Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Hypervigilance — the elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats around you — is often the result of a trauma. No wonder it's so common amongst us adoptees. Listen in as Jools and I explore it and becoming comfortable in our own skins. Here's a bit about Jools from her website: I am an adoptee from the “Baby Scoop” era. I spent more than 25 years searching for my biological origins in...

Our volcanic eruptions of anger threatens to burn us alive. Gut wrenching shame threatens to engulf and drown us. So how do we survive this rollercoaster of a life? Listen in as Carolyn shares what she's learned - and continues to learn - to heal. Carolyn or Patricia as her birth mother named her, was born in April 1959, in the historic English town of Stratford- upon- Avon. She was the first daug...

The powerful emotions we adoptees feel can sometimes threaten to overwhelm us. So how do we get past those feelings? Listen in as fellow adoptee and podcaster Jennifer and I explore trauma, deceit, identity, mindful awareness and much more.  Here's a bit about Jennifer from her website: Hi, I'm Jennifer who is an adoptee in reunion with both sides of my birth family. I have been connected with the...

How can we love ourselves when we don't know who we are. Listen in as adoptee Ron shares what he's learned about his genetic identity and history to get closure. We also talk about busting the belief we are not loveable. Ron Levi (1964- ) was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and raised his family in Centennial, Colorado for eleven years before returning to Michigan in 2007. Mr. Levi is a Senio...

Finding our own worth can be tough for us adoptees. And yet it's vital for self esteem. Listen in as adoptee Elena and I explore this vital topic from both a religious and non religious perspective. Elena S Hall is a LMSW, adoptee, author, and speaker who has a passion for adoption advocacy that stems from her faith and family. She loves to write, dance, sing, and tell stories. Her goal is to aid...

What's the difference between sabotaging ourselves and protecting ourselves? How do we stop sabotaging ourselves? Adoptee, adoptive parent and psychologist Chaitra dives deep into this area so we understand what's going on and get out of our own way. Here's a bit about Chaitra from her website: Since taking my first psychology class in high school, I knew that this was the field in which I was mea...

Birthmother Cathryn Vogeley went through hell. PTSD messed up her mind. Listen in as she tells how that mind got blown. In a good way. To help her heal. Understanding what she went through will blow adoptees' minds too. In a good way too. Listen in as we talk unconditional love and ending our feelings of separation. Cathryn Vogeley was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the post WWII baby boo...

Bob Saul was born in Chicago, IL and grew up in the Chicago area and later moved to Colorado. A graduate of Colorado College and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, he completed pediatric training at Duke University Medical Center and genetic training at the Greenwood Genetic Center. He is Professor of Pediatrics (Emeritus) at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate and the University...

Shame is toxic. So how do we let it go? Laura shares some of her story and insights to help us heal through an understanding of what birth mothers go through. It's an incredibly powerful episode. Listen with big ears. Savour it and feel the love. Here's a bit about Laura and her book from her website: My book is about Laura, a woman who lived her life with her secrets finds her greatest secret une...

Trauma is scary. Of course we adoptees have been through trauma and experience it when triggered. So we desperately want it gone. We want to be FROM trauma. But what we focus on gets bigger and what we resist persists. What if we could be free WITH it? Listen in as we explore this... Here's links I mention Bullying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBsDhBu7eUY&t Healing my primal wound https://www.y...

Do you compare yourself to others? Then beat yourself up for doing it? Would you like to forgive yourself for that or being angry? Would you like to love yourself more? And see your true self? Listen in as transracial/international adoptee Amanda shares what she's learning about what really matters to us adoptees. Here's the videos I mention in the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_AaeY...

Usually it's us adoptees that doing the searching for our birth mothers and fathers. But what if they find us? That's what happened to today's guest. Christine's biological mother found her! Listen as she unpacks the tricky emotions and events that followed to finally find some peace.  Christine Murphy lives in Saratoga Springs, New York with her husband and three children. She works as a Speech L...

We all want to love and accept ourselves. But how can we do that when we don't know who we are? What else gets in the way of us loving ourselves? Listen in as Diane explore the truth of who we are, what comes after the fog and much more in this empowering episode. Here's more about Diane from her website: Diane Bay has had a lifelong, unquenchable creative drive. It wasn’t until she entered her fi...

