Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Being told to just raise your kids doesn't sound like a great piece of advice. But it landed profoundly for Susan. She heard it as a pointer to stop trying to think too far ahead. To listen to wisdom in the moment. To stop overthinking. Who doesn't need less overthinking right? Listen in for your own aha moments. Founder and Executive Director, Susan Silverman grew up in a family that fostered old...

We want our kids to grow. We know we have to nurture them to make that happen. So how do we do that? Listen in as Jenny who has 4 kids including her youngest who's adopted shares what she's learning about nurturing and more... Connect with Jenny here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-fridge-413047134/ https://www.facebook.com/jenny.fridge https://www.instagram.com/jennyfridge/ Guests and the host...

Our most profound learnings often come from the toughest moments. Born in Ethiopia, adopted by an American family at 5, Isaac shares his most transformative learnings. Inspirational! Born in Ethiopia, Isaac spent time in an orphanage following the tragic loss of both parents. He was adopted at age 5 by an American family and made a profession of faith at age 7. Here's a bit about Isaac from his we...

What if it's true. That we're fundamentally whole despite trauma. No, really. Listen in as previous guest and friend Marcy puts me on the spot. Make up your own mind... Here's Marcy's interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/the-other-side-of-shame-with-marcy-pusey Here's more about that...and Marcy... We've all felt shame - it's part of the human experience. But beyond it lies...

What does healing mean to you? It means something different to everyone. Getting clear on what it means to you is profoundly helpful. Knowing how we heal is even more powerful. Listen in as Aysha and I dive deep into what helps us heal and what doesn't.  "As a New York native, I am thrilled to lead Healing New York as the nation's oldest child-serving agency and help chart the way ahead to create...

We humans have a funny relationship with change. What if change was for the better? A change in how we think, how we feel, how we see ourselves? Listen is adoption leader and therapist Lisa shares insights on growth, learning and change... Here's a bit about Lisa from her organisation's website: Lisa Dominguez stepped into the CEO role in 2024, yet has a longstanding history with Paths for Familie...

Where are you living from? So many of us spend so much of our living from fear, worry and anxiety. How does this change? Listen in as adoptee Carmen shares her insights into living differently. Living from love. Here's a bit about Carmen from her website: Carmen is happily married for 40+ years. She is the mother of four and grandmother of six. She loves all things outdoors and anything related to...

How much control do we have? How does humility help us see control more clearly? Adoptive mother and adoption professional Tina shares what she'd have done differently if she'd had a time machine including.. reading the Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. https://lfcsmo.org/ https://www.facebook.com/LFCSMO/ https://www.instagram.com/lfcs.mo/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed psc...

Connection. We all want don't we? And we want our kids to feel connected to. How well are parents connected with us can influence how we connect with our kids. Listen in as adoptive mother of 4 Lenette talks about connection, raising kids with prenatal opioid and substance exposure and more... Lenette Serlo is the Founder & CEO of Generation O, The National Organization for Opioid-Exposed Children...

So many of us adoptees start believing there's something wrong with us it's embedded deep in our psyche. Until it comes to the surface and starts to diminish - sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly - often on the back of getting hold of new information. Validation from fellow adoptees helps greatly. Turning our pain into something that helps others can be transformational too. Listen in as Sheila sh...

Is unprocessed grief eating you up? It did for Neb. But how on earth can a 2 year old  handle the death of their mother? Neb's challenges continued...moving from home to a children's home and then a new home with an American family 9000 miles away from his homeland - Ethiopia. Neb blamed God, until he didn't. Listen in as he shares the epiphanies that got him back on the rails and thriving. Connec...

Do you feel grounded? All the time? Some of the time? Life tests our grounding daily. So what helps us hold our ground more often and find it more quickly when we've lost it? Listen in as mom and leader Jami talks grounding, faith and much more. Deep and profound. Empowering Foster care and adoption were not part of Jami’s dreams for her life, but God changed her heart when He made her aware, and...

