Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Can we have too much love in our lives? Surely not. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Anastasiya adopted from Russia at 16 just 3 months after her mother's death shares profound insights on grief, love and identity. Fantastic! Find out more about Anastasiya and the organisation she works for: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiya-jenkins/ https://christian-works.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Chr...

Settling down is amongst the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. Coming from calm helps us relate better. Listen as adoptive mother, child psychologist and non profit leader Derenda shares learnings on calm and connection. Derenda M. Schubert, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and nationally recognized advocate for intergenerational community building. As the CEO of Bridge Meadows, she has advance...

What if life's trials and tribulations happen FOR us not to us? What if the tough stuff happens for us to learn? Life feels easier from that perspective. What can I learn from this is a question we can ask to take us back to a more empowered place. Listen is adoptive mother Sara shares insights on perspective, support and much more. Find out more about Sara and the organisation she works for here:...

How can talk therapy heal preverbal trauma that we have no words for? It can't. So what do we do instead. Listen in as we dive deep into healing with adoptee Patricia. Patricia Knight Meyer is an author, speaker, and adoption reform advocate. Her story begins along a Texas hospital curb, where by her parent’s account she was handed over as an infant in a 1970 attorney-brokered black-market adoptio...

Being all good with the past has a strange way of empowering us to change more in the future. Listen as Corrie shares learning about acceptance, without fear and more. https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrie-kielty-bb533357/ https://www.nebraskacasa.org/ https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaCASA/ https://www.instagram.com/nebraska.casa/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/nebraska-casa-association/home/ Guest...

When we know better, we do better. This podcast is about sharing what we've learned so we can do better. Listen in as Kelly, mother of four including 2 by adoption from foster care and non-profit leader shares what she's learning about thriving. Kelly Hughes (she/her) is the Founder and Executive Director of Foster Love Project, supporting children and families affected by foster and kinship care...

Looking for more meaning? Stepping outside of ourselves is where we find meaning. It's where we feel connected, passionate and at one. Listen in as Vicki shares insights from a life spent making a difference. Profound and empowering. Vicki Spriggs is a dedicated advocate for children who has worked for more than 50 years in the child services arena. Known for her leadership on youth-related issues...

What if we are whole under our trauma? Whole despite our trauma? Listen in as we go deep to see, feel and know our whole soul with adoptee Michelle. Profound. Enlightening. Michelle Irene Stupski is a certified spiritual life coach, author, podcast host, and adoptee who has spent most of her life learning the difference between the life that looks good on the outside and the life that feels true o...

What does being true to you mean to you? Listen in as adoption professional Shannon shares her insights on stopping pleasing others, authenticity and more. Find out more about Shannon and the organisation she works for here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-enoch-ma-lcmhc-a6bb93123/ https://chsnc.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/chs-nc https://www.facebook.com/CHSNorthCarolina https://www....

Raising kids is tough. Some clichés become clichés they are true. Listen in as adoptive mother and advocate Michelle shares her learnings on commitment, curiosity and much more. Here's a bit about Michelle from her website: "Every child deserves a chance to succeed My mission to serve and advocate for children began in 1996 when my husband and I adopted our twin girls from Romania.  I experie...

Talk therapy isn't great for pre-verbal trauma - a truism that keeps on coming up on the podcast. So what is? Listen as we dive into somatic healing and more with therapist Anna. Find out more about Anna and the organisations she works for: https://christian-works.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ChristianWorks/ https://www.instagram.com/christianworks_for_children/ Guests and the host are not (unles...

How does knowing that we are made in the likeness of God help believers thrive? Listen in as adoptive mother and non profit leader Amber explores the inextricable link between faith and thriving. Amber Knowles is the founder and Executive Director of The Riverside Project, where she combines her background in healthcare and her passion for child welfare to create meaningful change for vulnerable c...

“Relationship-based trauma must be healed relationally.” Dr Karyn Purvis, co-founder of TBRI.  For adoptees, separation from our birth mother can be our first relational wound so safe, loving relationships can help us heal. Listen as therapist and counsellor Kathleen shares her insights on improving the quality of our relationships. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-shiels-751664111/ https...

