The Empowered Adoptee Podcast

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we sit down with Saja, a Korean American adoptee, actress, comedian, mother, and creative force for an inspiring conversation about reinvention, identity, and following your truth. You may recognize Saja from the beloved play Kim's Convenience, where she was cast as Umma. Her path to the screen, however, was anything but traditional. After ye...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we’re joined by Zack Fraser, a Korean American adoptee and board member of the Association of Korean Adoptees San Francisco (AKASF), for a thoughtful conversation on identity, belonging, and coming home to yourself. Zack shares about his 10 years living in Korea, where he worked in private education and architecture while navigating the complexiti...

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we sit down with Sasha Frugone, a transpersonal empowerment coach, motivational speaker, and published author who helps people shift trauma-driven patterns so they feel safer in their bodies, clearer in their choices, and more connected in their relationships. Born in Seoul, Korea, and adopted into a German-American Pente...

Laurie and Claire dive deep into the anatomy of a trigger , reframing it from a moment of suffering into a sacred invitation for self-reflection and healing. They get personal about the challenges of navigating white adoptive families who gaslight lived experiences and the deep biological disconnect of growing up without genetic mirroring. Plus, don't miss a "mind-blowing" discussio...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we come together to honor Seollal and the Lunar New Year, while also grounding into the reality of where we are in these changing times. While we touch on the traditions of Seollal, this conversation is less about doing things “the right way” and more about meeting ourselves exactly where we are. As adoptees, connecting to culture can bring up a m...

In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Claire and Laurie discuss the recent spike in ICE violence—including the high-profile murders of U.S. citizens—and how these events can trigger ancestral and personal trauma for the adoptee community. We are NOT staying small and quiet, we are fighting back! Here are 5 ways to empower yourself and fight back against inhumane acts of violence and racial...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we explore how collective trauma is impacting us on both an adoptee level and a human level. With so much uncertainty and constant information coming at us, it’s understandable if you’re feeling anxious, numb, overwhelmed, or disconnected. We talk about how our nervous systems were never meant to be in a constant state of alert, and how this momen...

What happens when we stop trying to "fix" ourselves and start allowing healing to happen? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Kyla Mitsunaga , a business and life mindset magician and subconscious mind expert, to explore the profound world of Family Constellations and collective healing. Kyla shares her vulnerable journey from deep depression in 2016 to discovering over 25 alterna...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we dive into Mel Robbins’ Let Them Theory and explore how this simple yet radical mindset shift can be deeply liberating for adoptees. As adoptees, many of us grew up hyper-aware of other people’s emotions, expectations, and needs. We learned early how to adapt, people-please, stay quiet, or shape-shift in order to feel safe, loved, or accepted. O...

In celebration of National Adoptee Awareness Month (NAAM) , we are honored to feature the voices of four incredible Korean adoptees: Margot, Mihyun, Josh, and Kim . This episode is dedicated to the truth that adoptees are the experts on adoption because of our lived experience. Our intention is to bring more understanding, compassion, and much-needed awareness to the complexities of adoption. Marg...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we explore the evolution of National Adoption Month (NAAM) and how adoptees across the world are reclaiming it as National Adoptee Month . What began as a government initiative to promote adoption has transformed into a powerful movement led by adoptees, a movement rooted in truth-telling, healing, advocacy, and empowerment. We break down the hist...

As we enter National Adoptee Awareness Month (NAAM) , we’re dedicated to giving adoptees the seat at the table to tell their own stories and define their own narrative. Join us for an incredibly heartfelt discussion with Kim, a Korean Adoptee (KAD) who shares her unique, and often-criticized, story of having a very positive adoptee experience. Kim is close to her adoptive parents and currently has...

In this heartfelt and honest episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we explore how coping mechanisms and addictions often develop as survival strategies for adoptees navigating loss, identity, and attachment wounds. Through personal stories and open conversation, we talk about how emotional and physical addictions can take root from people-pleasing and perfectionism to substance use, workaholi...

