Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

How do we celebrate ourselves when we don't know how we came about, feel unwanted or an accident? Listen in as adoptee, adoptive parent and adoption professional Anita shares profound insights on finding meaning, a reason for being and more. She also shares how following Christ has helped her along the way. Find out more about Anita here: https://www.brookhills.org/staff-elders/anita-bucher/ https...

So many of have so much going on we can't see the wood for the trees. Today's interview is a chance to stand back and see the big picture - what helps us thrive, what helps our kids thrive and much more. Listen in - adoption professional Cindy really knows her stuff! https://www.allforkids.org/ https://www.facebook.com/AllForKids. CA/ https://www.facebook.com/AllForKids. CA/ https://x.com/AllForKi...

How do we free ourselves from the past? By seeing that it doesn't define us. Listen in as Krystal, adopted in her 30's talks about getting stronger through adversity, processing tough emotions and more. Connect with Krystal here https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-trocki-1372321a3/ Find out about her employer here https://26health.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho...

What if there's part of us that's not traumatised? Because it can't traumatised? Wouldn't that be a great place to find and live from? Listen in as we dive deep into thriving, touch on religion and explore the part of us that's beyond trauma. Adoptive mother Dana Hargus, M.Ed., LPC, is a seasoned health professional with over 25 years of experience in trauma-informed care. Before becoming a counse...

What happens when your search for belonging leads to both love and heartbreak? Listen in as adoptee Lisa shares what she's learned from her rollercoaster ride of reunion including lovebombing, jet black darkness and, eventually, light. Very powerful. Deeply profound. Listen with big ears. Find out more about Lisa here: https://www.instagram.com/drmommypoppins/?hl=en-gb https://www.theadoptednurse....

Do you feel disconnected from your cultural heritage or identity? Tami did - even though she wasn't adopted. She was determined her daughter who was born in Ethiopia would feel connected with her heritage. Listen in as we dive into cultural heritage, identity and more. Here's a bit about Tami from her website: I grew up disconnected from my Dominican and Jamaican roots, always feeling like I wasn'...

Can we thrive despite what happened in to us? If so how? Listen in as Wilson describes how he turned his life around after some difficult years in his mid-teens. It's an incredibly uplifting interview from the youngest guest we've ever had on the show. Wilson is just 19! Here's a bit about Wilson.. "Hi! I’m Wilson. I’m a transracial international adoptee with a deep appreciation for history, tradi...

Looking for inspiration? Andrew, father of three - including one through adoption - shares his insights on igniting our passion, finding meaning and community. A powerful and empowering episode. Andrew is a passionate supporter of foster care and adoption. Andrew launched the KPMG National Foster Care and Adoption Network in 2021, which has now grown to more than 45 of KPMG’s US offices. Focused i...

Looking for more peace and less pain? Listen in as Korean adoptee Tanya shares her learnings so far.  We dive into healing, freedom with painful emotions and much more. Tanya is a Korean adoptee and former academic. She has a Ph. D. in Sociology and an M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education with a focus on intercountry adoption, identity formation, emotion work, advocacy, and agency. Prior to...

What if thriving is being comfortable with where we are on our journey? Comfortable with what we don't know? Comfortable in our own skin? Listen in as adoption professional Meredith dives into comfort and lots more... Meredith Shepard joined Heart of Adoptions in August 2013 as the Adoptive Parent Coordinator. She works closely with waiting adoptive families handling day-to-day needs and assisting...

What if you could choose to thrive? Forgive others more easily. Feel spontaneous gratitude from within. Rise above your circumstances. Listen in as adoptee Sharla talks about choosing, her birth mother and much more. This is a truly incredible episode. Listen in with big ears. https://www.facebook.com/sharla.kinman   Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and spe...

Some believe that some kids and adults broken. That's downright demoralising, depressing and disheartening. There's no hope. Listen in as Morganne brings hope as we explore life beyond fear, finding new identities and more. www.facebook.com/people/Kaleidoscopes-Consulting/61575749055036/ www.instagram.com/kaleidoscopesconsulting/ www.linkedin.com/in/morgannecrouser https://jri.org/ Guests and the...

