Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Sometimes it feels like we are going to drown in our tears. And that's really scary. So we stuff our feelings for fear of being overwhelmed by them. Or we deny them. Or numb them. What if there was another way? What if our trauma didn't bother us? Listen in as transracial and international adoptee Josie shares her liberating take on trauma. Profound lessons. Listen in with big ears. Guests and the...

Have you found your way to thrive? Could you use some pointers on different ways? Is it about understanding trauma? Moving beyond identifying with trauma? Healing? Something else?  Listen in as we discuss different ways to help you find your way. Ty is an adoptee who has been in reunion with her birth family for over 25 years. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-cliffel-748b7ba7/ Guests and the host ar...

Did you grow up with a lot on your mind? A lot of questions about you are? Holes in your identity? Molly was born in Thailand and adopted in the US just before the age of 2. She felt holes in her identity and sometimes guilt about the questions she was asking herself. Listen in as she shares how she's grown and come into her identity as an adoptee. https://www.instagram.com/simplymollz/ Guests and...

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 discusses adoption all the time. So what changed? Listen in as we talk identity, transracial adoption and most of all, being authentic. Anna Jinja Mather was adopted from Seoul, Korea, and grew up in Iowa. Her heart is filled with love for people and their stories...

Nancy Verrier (the Primal Wound) says the adoptee's self is wounded. Richard Schwartz (No Bad Parts) says the Self is unwoundable. Do you see a clash? Who do you think is right? Here's the post: https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn/posts/pfbid02vxmVkxqjJAh1FtkcQzaaSKSZ2pykMQf8Js4HEmjTcBiUiWvnexzjZpc1m59uxXiMl More on Richard Schwartz https://ifs-institute.com/about-us/richard-c-schwartz-phd Guests...

Looking for health, happiness and success as you define it? Listen in as Jim dives deep into mental, emotional and relational wellbeing. I loved this and I learned lots from it. Jim and I hope you do too. Connect with Jim at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-clifford-obe-frsa/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek quali...

Does music lift your spirit? Is it an escape for you? It was for Mj as a chid. It is now. She also uses music with clients in therapy sessions. Listen in as we go deep on escaping, spirit, people pleasing, being accepted and much more.... Mj is a music therapist-board certified (MT-BC) and licensed clinical social worker. Find out more about MJ at https://musingsofataiwaneseamericanadoptee.life/ G...

Trauma can seem like a terrifying predator stalking us... Our world is scary and dark. This podcast is fundamentally different because it brings lightness to this darkness. · So you can see a dramatically different, friendlier world. And when you see better, you do better for yourself and loved ones.  · So you can forge a peaceful relationship with trauma. Because you see the light of hope as well...

Do adoptees want to heal? Is healing even possible? Listen in as Joyce and I explore rarely asked questions about trauma. Why?  To catalyse fresh insights for you on trauma's impact. I learned lots of from this and hope you do too. Here's the link to Joyce's previous interviews: https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/joyce https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/theres-nothing...

Thriving is about who we are as well as how we feel. Listen in as Sherrie and I go deep into identity and healing. Sherrie is a christian - and I'm not  - so there's some different views and mutual respect. A particularly powerful episode. For well over two decades, Sherrie Eldridge has offered her unique voice within the adoption community, as an established author and international speaker. An a...

Has being adopted boxed you in? Do you want to feel free-er? Free? Listen in as Fiona shares her insights on what she's learning about freedom, seeing through imposter syndrome, shaking inadequacy off and more. Find out more about Fiona and her advocacy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-wells-patch-9064071a5/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.ourpatch.org.uk/ https://x.com/PATCH_AdoptCris Guest...

How clear are you on who you are? Identity can confuse the hell out of us. Listen in as Samantha dives deep into finding herself. It may help you on your journey to finding your trues self or living from authenticity. https://www.drsamanthabrooks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-b-4763a94a/ https://x.com/DrSjBrooks Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists...