What can we learn about from someone who advocates for us from within the system? What life is really like for today's young adoptees?  Listen in as Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central shares her insights and vital research. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence (APPGAP) was established in February 2019 and aims: to amplify the voices and experiences of adoptees and those...

What if we are whole despite all that's happened to us? How does connection help us heal? Listen in as Anna, Donna and I dive deep into two profound questions.... Here is Anna's first interview: https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/anna-jinja Anna used to spread hate about herself being adopted and did everything she could to avoid talking about it. Now she runs a podcast and discusse...

Unconditional Love. We only crave it because we don't feel it. Trauma gets in the way. Listen in as Jay, adopted from Costa Rica at 3 shares his journey to find it through therapy, soul searching and connection. Here's a bit about Jay from his website Jay Barbanel is a writer and creative based in Los Angeles. Born in Costa Rica, raised somewhere in between. His past didn’t arrive all at once.  It...

What is Fundamental Wholeness? How does seeing it transform our lives for the better? Listen in as my friend and past guest Jude Hung interviews me about this fresh and hopeful paradigm. https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn https://thrivingadoptees.com/ https://thrivingadoptees.com/ https://www.instagram.com/simonjbenn/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and s...

Our grounding is the base from which we connect with others and allow them to feel safe and secure. Listen in as Judith and I explore self awareness, empathy, handling ambiguity and more.  Find out more about Adoption in Merseyside here: https://www.adoptioninmerseyside.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/adoptioninmerseyside/ https://www.facebook.com/adoptmerseyside https://www.linkedin.com/company/...

What if the tough stuff happens to help us to our most profound learnings? Doesn't that change our minds about what we are going through? Listen in as Cara and I dive deep into expectations, empathy and much more. You're going to love this... Here's a bit about Cara from her ministry's website: As an educator, children’s ministry director, and life-long learner, I’ve dedicated my career to nurturi...

What is family? It seems a simple enough question. And yet...listen in as we explore a broader answer with birth mother Janelle and her birth daughter Katherine who was adopted. Fascinating and nuanced. A great episode with light and dark, laughter and sadness. Connect and find out more at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janellebasham/ https://www.bravelove.org/stories/meet-the-team-janelle-basham/ h...

We don't know what we don't know. That's why other people's perspectives can help shift our perspective. Listen in as Teresa talks about opening ourselves up to new perspectives, exploring other people's perspectives and more. Teresa Bernu has been a dedicated member of the ACI team since 2017. Before stepping into the role of Executive Director in October 2024, she served in various capacities, i...

Don't we all want to feel we belong? It's so painful when we don't. Listen in as Jyotika shares insights on belonging, origin stories and more... Jyotika is the Executive Director of St. Nick's Kids, where she leads the organization’s mission to support children and families through adoption services. Previously, she served as the Director of Adoptions, overseeing all intercountry adoptions. Jyoti...

How would your life be if you find joy whatever your circumstances? Joy, and even contentment, were completely alien to Doris growing up. She's one of those adoptees who got very, very unlucky with her adoptive parents. Now 58, Doris shares profound insights on joy no matter what - following terrible parenting, cancer and more. An incredibly empowering episode. I shouldn't have favourite interview...

When things get tough raising your kids, what do you do? Listen in as Barb, Clinical Social Worker and adoptive mother to 3, shares her take on thriving and delighting in our kids. Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Would you like to be triggered less? More resilient when you are triggered? Listen in as Jenn and I dive deep into resilience for insights on how you react, bouncing back faster and more... Jenn is Director of Kansas Caregiver Training & Support and brings a unique blend of academic expertise and lived experience to her work at the Children’s Alliance. She holds both undergraduate and graduate deg...

It's a trap we all fall into. Thinking that others will change. Waiting for others to change. But we have to change first. Listen in as Mercedes shares her insights on change for the better... Mercedes is a compassionate leader dedicated to supporting grandfamilies in Texas. As a grandmother of eleven and great-grandmother of four, Mercedes’s journey into grandparent caregiving began in 2011 when...