Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Born in India, Kirti Pickard was abandoned as a baby and spent her three and a half years in an orphanage. She was adopted at four. She is the host of When I Grow Up , a podcast sharing extraordinary stories of everyday people. Kirti also leads Mission 143. https://mission143.net/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578275794926 https://www.facebook.com/kirti.pickard Guests and the host are...

What if discovering and sharing our uniqueness drives our thriving? How does that help us tough times. Chris is dad to 10 including 7 through  adoption from foster care. Listen as we dive deep into our diamond nature how his beliefs power his thriving. Chris Johnson serves as the Sr. Director of Church Partnerships & External Advocacy at Lifeline Children’s Services. With over two decades of pasto...

What would it do for you to find your superpower? What if your difference IS your superpower? Listen in as adoptee Wes dives into difference, superpower and more. Wes has more than 40 years of experience working in social care, primarily in services for children and young people as a qualified social worker.  He worked for many years in local authorities including Luton, Bedfordshire and Hertfords...

Handling tough emotions is human's biggest challenge. And it's particularly tough for adoptees and adoptive parents given the complex emotions around adoption. So what helps us do this? Listen in as we dive deep and explore powerful learnings... Find out more about Rhiannon and her organisation at: https://mofosteradopt.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FosterandAdopt https://www.instagram.com/cmfcaa...

Hope. The hope that the past doesn't determine the future. A positive outlook. Life as an adoptive parent and as an adoptee can be tough. What keeps us going? Love, for sure. And hope! Listen in as we dive into overcoming trauma, abuse and other tough stuff. Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions Inc., was recognized in 2012 by the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Th...

The Altman family was formed by a unique set of circumstances that no-one could have predicted. This episode is a little different to honour that. A profound dive into deep topics. Claire and Stan along with their daughter Stefanie share their learnings on unconditional love, growth and changing life for the better. Find out more about them and the book they've written together at: www:TwiceBlesse...

Raising kids - adopted or not - isn't a sprint. It's a journey. And the more we learn, the easier we can navigate the bumps along the way. Listen in as adoptive mother Kim shares her learnings along the way - including why she's still learning. Kim Smith is  also the Founder and Executive Director of Cradled In Grace, find out more here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-smith-3912b5164/ https:...

Is love with rules really love? Probably not. And yet so many of us have only felt conditional love. Having her first daughter taught adoptee Jenn love without rules. Unconditional love as a felt experience. Not an idea. Listen in as we go deep on feeling loved and whole... Jenn works in adoption. Here's a bit about her from her agency's website: Jenn has been working with children and their famil...

What matters more than loving ourselves? And yet...so many of us believe that voice in our heads that doesn't love us. Listen in as Melissa shares her learnings on self love , helping others love themselves and more... Find out more about Melissa and the agency she works for at: https://www.forever-families.org/ https://www.instagram.com/foreverfamiliesmi/ https://www.facebook.com/ForeverFamiliesL...

When we know better, we do better. Experienced adoption professional got a second chance at parenting after adopting her grandson when she was 55. Listen in as she shares what she's learned about going beyond basic needs to helping her son thrive despite trauma. Big insights on integrity, moral standards and expectations. Gladys is Senior Director of Foster Care and Adoption at The Children's Shel...

What if we could have a fabulous life, whatever our story? Thriving doesn't look like an option for some. But what if it is? Listen in as adoptee, adoptive parent and adoption professional Anna dives into doing the work, empowerment and much more. Here's a bit about Anna from her website: "I’m an adoptee, raised in a loving family, and I grew up knowing there was more beneath the surface of my sto...

Finding our place - our home and our place in the world - is profound. Listen in as Matt who's fostered and adopted shares his learnings on self worth, relationships and much more...deep and highly empowering. Matt Waller, MS is the Director of Community Impact for One Accord for Kids. Matt and his wife, Jen, founded The Attic Foster Network, a Permian Basin based nonprofit that serves children an...

Adoptees often start life at a disadvantage. How do we level the playing field so they can enjoy the same opportunities as others? Listen in as Karen shares her learnings and insights. Karen is an adoptive mother and the Head of Service for One Adoption South Yorkshire. https://www.oneadoption.co.uk/south-yorkshire https://www.facebook.com/oneadoption/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned...

