Australian Adoption Podcast - My Unknown Truth

Send us Fan Mail Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.  Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life.  Rowan attributes his successes in business and sport to the fundamental values that were given to him by his adopted mother and uncle.  This is a story of...

Send us Fan Mail Hi everyone,  Today I will be speaking with Toni Moon. Toni Moon is a bird nerd, word nerd and adopted person breaking out of the fog. She is a journalist who writes about her own adoption journey amongst other things. Her personal writing reflects a desire for self determination as she uncovers her own past and builds the road ahead for her and her family’s future.   Here is her...

Send us Fan Mail Hi everyone, today I am talking with Layne Beachley. Layne is regarded as one of the world’s most successful athletes. She spent 19 years on the surfing pro tour. Won 7 world titles and is the only surfer in history, to win 6 consecutive world titles. 5 however were won in a state of fear. The other 2 that bookends her career were in a state of love.  How did she get there? Well f...

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah. Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jonah felt disconnected from his Papua New Guinea heritage and culture.  In 2020, at the age of 22, Jonah embarked on a journey to reunite with his b...

Send us Fan Mail Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience of grief built up her strength and resilience, which she has carried with her throughout her life. Tammy learned to be resourceful and curio...

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone,  Today I am speaking  with Monique from the Sunshine Coast. I had a perfect opportunity on my travel around Australia  and in January this year I visited her in her home. We comfortably sat on the floor of her upstairs office surround by a large sand tray full of sand, water and figurines. Not long after getting set up did I then notice the two story bookshelf with a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak with Karin. Karin is a mother to two boys adopted from the Philippines and President of the Adoptive, Kinship and Fostering Families Association of the ACT known as AKKFFA.  Karin believes it is important to find your community of people when it comes to adoption, fostering and kinship care.  Karin was previously a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, an...

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone, I am excited to be sharing with you all today an interview I did recently with another fellow adoptee. This is my first international interview from our neighbouring country New Zealand. I will be speaking with Jan, Jan is a 69 Yr old wife, mother and step mother. So she has 6 children and 11 grandchildren and lives in a quiet seaside village. Her adoption experience...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I chat with Elizabeth. Liz is a mother to children through both adoption and foster care. Her background is in social work and training where Liz has trained and assessed foster carers in preparation for children joining their families through ACT child and Youth protection services.  She has also taught and assessed students when studying to become youth, mental h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak with Sandra.  Sandra is a baby boomer, born in 1949, grew up with her parents and brother and surrounded by her fathers English family in a small town. Sandra left school at age 15, became a shorthand typist and fell in love. Soon after the relationship blossomed, Sandra  fell pregnant at 15 which was disapproved of by her family.  Sandra and Kevin went on...

Send us Fan Mail Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts ( Welfare Studies) and a Certificate of Somatic Psychotherapy. Margaret has worked in community justice, social welfare ,human rights advocacy,  disability and health services, as a Tribunal Member on NSW and Qld disability Tribunals. During the past 10 years, Margaret continues to work as a Counsellor, Advanced Practitioner for Post Adoption Reso...

Send us Fan Mail Today I will be talking with Kate. A Gestalt and Family Constellations Psychotherapist, Shamanic Bodyworker, Yoga Teacher, Sacred Ceremony Facilitator and has an online learning academy called, The Black Cockatoo School.  Gestalt is a non-pathologizing and humanistic modality that pays regard to a person in their wider field. It utilises the body in the present moment to process a...

Send us Fan Mail Today in episode 11, I will be interviewing Marcus for a Q&A session about his role as team leader for a permanency support program in NSW.  Marcus has been working in the social welfare sector for over 12 years and is currently working with the most vulnerable children in out of home care (Oohc).  Lets get into it! Support the show Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram...

Send us Fan Mail Today I speak with Sarah, the Founder of care bags and Chair of the Care Bags - because children in care matter committee. Sarah is a mum of two and been a social worker for over 15 years. Throughout her career, She has seen first-hand the impact of children entering foster care and has always wanted to do something tangible to make this challenging time a little bit easier.  Than...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I sit down with Felicity Graham, a 19-year old advocate for children and carers in the foster care system in South Australia. She is an author of the book titled 'Not Held Down' that she wrote at 15,  sharing her perspective and experiences of growing up in state care.  Felicity sheds some light on what the foster care system is really like from a child’s...

Send us Fan Mail Today I'm speaking with Dara Read, a lawyer and writer. Dara has worked as a lawyer for children and adults in NSW and the Northern Territory. She has also worked as a policy advisor to the NSW Government, including as a Senior Ministerial Advisor to the Attorney General of NSW and Minister for Family and Community Services.  Dara's written a children's picture book...

Send us Fan Mail Today you will listen to Miguels journey as an adoptive father.  Born in South America he then travelled to Australia where he and his wife settled and were ready to start a family.  He talks about the comprehensive process of the adoption application, first meetings and visits, the transition period and key indicators in building attachment and developing a bond.  He also shares...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 6 Kat wrote her adoption story in 2020 and shares it with us in this episode. Her story begins in 1971 and in 1973 at 2 and a half Kat incredibly accesses some of her earliest memories, recalling a series of significant events, experiences and emotions that extend into her teenage years and adult life.  The world she grew up in was a safe and loving environment however...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 5 I speak with Andrea who is a foster care mother to four children. She talks openly and honestly about her experiences in the foster care program over 10 years. We look closely at her story with their eldest boy that she and husband Paul have cared for since 16 months old.  It is a rollercoaster of challenges and emotions and the space is still “inconclusive” in finali...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 4 we speak to Matt Young, who, with his partner Peter, adopted 2 sibling young boys.  We speak about the hurdles they faced along the way to being the first male same-sex couple in NSW to adopt their non-biological children, and to have that reflected on their children’s birth certificates. Support the show Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Face...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 3 I had a beautiful conversation with the lovely Alex, finding out at 19 her mum (Julie) was adopted. She talks about the emotional and curious swirls as a young adult which leads her to find her biological grandmother.  This story takes you through some twists, turns and synchronised events during her search but what was most profound was her deep gratitude and love fo...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 2. I had the opportunity to chat with an incredibly inspirational mother of three Liz. Liz shares with us and her husbands story Justin, of adopting their daughter Lily after having two sons, naturally.  She talks with us openly and with a raw honesty about the process to adopt through the Bernados find a family program (FAF). It is in this episode she courageously spea...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the very first episode of the series, where the host becomes the guest. In this debut conversation, storyteller and health promoter Nadia Levett sits down with interviewer Gabriella McGrail to kick things off by getting personal. From her own adoption story to her passion for amplifying community voices, Nadia reflects on the moments that led her to launch this podcast...