In this deeply personal and moving episode, we sit down with Gianna Peterson , who vulnerably shares her story as a Korean American adoptee. Born in Busan, South Korea, Gianna was adopted at six months old and raised in a white adoptive family in New Jersey. She grew up with an older brother (her parents' biological son) and a younger sister adopted from China. Gianna’s adoption story took on...

In this inspiring episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we sit down with Min-Ae (Mindy), a Korean American adoptee whose journey is marked by resilience, strength, and deep faith. Mindy is an intuitive face reader who uses her gifts to help people better understand themselves and others, illuminating personality traits, emotional tendencies, and behavioral patterns that support authenticity a...

Welcome back to another vulnerable episode where we get really personal and dive into two concepts that have shaped our lives as Korean adoptees: Han and Jeong . You know those feelings you have that are too big for words? That's what Han and Jeong are for us. We'll be talking about how Han is the deep, unresolved grief and anger we feel—both individually from our own adoption narratives...

This week, we're joined by a returning guest and dear friend, Kirsten Mathis. We want to start by wishing Kirsten a very happy 40th birthday! In honor of her big day, let's all participate in her Birthday Love Challenge by making a commitment to show ourselves and others more love and compassion this week. In this powerful episode, Kirsten vulnerably shares her journey of growth and chan...

The Mother Wound: A Deep Dive into Loss, Love & Healing In this powerful and tender episode, we explore the mother wound, a wound that lives in the body, heart, and spirit of many adoptees. From the primal loss of our first mother to the complex dynamics with adoptive mothers, this episode opens a space for truth-telling, grief, compassion, and healing. Whether your relationship with your moth...

In this enlightening and deeply heartfelt follow-up episode, we welcome back Mike Malloy , a Korean American adoptee, veteran, and community builder. Mike returns to share his powerful experience with psilocybin-assisted therapy , originally sought to support his PTSD from military service , and how it unexpectedly brought long-buried aspects of his adoption story to light. Mike speaks vulnerably...

In this episode, Laurie and Claire delve into the nuanced topic of microaggressions within the adoption community.  This discussion was inspired by a KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) Conference workshop that Laurie and Claire attended. We want to help bring microaggressions into the light so that we can talk about them, normalize our feelings around them, and give us tools to...

In this follow-up conversation, we welcome back Julie Duvall—an aged-out Korean orphan, late-life adoptee, and fierce advocate for adult Korean orphans. Julie returns to share more deeply about her ongoing journey of healing, faith, and purpose. We dive into the realities faced by those who grow up in orphanages without ever being adopted, and the emotional landscape that unfolds in adulthood—from...

This week, join Laurie and Claire for a special mini-episode as they share their pre-KAAN conference jitters and excitement! Heading to a large conference, even one filled with supportive community, can bring on a mix of emotions. Laurie and Claire open up about their feelings and, in true Empowered Adoptee fashion, offer some quick and easy tools to help you navigate any nervousness or anxiety yo...

In this powerful and validating episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast , we explore the real reasons why breakups and loss can feel so devastating—not just emotionally, but physically and biochemically. Whether it’s the end of a romantic relationship, the loss of a close friendship, estrangement, heartbreak activates some of the deepest parts of our nervous system and attachment wounds—especiall...

In this vulnerable episode, Laurie and Claire dive deep into the complex topic of self-sabotage, particularly among adoptees. We explore the subconscious strategies that lead us to undermine our own relationships and goals, often driven by fear and core wounds. Join us as we uncover the common triggers, patterns of behavior, and the beliefs that perpetuate self-sabotaging actions. More importantly...

In this powerful episode, we’re joined by Kari Rudd, a Korean adoptee based in Santa Barbara, California. Kari shares her transformative journey of searching for identity and belonging after her challenging experiences with adoption. Kari was adopted at around six months old into a family that faced significant struggles. After being removed from her adoptive family as a teenager, she has lived a...