Do you feel at home? Like you belong? With a complete sense of your identity? Therapist Jo and I go deep on healing. We explore barriers on that journey to speed you on your way home. Here is Jo's first interview: https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/securing-our-sense-of-self-with-jo-north Here's a bit about Jo from her website: I have been a practicing psychotherapist for thirty years with a focus on mental health and wellbeing and supporting adoptive families and adults affected ...
Dec 01, 2023•59 min•Ep. 418
Are you happy with your healing? If not it may be because there are still some parts of you yet to heal. Listen in as Danielle explores where we heal and what hinders our healing. Here are Danielle's previous interviews on Thriving Adoptees: https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/upping-our-empathy-game https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/seeing-our-untarnished-soul Here's a bit about Danielle from her website: My name is Danielle and I am an Earth Citizen 🙂 . What I me...
Nov 30, 2023•53 min•Ep. 417
Are you confused about who you are? Identity has many layers is inextricably linked with healing. Transracial Adoptee Corissa suffered in the deep darkness of depression and addiction. Listen in as she shines clarity on who we are and how we heal. Here's a link to her first interview https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/how-we-find-ourselves-with-corissa-saint-laurent Here's more about Corissa from her website: WHO AM I? I’ve been asking myself this question my entire life. I’m a Ko...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 416
So many of have been fighting our feelings for so long that war is all we know. Pamela's whole life typified that. So how do we find peace? Listen in as she shares key moments, insights and much more on her hard fought journey to peace. Here's Pamela's interview from earlier this year https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-happiness-within-with-pamela-karanova Here's the adoptee therapist directory https://growbeyondwords.com/adoptee-therapist-directory/ Pamela Karanova, an ad...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 415
Do you feel broken? Or that bits of you are? Adoptee and psychotherapist Elliott and go deep on figuring out the broken bits including the hard to get bits we don't have words for. Empowering insights into the things stored in our implicit memory. Elliott Driscoll (he/him) is a psychotherapist at The Resource Group, and has been practicing for more than 20 years in New York, New Jersey and Maryland. He works with clients ages 22 and older. He holds a Master’s of Science in Social Work from Colum...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 414
Spontaneous gratitude from within is way different to being told to be grateful by others. Listen in as we explore Jill's expansive and powerful take on healing - loving our lives. Jill Uchiyama (Skufakiss) was born in New York City in 1968. She grew up in Hammond, Indiana and attended Indiana University and Western Michigan University where she received a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Her passion for psychology later turned to a lifelong interest in spirituality. As a long-time meditator and s...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 413
Do you feel you belong? Being relinquished disrupts our attachment and reunion doesn't always fix that. Julie shares how she found the feeling of belonging and peace when reunion didn't go to plan. Here's the link to the article Julie mentions https://www.thebeacher.com/2023/pages/110223p.html#lg=1&slide=19 Julie Ryan McGue is an author, a domestic adoptee, and an identical twin. She writes extensively about finding out who you are, where you belong, and making sense of it. Julie’s debut awa...
Nov 23, 2023•53 min•Ep. 412
It's hard to heal pre-verbal trauma through talk therapy alone because we literally can't put words to it. So what do we do? Adoptee and adoptee coach dives into a holistic approach to healing. I hope it sets off as many lightbulb moments for you as it did for me. Here's a bit about Claire from her website: "I was born in South Korea and was adopted from Star of the Sea Orphanage by an American family in Wellesley, MA. I have an older brother and a younger sister, also a KAD (Korean Adoptee). Gr...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 411
Today's episode is a LOT different. Listen in as I point you towards that healing space beyond trauma. Here's the link to a spine tingling video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbGC1UWaLQ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.
Nov 20, 2023•11 min•Ep. 410
How much compassion do have you for yourself? We give ourselves a hard time, until we don't. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Spring shares insights about giving ourselves more compassion along the healing journey. I learned a lot from this great conversation - especially about being at peace with my anger. I hope you find some healing insights too. Here's the book I mention: https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Parts-Restoring-Wholeness/dp/1683646681 Here's the interview I mention: https://thriving-...
