Couple shares their adoption journey after a hurricane in Haiti, highlighting the importance of community support and joint restoration. They discuss healing attachment wounds, the role of somatic methods, and the Safe & Sound protocol in their journey. Adoption brings transformative power, shifting focus from behavior management to transformation. Creating safe environments and relationships are key in healing trauma. The speakers explore individual responses to trauma and emphasize the heart of God in adoption.
Creating safe environments and open conversations are crucial for the healing and integration of adopted children.
Listening to our bodies and implementing somatic methods can aid in our own healing and parenting.
Attachment wounds can be healed through marriage and the importance of reassurance and commitment in relationships extends to adopted children as well.
Deep dives
The Journey of Adoption
In this podcast episode, Chris and Michelle Ben singer share their personal journey of adoption. They talk about how they were initially not looking to adopt and how they were called to open their hearts to two children from Haiti who had experienced abandonment and the devastating effects of the earthquake. Chris flew multiple times to Haiti to navigate the adoption process, and they faced various challenges and roadblocks along the way. Eventually, they brought the children home and entered into the process of blending their family and creating a sense of belonging. Through their story, they emphasize the importance of creating safe environments, having open and honest conversations with the children about their past trauma, and providing somatic therapy to release stored trauma in the body.
Healing and Restoration
Michelle Ben singer shares her personal journey of healing and restoration as a parent of adopted children. She discusses how she has learned to listen to her body and pay attention to physical sensations, linking it to the experiences of trauma and stress. Michelle explores various methods of healing, including the safe and sound protocol, which involves listening to specific music that regulates the nervous system and releases tension in the body. She emphasizes the importance of creating safe and secure environments for her children and teaching them to be aware of their own bodies and sensations as a form of healing. Michelle also highlights the need for somatic practitioners and sacramental approaches to healing, recognizing the interconnectedness of body and soul.
The Power of Safe Environments
A key theme in the podcast episode is the significance of creating safe environments for adopted children. Both Chris and Michelle emphasize the importance of their other children embracing and accepting their adopted siblings without any resistance. They explain the challenges their children faced in navigating their sense of belonging and identity, particularly their adopted daughter. The parents work to provide a sense of security and safety through consistent reassurance, eye-level conversations, and affirmation of their love and belonging. Michelle's commitment to being present and reducing her travel commitments demonstrates her desire to offer a stable and nurturing home environment. Overall, the episode highlights the power of safe environments and intentional parenting in the healing and restoration of adopted children.
Healing Attachment Wounds
The podcast episode discusses how the speaker's attachment wounds have been healed through their marriage. They highlight the importance of teaching individuals about leaving their families and cleaving to their spouses. The speaker emphasizes the role of attachment in regulating the nervous system, using their own experiences and counseling insights. They also mention the constant need for reassurance and commitment in relationships, which extends to their children.
Creating a Peaceful Environment for Healing
The podcast episode explores the significance of creating a peaceful environment for healing and restoration within a family. The speaker shares their experience with the Safe and Sound Protocol, a therapeutic approach involving specific sound frequencies. They explain how this protocol, combined with prayer, can regulate the nervous system and promote a sense of peace. The speaker emphasizes the importance of consistency, rhythms, and structure in healing processes. They also highlight the role of the Holy Spirit as a comforter and the pursuit of love in adoption and God's redemptive plan.
Chris & Michelle Benzinger share their story of adopting two children from Haiti after a hurricane devastated the country. They share with Jake & Bob how they weren’t planning to adopt until the Lord put it on their heart. They discuss how they navigated integrating these children into their family & how there was joint restoration for everyone involved. Michelle also talks about her experience with Safe & Sound protocol & it’s role in her healing journey.
Key Points
Before adoption, the call from the Lord was “Will you welcome them into your heart?”
How Chris & Michelle’s community helped to welcome their new children.
The disorientation of the kids coming to a new place, with new people and they don’t understand the language.
Joint restoration for everyone involved. Healing of attachment wounds for Chris & Michelle as well as their kids.
The importance of listening to your body in healing & a discussion of somatic methods.
Our minds and body are so connected that healing in one helps the other.
Safe & Sound Protocol explanation & it’s usefulness in our own healing and especially in our parenting.
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