It's so many ways it's the perfect diagnosis. But what if who we TRULY are is unwoundable??? How could that possibly be true. My good friend and regular guest Vin asks me searching questions. Listen in and see if I'm barking up the totally wrong tree. Talking about barking - 10 week old chocolate labrador pup Indie steals the limelight at the end... 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.