Send us a text In this episode, we sit down with Virginia Wells—author, licensed social worker, and adoptive mom—to explore the intersection of faith, adoption, and healing. Virginia shares wisdom from her powerful book Praying for a Wounded Child , offering real-life encouragement and deeply spiritual insights for parents navigating trauma, loss, and complex family journeys. Through personal stories, scriptural guidance, and practical tools like journaling and prayer, Virginia invites us to emb...
Jun 22, 2025•27 min
Send us a text In this heartfelt episode, adoption author Sherrie Eldridge shares deeply personal insights and practical advice for adoptive and foster parents seeking to connect with their children truly. Drawing from her book 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed, Sherrie explores how well-intentioned words can be misinterpreted by adopted children—and offers better ways to communicate that honor both the child and their birth family. From reframing statements like “You were chosen” to un...
May 28, 2025•18 min
Send us a text On this episode, we sit down with Emma Fulenwider—author, literary agent, TEDx speaker, and mother navigating the complexities of modern parenting—to explore what it truly means to belong in a world full of pressure, perfectionism, and plastic toys. Emma shares her personal journey from being an "odd kid" who learned to mimic others to fit in, to rediscovering herself in her thirties by embracing authenticity. She opens up about the quiet crisis many moms face today: the loss of m...
May 22, 2025•32 min
Send us a text In this deeply moving episode, Sherrie Eldridge welcomes Amy Vantine, a mother, educator, and co-founder of RAD Advocates, to share her harrowing and inspiring journey of parenting a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). From her early dreams of motherhood to the trauma, confusion, and eventual heartbreak of dissolving an adoption, Amy opens up about the realities few talk about—and the healing mission she’s now embraced to support other families walking a similar path. K...
Apr 29, 2025•39 min
Send us a text In this episode, Sherrie invites Tova J. Kreps, licensed social worker and co-founder of Wellspring Counseling, to discuss the complexities of adoption, trauma recovery, and the power of faith in navigating these challenges. Tova shares her inspiring journey, shaped by her upbringing in a missionary family, her personal experience with adoption, and her decades of professional work helping families navigate the complexities of trauma and mental health. Together, they explore the u...
Jan 18, 2025•34 min
Send us a text In this heartfelt and transformative episode, Sherrie Eldridge sits down with esteemed guest Brian Post, a renowned adoption and child behavior expert. Brian, an adoptee and former foster child, shares his compelling life story—from his early experiences in foster care to reuniting with his birth mother decades later. His journey underscores the resilience, trauma, and profound emotional growth that many adoptees experience. Brian discusses the power of love as a healing force, th...
Nov 05, 2024•36 min
Send us a text In this conversation, Sherrie Eldridge interviews Virginia Wells, an adoptive mom and author, about her experiences and insights. They discuss the challenges of adoptive parenting, the importance of preparation and realistic expectations, and the power of prayer. Virginia shares her own journey as an adoptive mom and offers advice for prospective adoptive parents. She also talks about her upcoming book, which covers topics such as grief, identity, and self-care in the context of a...
Aug 28, 2024•29 min
Send us a text Jocelyn Williams, a developmental movement consultant, discusses the importance of movement-based solutions for infant and child development. She emphasizes the significance of the first year of life in building the foundation of neurology and explains how movement patterns and sensory experiences contribute to brain development. Williams shares her personal experience of adopting children and the challenges they faced, including attachment issues and learning difficulties. She hi...
Jun 06, 2024•37 min
Send us a text Dafna Lender, LCSW, is a Licensed Social Worker and Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist. Experts such as Besssel van der Koklk applaud her work. When Sherrie Eldridge asks her about the term "Reactive Attachment Disorder," quite the conversation occurred. Sherrie shared her story of how she has recovered from this, and Dafna taught in depth how and why the term is outdated and what adoptive moms need to understand about parenting a child that has come from severe trauma...
May 08, 2024•35 min
Send us a text In this episode, I talk with award-winning author and advocate, Keri Williams, about her two-decade journey as a foster and adoptive parent, highlighting the challenges of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Keri shares her personal adoption experiences and the behavioral challenges she faced. She discusses navigating mental health systems, societal misconceptions, and the need for more support and resources for RAD caregivers. Join me for this enlightening conversation on parenti...
Mar 27, 2024•32 min
Send us a text Karen Springs provides cutting-edge research about how adoptive families wit kids adopted from overseas have progressed. In her new book—THE BACKSEAT OF ADOPTION, she shares How the families she worked with in Europe are currently progressing. Are the children thriving? Are the parents thriving? What are the joys of parenting? What are common obstacles? How many children are searching for their roots? Are the parents involved in their adult children’s lives? All Rights Reserved. @...
Feb 21, 2024•34 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Send us a text What could be more exciting than to be an adopted person and find the family that you never knew existed? All Rights Reserved. @sherrieeldridge
Jan 26, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Send us a text Hi, my friends. Well, we're going to visit the subject of adoptee birthdays again today. I just recently had one. I'm well into my seventh decade of life, and I look back and I realize that there are so many things that I couldn't say or explain. About adoptee birthdays in my younger years, but I'd just kinda like to share with you the new thoughts that I have about birthdays so that maybe the whole triad adoptees, my fellow adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, foster parent...
Aug 16, 2023•17 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Send us a text Sometimes, adopted children get discouraged about numerous meltdowns and need encouragement from someone who's been there--author Sherrie Eldridge. Eldridge crafted this short message just for the children by sharing the reason for meltdowns, which is trauma. Children are taught that because of the repercussions of trauma, oftentimes love from others and from God doesn’t translate as love. Eldridge shares several personal examples and encourages children to: 1. Remember that God h...