Some say change is hard. What if believing that is keeping us stuck? Even if it's change for the better? What if we were open to change? Held our expectations more loosely? Questioned our beliefs more? Saw that our beliefs are made of thoughts so we can see them crumble? Listen in as we dive into changing expectations, giving up regrets and coming to a greater understanding. Irene Steffas is the f...

If we want adoptees to thrive, adoptive parents and birth parents all need to thrive. Listen in as we dive into thriving across the adoption triad. And how openness helps us thrive. Adoptive mother Linda R. Sexton is an open adoption pioneer who seeks to educate on today’s practice of open adoption where the biological parents and adoptive families know each other and remain in contact after the a...

Guilt is feeling bad about what we've done. Shame is feeling bad about who we are. And it's the feeling that fuels imposter syndrome. What if there was another way? Listen in as adoptive mother Anna talks about owning our own story WITHOUT shame. Anna Schocket, a single adoptive mother, embarked on a heartfelt journey to pen this book as a way to open a dialogue about adoption with her young daugh...

Are you looking for more ease and flow in your life? Who isn't? Listen in adoptive mother and coach Francine shares her insights on flow helps us thrive. We also explore how meaning enriches our lives. Here's a bit about Francine from her website: Adoption is a way some of us are called to grow our families, and I’m here to support that journey however I can. I’m Francine Apy, an adoptive mom of t...

Left for dead in a war zone. Now Jackson Terkeurst is speaking to the world. Listen in as this truly inspirational adoptee shares what helped move from stuck to thriving.  Jackson is an entrepreneur and leader who continues to defy the odds as a first-generation immigrant from West Africa who owns and runs a small business. The adopted son of bestselling author and speaker Lysa TerKeurst, Jackson...

If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. We need new solutions if we are going to move forward with the tough stuff. Listen in as Kelly shares learnings on persistence, creativity and much more. Kelly Henderson, Ph. D. is Executive Director of Formed Families Forward. A special educator by profession, Kelly is a former public school teacher of students with e...

How do we grow? What kind of environment helps us grow? How do we harness our mistakes for growth? Listen in to this empowering, metaphor rich dive into all things growth. Powerful and insightful. Just as we love our episodes here on Thriving Adoptees. Jenifer Jarriel is Board President & Chief Executive Officer of Depelchin. Jesse Booher is Chief Operations Officer and Senior VP.  DePelchin Child...

FASD is caused by exposure to alcohol in utero. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges. Listen in as Brian shares his learnings on how families thrive with FASD. Brian Is Director of Education & Well-being for the National Organisation for FASD and has been the lead author and co-ordinator for the Me & My FASD...

How does lifelong learning help us show up better with our families, friends and the rest of the world. Dr Rick's passion is palpable. Listen in as we dive into his learnings from raising 3 kids adopted internationally and a huge Italian Mastif. Humility, self awareness and God play their part in a great episode. We both hope you love it. As Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the...

Finding out she was adopted at 38 caused a seismic eruption for Diana. The world disappeared from under her feet. Everything she'd believed about herself was lies. And the lies continued as she searched for her truth. Settle back for a masterclass in stubborn, persistence, acceptance and finally, peace. DIANA KAYLA HOCHBERG is an accomplished photographer with over twenty-five years of experience...

How much are you enjoying life? The more deeply we can see that joy  is an inside job the more we can enjoy life. Listen in as we dive into accepting missing pieces of our story, finding joy and more. Leigh Lincoln is an author whose narratives resonate deeply with the human experience. With a passion for storytelling that touches hearts and provokes thoughtful reflection, she has carved a path th...

Want to be in  our new book for adoptive parents? Listen in as fellow adoptee and friend Jude interviews me about the book.  I'm gathering wisdom from across the adoption constellation for a book on how adoptive parents can help their kids thrive. The ebook will be available widely and free. Any profits from the printed book will go towards supporting a post-adoption charity.  Contribute here http...

Unlimited potential. A tantalising idea isn't it? One that seems a long way from our experience. So what brings it closer? What takes it further away. Listen in as we explore realising that unlimited potential, getting out of our own way and more. Meghan Anderson has been the director of Connecting Hearts (now Adoption Life), since 2018 and has worked in adoptions in various roles for over 12 year...