To what extent do you play a persona to fit in? It was second nature for adoptee Ted and something he did to extremes. And it brought success in the world. It became so core to the way he navigated life that he was oblivious to it, until he wasn't. Listen in as we talk authenticity, epiphanies and more... Here's a bit about Ted from his website "I was adopted. My place in the family was conditiona...

We all function better in life when we are firing on all cylinders. But what helps us do that? Listen in as adoption professional Carolyn shares what works for her. It might work for you... Find out more about Carolyn and the company she works for here: https://arrow.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/arrow-child-and-family-ministries/ https://www.facebook.com/arrowcfm/ https://www.instagram.co...

Using what we've learned to help others is one of the most powerful things we can do in life. It brings profound meaning to the tough stuff we've been through. It's alchemy. Lead that's weighed us down becomes gold that shines. Listen in as adoptees and coaches Yvonne and Tammy share some of their learnings. Yvonne Howard is the owner and principal coach at Unmasked Coaching, with 25+ years' exper...

Epiphanies change our world. But how do they happen? Listen in as founder and adoptive dad David shares what's changed his world. Profound and empowering. David holds an MBA in Corporate Finance and an MSW in Child Welfare. After spending 12 years working in corporate finance, he decided to pivot his career into serving individuals who are severely marginalized. He worked at two child-focused non-...

One of the most important drivers of transracial adoptees' thriving is honoring their culture. Listen in as adoptive mom and adoption professional Elizabeth shares what she's learning about thriving raising her son who was adopted from South Korea. Find out more about Elizabeth here: https://hopeadoptionagency.org/ https://www.facebook.com/hopeadoptionagency https://www.instagram.com/hopecenterado...

What do you want? For others? For Yourself? Listen in as ex pilot, now non-profit leader Steve shares insights on persistence and relentless hyper focus. Powerful and empowering. Here's a bit about the Burke Center from their website. All children deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to flourish. Through therapeutic treatment, foster care, and adoption and reunification, our ultimate...

Loving kids with trauma takes a different sort of love, a muscular love. Listen in as Brian who leads a non profit supporting foster and foster/adoptive parents take on muscular love, connecting no matter what and more.... Find out more about Brian at: https://fosteringhopefoundation.org/ https://www.facebook.com/fosteringhopefoundation/ https://www.instagram.com/fosteringhopefoundation/ https://w...

Kit interviews me about my counterculture take on healing. Primordial Wholeness - what is it and how does it help adoptees? We dig deep and debate on whether we can / how to uncover our wholeness underneath our trauma. Kit Myers is an associate professor in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. He was previously a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Merced. His teach...

They Don't Want Us To Heal...Leah's words stopped me dead in my tracks when we first spoke. Surely everybody wants the best for us all? Listen and make your own mind up... Leah Sutterlin serves as the Adoption Communication Manager for National Council For Adoption. Leah comes from a business and technology background and is passionate about writing and data-driven storytelling. She also brings li...

What does it take to thrive in all areas of our lives? Listen in as Jody shares her learnings on thriving mentally, emotionally and physically. Lots of priceless insights to help you thrive... https://www.bridgealife.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BridgeALife1/ https://www.instagram.com/bridge.a.life/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-jester-91b744bb/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) l...

We are told that when we're going through tough stuff, to keep going. But what does that take? More than resilience? Listen in as Jillana talks steadfast tenacity, growth and humility. Powerful! Here's more about today's guest from her website: I’m Jillana. Five remarkable kids who have stretched and shaped me all call me Mom. Together, my husband and I have redrawn the picture of traditional fami...

Together we thrive. Listen in as Jane dives deep into the power of community to help us navigate the tough times. Uplifting, hopeful and powerful. You're going to love this. Here's a bit about Jane Jane Denny Richardson was promoted to Executive Director in August 2023 after spending 5 years as the Program Director at Friends of Foster Children. Jane is determined to make positive changes to the c...