Jul 18, 2023•13 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Send us a text And I'm very excited about this guest that's going to be talking with me during the next segment. It is Susan Tebows, who is the author of, we've Been There, true Stories, surprising Insights, and Aha Moments for Adopted Teens. Susan is a writer, speaker, bible study leader and adoptive mom. And she's got such a heart for adoptees. I was so taken by that. So fellow adoptees, I know you're gonna really like her insights in this book and in this podcast, she and her husband Mike hav...
May 11, 2023•33 min
Send us a text Teen and adult adoptees will be encouraged by such a gifted therapist as Dafna Lender LCSW. Dafna shares initially how her upbringing challenged her to be a voice for those that have no voice. Hearing her validation of the adoptee loss is moving and will bless the heart of every adoptee that listens. Additionally, Lender addresses the need of adoptive and foster parents to know what will help them address control issues, such as procrastination for going to school. Lastly, Sherrie...
Apr 02, 2023•15 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Send us a text Ron Nydam, Ph.D., is a highly respected and beloved pastor, speaker, author, counselor, and teacher in the field of adoption. For the last two decades, he educated international audiences about relinquishment and adoption. These two topics are his specialty and he addresses them with the finesse of a skilled surgeon. His main audiences are: Adoptees struggling with the repercussions of relinquishment. First (Birth) parents, continuing to mourn their losses. Adoptive parents who ca...
Mar 09, 2023•22 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Send us a text Derek Clark’s life is one of resilience and redemption. As a child he suffered unthinkable child abuse, abandonment and emotional distress before being turned over to the psychiatric hospital at age five. His 13 years in the San Francisco bay area foster care system reflected an early life of humiliation, aggression, emotional distress, overwhelming anxiety and being wrongfully labeled. Eventually, with the help of loving foster parents and a fantastic social worker, he defied the...
Jan 31, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Send us a text Bronwen interviews Sherrie on a rare topic--adoptee anger. They discuss the two kinds of anger and emphasize the fact that anger itself is good--its a God-given emotion that warns us if something is wrong, like the red light on a dashboard. Anger can become toxic when anger is stuffed and turns into bitterness and hate. The unintentional adversarial relationship that often occurs between adoptive moms and their children is common, but its a topic that hasn't be addressed by adopti...
Jan 17, 2023•18 min
Send us a text Bronwen Smith, a mom who adopted from Korea, shares the real-life struggles and joys of adopting internationally. Learn how she and her husband decided to adopt, how they chose the country to adopt from, what it was like to take off in the plane with the knowledge that their son was leaving his entire home behind, and how they juggle joy and peace on a daily basis. All Rights Reserved. @sherrieeldridge...
Nov 05, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us a text Not only must adoptive and foster moms understand the depth of their child’s pre-adoption pain, but also their own trauma wound. “What wound?” they may say. “My child is the one with the deep wound, not me. Don’t be ridiculous.” Adoptive moms may be offended or defensive when told they have a trauma wound. Adoptive mom says— I think many people can experience defensiveness or protectiveness about our woundedness. To be comfortable disclosing ourselves authentically requires safety...
Sep 08, 2022•17 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Send us a text Sometimes, adopted kids see their adoptive moms as an enemy. Does that mean there's something wrong with them? Bad genes? Bad character? A million times, no! Adoptees have been deeply wounded, first through the loss of their first mothers, and second, by being placed into the arms of strangers. Learn four reasons adoptees see their moms like this and what moms can do to gain hope and endurance. All Rights Reserved. @sherrieeldridge...
Aug 03, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Send us a text This podcast reveals how adoption's parent/child relationships oftentimes become strained and explains that the strain is not the fault of parent nor child. Five adoptive moms give real-life examples of strain. Sherrie Eldridge reveals the greatest gift parents can give their kids in every situation--the gift of a non-abandoning heart. The pre-requisite to a non-abandoning heart is "risky love"--choosing to remain in the meltdown with the child, trace current-day strain to perceiv...
Jun 28, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Send us a text Relationships between adoptive moms and their kids will involve more stress than bio kids and parents. If an adoptive mother isn't educated about this reality, she may conclude that her parenting is inferior--"I thought it was me and my inability to nurture and support them properly." Sherrie Eldridge proposes a bootcamp within her new book that would prepare parents well. As a result, they won't enter the battlefields without being seasoned warriors. The first step is to learn wh...
May 12, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Send us a text There are many adoptive parents whose adopted children can't receive their love. If we liken it to a dance, the adopted child may delight in stepping on the parent's toes. Sherrie Eldridge explains why this happens from an adoptee perspective, as well as sharing adoptive parent thoughts about the rejection they experience. Hopefully, parents will come away with new ideas about how to dance effectively with their adopted children. All Rights Reserved. @sherrieeldridge...
Jan 13, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Send us a text Podcast #2 Many adoptees and foster children haven't been told that it's possible to find freedom from their painful past. Sherrie reviews the literature that's been available, especially that of Nancy Verrier's THE PRIMAL WOUND. The case is made that in physical healing, validation of the wound is just the beginning. Most adoptees want more--more growth, more steps to take toward freedom, and more self-worth. Sherrie shares her story of how this reality transpired in her life. Al...
Sep 08, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Send us a text Sherrie Eldridge introduces herself as a veteran adoptee and adoption author, but enthusiastically invites adoptive, birth, foster, step parents and her fellow adoptees to join her in discovering wonderful new research and experience in the world of adoption: 1. The child's brain records parental acts of love even though child's level of receptivity is low. 2. Parents can be assured through brain research that their acts of love won't be forgotten. 3. Adoptees can be free from the...
Jul 18, 2021•9 min•Season 1Ep. 1