Who doesn't want a loving, happy and fulfilling life? Do I hear the HOW question? Listen in as Ken shares his learnings for catalyst ideas to help you along your journey. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethdestefano/ https://www.facebook.com/ken.destefano.1 https://www.amazon.com/Will-See-You-Again-Hearts/dp/B0C63YSMWH Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and s...

Do you wish you were carrying less emotional baggage? Listen in as Craig shares the things that have helped and are helping lighten his load from meeting Nancy Verrier and Ram Dass and much, much more. Find out more about Craig at: https://www.facebook.com/insideoutadoption Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualifi...

What if there's an inherent health within us that drives us? A Self that's untouched by trauma? How would knowing that make a difference to how we feel about ourselves? Listen in as Liam dives into his experience to reveal a finding overflowing with hope. Liam O Mahony is an adoptee, an accredited Psychotherapist and Addiction Counsellor with over nine years of experience working with adults and a...

Have you felt separate? Alone? Elizabeth felt so separate that she thought she was an alien. So how did she get to that visceral feeling of wholeness? A deep dive into healing. Because that's where the gems are. Note from Elizabeth – I want to apologize for the incorrect usage of the phrase trauma bonding near the very end of the episode. I was looking for a way to describe adoptees commiserating...

Trauma sits frozen in time within the part of us that experienced the trauma. For those relinquished at birth it's newborn who's lost their mother. Parts work (also known as Internal Family Systems IFS) heals those parts. Our Self is untouched by trauma. Our Self heals our parts. It does that by accepting, loving and giving them the recognition that they've never had before. Listen in as adoptee a...

Does healing seem like a journey to you? A long, arduous trip. What if wholeness were closer? Something we can see and feel sooner? Listen in as Yael and dive deep into revealing and reclaiming our wholeness. Here's a bit about Yael: "My personal experience as a bisexual Jewish woman, a practitioner of Mussar, an adoptee, a divorcee, a “bonus mom” and a “career transitionist” have given me a deep...

How's your healing evolving? Are we ever whole? Listen in as guest host Jude flips the script on me. Her questions on healing were great! They're well worth you asking yourself. Do my answers bring you an insight or two? There's only one way for you to find out... I was adopted at 5 weeks old and told so young I don’t ever remember not knowing.  I didn't experience any conscious adoption trauma un...

We only have to heal if we've been sick or damaged. But what if this perspective is off? Listen in as therapist and teacher Corie shares a fresh perspective on growth and change. Find out more about Corie and her book at: https://www.facebook.com/corieskolnick https://corieskolnick.com/orfan/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion...

Our anger can be explosive, scaring ourselves as well as others. It's often a central part of our trauma as well as coming out of the fog. So how do we find peace? Where do we find peace? Listen in as Quinn shares his insights on finding peace. https://novacatfilms.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinn-wolverton-4285662b2/ https://www.instagram.com/novacatfilms/ Guests and the host are not (unles...

Changing the narrative requires changing the narrators. What narrative would empower you? What if being adopted has given you superpowers? How would that perspective power you? Listen in as Stephanie shares her thoughts about becoming superpowered and other healing insights. More about Stephanie at: https://www.loyola.edu/school-education/academics/graduate/curriculum-instruction/ https://www.link...

How do you see your trauma? Does it scare you? Has the lead to you pushing it away? Suppressing it? Would a new relationship with trauma improve your life? Listen in as Tim shares key learnings on his journey to seeing trauma as a gift. Tim Perdion, born Thomas Griffin Demchak on March 1, 1969, was adopted shortly after birth. Despite growing up in a seemingly perfect family, he struggled with ang...

What have you done with your trauma? Turning the tough stuff you've been through into work to empower others is one of the most healing things we can do. Listen in as Mallory shares learnings from her life including what she discovered about herself adopting her daughter. We touch on empathy, ending self-judgement and more...powerful and insightful. Enjoy. Mallory is an intercountry transracial ad...

Gabor Maté says that the feeling we are not good enough is actually a belief that we are not good enough. And that's important given so many of us feel less than. Do beliefs seem more bustable than trauma seems healable? Listen in as I explore belief busting, hope and more in this short episode. Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opin...