Adoptees On

267 | Jessica Hairston Today our guest is poet Jessica Hairston, author of Power of Our Wombs. Jessica shares her complex origin story, where both of her biological parents were struggling with addiction when she was born, apprehended and adopted soon after. We talk about “the traveling trauma” that has impacted her family system and the power of the word womb which features prominently in her poetry collection. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

266 | Susan Kiyo Ito Today’s guest is the indomitable Susan Kiyo Ito. She has been writing, advocating, and leading in the adoptee community for decades and we are all the richer for it. Susan’s brand new memoir, I Would Meet You Anywhere, has just been released and it is fantastic. We talk about how Susan first discovered an adoptee memoir at her local library at age 13, and how that changed the course of her life. We’ve got adoptee activism history, relatable reunion problems, and the power of sharing our adoptee experiences in community all throughout this conversation. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

265 | Louise & Sarah You might know today’s guests and recognize their voices from their podcast, Adoption: The Making of Me. Louise Browne and Sarah Reinhardt are here! Today we hear about how their friendship started, they dish about some of the fights they’ve had and how they’ve sustained their close friendship. We also talk about all the books they’ve read in community with their audience, and which ones have been most impactful on their understanding of the impact of adoption. *TW: We mention death by suicide in this episode so please take care when listening. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

264 | Healing Series: Adoptee Remembrance Day Adoptee Remembrance Day was first commemorated on October 30, 2020. We’ve done a variety of episodes over the last few years beginning in 2020 with an interview with the founder of Adoptee Remembrance Day, Pamela Karanova. We’ve had listeners submit recordings of their thoughts, their poetry and prose. In deciding what to do this year, we were considering what would be most impactful for our community and we chose to do a healing series episode about suicide. This is the thing that we whisper about, we hide, we allude to, we are ashamed of, and we’re getting braver about discussing. We’ve invited Lina Vanegas, MSW, to talk to us about suicide. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

263 | Stefany Valentine - When We Become Ours Today’s episode is a celebration for When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology which releases on October 24, 2023. The first of its kind, edited by Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung, with fifteen adoptee authors is cause for celebration. We’re going to hear from an emerging author, Stefany Valentine, who shares her story of being adopted at age twelve, while her biological father had a terminal illness. She is the first step-parent adoptee we’ve had on the show. We talk about the lack of consent to her adoption, the cultural losses Stefany suffered, and how it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that she realized her biological mother had been removed from her birth certificate. Next we’re going to hear from five more contributing authors who share about their stories in the collection and what it’s meant for them to be a part of this project.  Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

262 Healing Series: Difficult Relationships This is a special episode in our healing series where we talk to adoptees who are also therapists. We’re going to call this episode a sort of “tune-up” for anyone who is in a period of estrangement or separation from a close relationship, whether it's adoptive parents, bio parents, somebody close in your life. We’re talking through some of the things people don't talk about publicly and some things to consider that might be impacting your life and you just don't even realize it till you hear Marta say it out loud! It’s a through-provoking episode and we hope it’ll be helpful for you. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

261 | Lanise Antoine Shelley Today’s guest is actor, director, playwright and podcaster, Lanise Antoine Shelley. Lanise shares about being adopted from a Haitian orphanage at age 4 by her single white adoptive mother and how exploring the impact of adoption over the last three years has challenged her connections with her adoptive family. Lanise also tells us about when she realized that her removal from Haiti left a huge hole for her entire biological family that was left behind, including her mother and father.   Full Show Notes Here   This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

260 Mike Hoyt Today’s guest is Mike Hoyt, a remarkable artist and author of the graphic memoir of Hanabata Days. We discuss his reunion and subsequent reunification process with his first father. Mike also shares how reunification has impacted his own identity and that of his daughters’. Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

Welcome back! Our first episode of Fall 2023 is a sampling of great advice from some of our favourite adoptee therapists about planning a first meeting with biological family, grieving the loss of an adoptive parent, and some relationship topics. Pam Cordano, MFT, Marta Isabella Sierra, LMHC, and Lesli A. Johnson, MFT are some of the therapists we’ve hosted on Ask an Adoptee Therapist events for Patreon supporters. We also don’t want you to miss our September book club, we’ll be hosting Mary Gauthier to discuss her book Saved by A Song (September 25, 2023). Full Show Notes Here This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

258 | Nicole Chung We are so thrilled to welcome Nicole Chung back to the podcast. Nicole’s new memoir, A Living Remedy, is a heartbreaking pilgrimage where we walk with her through her grief in losing both of her adoptive parents within a few short years of each other. We talk a lot about grieving today: depression, avoidance, grief rituals, how our loved ones can show up for us, the joy pets can bring us in the worst of times. As an adoptee, Nicole has been one of the stalwart leaders in our community and you’ll know why when you listen to the compassion and vulnerability she shares in our conversation.   Full Show Notes Here   This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.