 Does the desire for validation hold us back? How do you react when you or your beliefs are challenged? Listen in as adoptee Angie talks about surfacing and busting beliefs in this particularly empowering episode. Here' a bit about Angie and the organisation she leads from their website: "To serve as the President and CEO of CASA San Antonio is a privilege. It is also an honor to work with the ded...

Life can feel pretty scary. But what if we felt differently about that fear? What if faith felt bigger than that fear? Listen in as mother of 6 including 2 by adoption points us to big insights to seeing ourselves and our fear differently. Here's a bit about Wendi: "I am a wife. A mom. A mother-in-law. A Jaja (AKA: grandma). A missionary. A teacher. A speaker. And a cheerleader for Jesus. I love G...

What we resist persists. Especially our feelings. So what if we could be open to our feelings? Be openhearted. Ride life's emotional rollercoaster with more ease. Listen in as Cindy talks about vulnerability, openness and much more... Ms. Cindy Sarai  is the Founder and Executive Director for Adoption Dreams Come True, a non-profit domestic adoption agency based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With 23...

Raising adoptive children and teens is an art not a science. It's something you get a feel for. Listen in as adoptive father of 10 Dr Ray shares his insights on getting a better feel for this art. Packed with humour and humility. Dr. Ray Guarendi is a clinical psychologist and adoptive father of ten children who provides guidance on adoption, dispelling myths and offering practical advice from his...

Shame is a big obstacle to our thriving. So how do we say goodbye to it? How is shame different to guilt? Listen in as Penny dives deep into shame, guilt and more... Here's a bit about Penny from her agency's website: "I have been a qualified social worker since 1991 and have worked with children and families in the safeguarding arena and as a therapeutic social worker. I qualified as a play thera...

How often do you realise that you're wrong? It's incredibly freeing. It's the ultimate lubricant for life. It reduces frustration and oils relationships. But if you're like me, your beliefs can get way of humility. Listen in as Arnie dives into humility, change, making a difference and much more. Truly empowering. Arnie and his wife Donna have been foster parents for over 20 years and are the pare...

Are we going to rise above trauma or to succumb to it? Perhaps one of the most profound questions we can ask. Listen in as foster/kinship parent Joanna's profound and powerful take on thriving. Joanna is president of the Maryland Resource Parent Association. Connect with her or them here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-a-961369176/ https://mrpa.org/ https://www.facebook.com/mdresourceparents/...

Rejection can tear us apart. How do we put ourselves back together? Where does the strength come from? Where do we find the hope before we find that strength. Listen in as Niemah shares her learning on hope, healing and more... Niemah Scherlacher was born to a 15-year-old Palestinian girl in Jerusalem at a time when formal adoption was forbidden. Her birth mother was hidden and protected from hono...

Holding on to anger holds us back. It stops us thriving. And it yet we all do it to some extent. It's part of the human condition. Listen in as Rachel shares her learnings and practice on releasing anger, forgiveness and more. Rachel is the Director of the CAFO Institute for Family-Centered Healing & Health. She has a background in physical therapy and holds a Master’s in Psychology and Neuroscien...

Rumi once said “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I wanted to change myself.” One of the most profound things we can see is that tough stuff helps us change. It creates space to grow. Listen in as Jenny shares her realisations on growth. Jenny grew up in a small town with her siblings and in foster care. Later, as an adult, she became a kinship home that pr...

Hope is sometimes in short supply within adoptive families navigating tough stuff. Why is that? How can we overcome fear, choose hope and enjoy a brighter future? Listen is as Carly talks faith, truth and helping kids be who they want to be.  Carly Souza is an adoptive mother and Fostering Hope Director at The Hub in Las Vegas. Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-souza-aa9a382b/ htt...

How do we enable ourselves and others to thrive? Big question! Listen in as Damon shares what helps him thrive and empower his colleagues, foster youth clients and others to do the same. One Hope United (OHU) is a nonprofit organization that has been serving children, youth, and families for 130 years. We provide early childhood education, child and family services, behavioral and mental health re...