This episode is a bit different and experimental. Listening back to it, I'm a little hesitant and fumbling. I start by reading a poem about my diamond and we talk about self worth. Kay is far more together and clear. I hope you get something from this. Kay wanted to be anonymous to protect herself and others. Here's a link to the webinar replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnz7I7V_IOQ Here's a...

Thriving can seem impossible given our trauma. So how DO we thrive? Maline and I dive into freeing ourselves up, re-configuring our brains and letting new ideas in. We talk about lightening up on ourselves to progress along the healing curve. Here's a bit about Maline from her website: "I am an adoptee who through lived experience has been able to better understand the thoughts of adoptees young a...

Considering searching? Scared of rejection? Confused about the next step? Adoptee and Genetic Genealogist Gerri shares what she's learned riding her own emotional rollercoaster and helping 300 other adoptees do the same. It's insightful, powerful and empowering. Geraldine Berger, known as " The Genetic Genealogy Coach ," is a professional genetic genealogist and author, specializing in helping adu...

Empathy helps us understand the important others in our lives - like our adoptive parents as well as people who may not be in our lives such as our birth mothers. Understanding them brings more peace for us as well as oiling our relationships. Listen in as we dive deep on how we can up our empathy game. Here's a bit about Danielle from her website: My name is Danielle and I am an Earth Citizen 🙂...

Many adoptees - myself included - delay the search for our birth mothers for fear of rejection. We don't believe we could handle it. We are still feeling the aftershocks of the initial rejection. Lori shares what she's learned about surviving rejection, underestimating our emotional resilience and ability to bounce back. We both loved this deep and profound conversation and hope you do too. Here's...

Oleg became an orphan at 9. But he's NOT a prisoner of the past. How has re-written his story to serve him? What has he learned that helps him thrive. Empowering and inspirational. Listen in with BIG ears. Here's Oleg's story from his website: I was nine years old when I became an orphan, but before I was an orphan, I grew up in a small, cold, and empty apartment in Russia with my older Sister, an...

Transracial adoptee Matthew shares how he's found clarity and resolved confusion about who he is to find peace. There are insights aplenty on shame, feeling different and a host of other issues that can plague transracial adoptees. Here's the book I mention https://www.amazon.com/Power-vs-Force-Dr-David-R-Hawkins-audiobook/dp/B000KZRMCO MATTHEW SALESSES is the author of eight books, including The...

Nicole pledged to herself that she'd search for her birth mother at the tender age of 4. Now in 60's she has been in reunion for over half her life. Like many of us she felt torn -  lost in 'the space between'. She shares how she's found herself to feel comfortable in her own skin. Listen up for your own insights on navigating reunion and feeling comfortable in your own skin. Here's a bit about Ni...

Listen in as Melissa shares what she's learned after coming out of the fog and finding her true, authentic self. We go deep on higher self-esteem, spotting gaslighting and more. Profound and surprising. There's more to fog than adoption.... Melissa is an adoptee and the host of Mind Your Own Karma-The Adoption Chronicles Podcast. She is passionate about educating the world about adoption after dis...

This episode is all about one of the most dramatic turnarounds we've ever heard on the podcast. Lorah used to think that God hated her. That she was a demon. That her soul was shattered. Reunion shook her to the core. So what changed? Listen into her profound shifts. Let them catalyse shifts in you. Here's a link to the Rupert Spira video on trauma I mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7xz2...

Kirsten never wanted to be stuck. So how did she become unstuck from her trauma? So she could heal, grow and move forward. How did she keep going when it got really scary and would have been easier to turn back. Listen in to a very powerful and empowering episode. Here's a bit about Kirsten  and her book from her website:  I was born and immediately relinquished for adoption in Pennsylvania in 197...

Feeling like an outsider. So many of us felt like that growing up. And that feeling has stayed with us into adulthood. Listen in as Leah shares her journey to feeling at home. Fitting in. Comfortable in her own skin. It's NOT a straight or straightforward. But there's insights aplenty. Listen in for your own. This episode is a real catalyst. Here's a link to Leah's interview with Haley https://www...