Adoptees On

We’re coming to our summer break! What better note to end on than this encouraging episode with Dr. Liz DeBetta. Liz has been on the podcast before and shared her story of coming to her late thirties before examining the impact adoption had on her life. Today though we are strictly diving into one of her areas of expertise which is using writing as a tool for healing. Writing is accessible, it has physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. Writing can help us create a new narrative for ourselves. Liz recently lead a group of adoptees through a transformative writing group and she shares some tools we can use to start our own writing practice. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources Rudd Adoption Virtual Conference 2020-21 Dr. Liz DeBetta’s presentation and the participant’s videos (shortand long) Liz’s first appearance on Adoptees On E118 Adoptees Connect - now planting new groups Writing as a Way of Healing by Louise DeSalvo Waitlist for the new writing groups https://forms.gle/iX6Ru8fcyHfFupkf7 Just note "No, I am not available for all sessions" to skip to the "I am interested in future opportunities" part of the form. Connect With Us Dr. Liz DeBetta: www.lizdebetta.com | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

I’m honoured to introduce you to my new friend Megan Culhane Galbraith today. Megan’s brand new book, The Guild of the Infant Saviour, is out in the world and is getting rave reviews, especially from fellow adoptees. Today we talk about the challenges of building a relationship after the first moments of reunion are finally realized. Megan shares how she views the patterns of silencing adoptees from childhood into our adulthood. Did you know there used to be a program at Cornell that used “practice babies” sourced from foundling homes to teach women how to be mothers? Megan describes the impact of researching these barbaric Domecon experiments on us as adoptees, as humans turned into objects like dolls. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources The Guild of the Infant Saviour: An Adopted Child’s Memory Book by Megan Culhane Galbraith The Dollhouse Exhibit Palimpsest by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom and you can support on Patreon here and hear Lisa’s episode (130) on Adoptees On Connect With Us Megan Culhane Galbraith: www.megangalbraith.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | The Dollhouse on IG Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

Today I’m excited to introduce you to Lora K. Joy. Lora tells us she always knew she didn’t fit in with her adoptive parents, and that she made promises to herself that she would do things differently. Lora recounts a transformative moment where she grieved her adoption loss that intrinsically changed her forever. We also unpack some of the things that lead to her decision to become estranged from her adoptive parents and how she maintains her protective boundary. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources Goodbye Hypervigilance: Healing Adoptee Worry by Lora K. Joy Adoptee Epiphanies on Facebook and Instagram created by Pamela Karanova (adopteesconnect.com) Connect With Us Lora K. Joy: www.myadopteetruth.com | Instagram | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

Today Sharon Stein McNamara, Ed.D. is with us, sharing some of her personal story intermingled with her expertise as a psychologist. Ever wonder if therapists and psychologists are being taught about relinquishment trauma? Have you heard of how helpful Dialectical Behaviour Therapy can be for adopted people? Sharon even reveals the surprising impact reunion had on her romantic relationships. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources When There Are No Words: Repairing Early Trauma and Neglect From the Attachment Period With EMDR Therapy Paperback – by Sandra L. Paulsen Ph.D. Gabor Mate and Zara Phillips - The Trauma of Relinquishment - Adoption, Addiction and Beyond Mary Hayes Grieco’s teachings on forgiveness. Her book is Ambushed by Babies and her other work is available on maryhayesgrieco.com Connect With Us Sharon Stein McNamara, Ed.D.: www.sharonsteinmcnamara.com | ssmcnamara [at[ comcast [dot] net Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

I’m happy to introduce Paul Kimball to you today. Paul shares his story of search and reunion and how the joy of music intertwined him with his first mother. Paul shares deeply with us about his grief from both rejection and death. Family, music, and nature have brought so much delight into Paul’s life, he challenges us to make sure we’re choosing to experience all life has to give and not get stuck in the hard things. Full Show Notes Here Show Notes Recommended Resources We are all Human Beings - An Adoptee Ponders by Paul Kimball Friday night happy hours - National Association of Adoptees & Parents - Paul shared his story there as well, it’s posted on YouTube here. Some of the music we mention in this episode: The Swan - Jacqueline DuPre and The Elgar Cello Concerto - Jacqueline DuPre Connect With Us Paul Kimball: PKSTJohns [at] aol [dot] com | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

I am excited to introduce you to Gregory Luce today, the attorney behind Adoptee Rights Law. We get to hear some of Greg’s personal story today, including the five-year court battle it took for him to receive his records. We talk about some of the typical arguments adoptee activists hear from legislators against original birth certificate access and what impact DNA testing access has had on OBC legislation. Greg also challenges us to make sure we’re listening to all adoptee voices. Greg is a lawyer but he’s not giving us legal advice during this episode. Full Show Notes Here Recommended Resources adopteerightslaw.com The 5 Most Pernicious Myths about Adult Adopted People by Gregory Luce Adoptees United American Baby: A Mother, A Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption by Gabrielle Glaser Cleave by Tiana Noble The Guild of the Infant Saviour: An Adopted Child's Memory Book by Megan Culhane Galbraith Invisible Asians by Kim Park Nelson Surviving the White Gaze by Rebecca Carroll Connect With Us Gregory Luce: adopteerightslaw.com | Twitter | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

Marta Isabella Sierra, LMHC, is back this week! We are still talking about estrangement and today looking at the question - is loyalty a trauma response? Marta teaches us about “fawning” and that many of us will choose to be loyal to others before ourselves. Full Show Notes Here Recommended Resources Marta’s first appearance on the podcast was episode 69 which teaches about the Internal Family Systems model and why it’s helpful for adopted people. (Other episodes featuring Marta: 71, 134, 135, & 180) Connect With Us Marta Isabella Sierra, LMHC: martasierralmhc [at] gmail [dot] com | martadrachenberglmhc.com Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

Marta Isabella Sierra, LMHC, one of our favourite adoptee therapists is back on the podcast today! We are talking about estrangement through the lens of the Internal Family Systems therapy model. Marta teaches us how to listen to our parts’ needs and prioritize the safety of our own identity above preserving relationships. Full Show Notes Here Connect With Us Marta Isabella Sierra, LMHC: martasierralmhc [at] gmail [dot] com | martadrachenberglmhc.com Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

I’m thrilled Shannon Gibney, writer and activist is here! Shannon shares some of her personal story and how she’s observed adoptee voices reaching critical mass over the last fifteen years. Since her first novel, See No Color, was released 6 years ago, she’s heard from many younger adoptees who’ve felt seen and validated by reading her words. Shannon recounts how her experience of grief in motherhood and the adoptee experience intertwined, and how she’s modelled truth-telling, even the difficult things, to her children. Full Show Notes Here Connect With Us Shannon Gibney: www.shannongibney.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note

Ferera Swan is here to share her experiences of reunion and secondary rejection with us. We talk about the impact other members of the extended family can have on our reunions, and Ferera tells us about the meaning behind her name and what her producer encouraged to include in her song “Second Time”. Full Show Notes Here Connect With Us Ferera Swan: www.fereraswan.com | Instagram | SoundCloud | YouTube | Spotify | Indigo+Swan Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group Connect Occasional Newsletter | Send a Note