Nov 16, 2023•57 min•Ep. 408
We don't hear the word mindset a lot in adoptee circles. That's strange because healing often involves a change in what we think. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Megan shares her insights to help you heal. Here's a bit about Megan from her website: Megan's specialties are working with all facets of the adoption constellation and with women experiencing stress, anxiety, and burnout. She's trained in TBRI, Theraplay, Brainspotting, and Trauma Informed Care and has worked with families in the ch...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 407
Looking for a roadmap to healing? Listen in as adoptee and therapist Abby sets out how the stages we go through. Very succinct and clear. Here's a bit about Abby from her website: "I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist that specializes in Complex Trauma, Dissociative Disorders, and Attachment. (I know, it's a mouthful)! I have a passion for finding innovative solutions to complex problems. I work from a systems model, meaning that I look at how differe...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 406
Do you long to belong? Could belonging help you heal? Listen in as transcultural adoptee Nicole shares her profound insights to help you along your healing curve. Here's a bit about Nicole from her website: "I was born to one set of parents and adopted by another set. I grew up always knowing that I was adopted, yet I knew very little about my roots. Consequently I lived in the fantasies that only children can invent––as an adoptee from a closed adoption, those fantasies were always a plausible ...
Nov 13, 2023•57 min•Ep. 405
Has psychology - the most common path in the western world - failed to make you feel whole? Are you looking for something more healing? A spiritual exploration can help us heal as part of a holistic approach. Listen in as Christelle brings her unique experience to support us along the path to wholeness. Here's a bit about Christelle from her website: "I was born in Madagascar, raised in South of France, lived in the UK for over 20 years and I now living in Portugal. I was adopted in South of Fra...
Nov 10, 2023•58 min•Ep. 403
Would you like to bust the belief that there's something wrong with you? It's a belief born out of us being relinquished. One that's shared by so many of us. A belief that shapes our lives. Candi shares a 5 step process to bust the belief. Empowering. Inspirational. Healing. Here's a bit about Candi and her book: A raw, often wry, memoir of mothers, mysteries, and miracles. Surrendered at birth in a closed adoption, Candi Byrne’s biology and ethnicity is a secret. The impending arrival of her fi...
Nov 09, 2023•56 min•Ep. 402
If time was the greatest healer we'd all be done healing by now. So what IS the biggest healer? And what does healing even mean. Listen as we obsess on healing to help you along your journey to wholeness. Vin runs a Facebook group where adoptees and adopters can learn from one another in a friendly and no conflict environment. Connect with him at: https://www.facebook.com/vinadopteejarrod Listen to Vin on other episodes of Thriving Adoptees https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/what-...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 401
Do you feel confused? Clarity brings peace and helps us heal. Transracial adoptee Sydney shares some of the key insights that have brought her healing clarity. Listen in for your own insights. Here's a bit about Sydney from her website: At the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020, I received a Instagram DM from a girl claiming to be my half sister. As a transracial adoptee (biracial/half black, adopted by a white family) who has always been curious about her birth family, I knew that this tex...
Nov 07, 2023•55 min•Ep. 400
June believes that she was born 'out of the fog'. She cried incessantly for her first 2 years. That preverbal trauma of relinquishment is sub-conscious for so many of us. Until it isn't. We come out of the fog to see the dense back clouds of trauma. Tears fall as the clouds burst and rain pours down. So what stops our tears? What if one of those things is taking adoption less personally? Listen in as June shares a lifetime of healing. Here's a link to the research June mentions https://core.ac.u...
Nov 06, 2023•59 min•Ep. 399
Do you believe that you're enough? Do you believe you are loveable? Do you believe you are loved? Relinquishment sets in motion all sorts of beliefs about ourselves. Listen in as Carrie explores debunking beliefs to get to the truth. Here'a a bit about Carrie from her website: "I was adopted from Sanshui in Guangdong Province at nine years old. From surviving as a child in China and being raised in San Francisco, CA, my childhood has profoundly shaped my perspectives as an adult and visual artis...
Nov 03, 2023•56 min•Ep. 398
Are you looking to balance conflicting emotions? Or seeking peace between them? Listen is as Ujaala shares her learnings on the dichotomies of her life as an adoptee. We also explore mindset and looking forward rather than back. Connect with Ujaala here: https://www.facebook.com/ujaala.chaudhuri.1 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ujaala-chaudhuri-8784461bb/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you nee...
Nov 02, 2023•47 min•Ep. 397
Are you sick of the liar in your head saying that there's something wrong with you? Are you trying to silence that inner critic? All too often this prolongs the war. Listen in as we explore finding truth. And peace. Here's a bit about Andy from his website: I’m Andy Wallis, I live in Grantham, in the UK and was adopted at just a few months old in 1973. I have struggled throughout my life with my mental health and this year (2023) I decided to start a blog to explore my inner workings. I soon cam...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 396
Are there parts of you that you try to push away? I've definitely rejected the part of me that's scared of rejection. Denial, numbing and overriding only brings short term relief. Listen in as adoptee and therapist Joellen shares what she's learned about embracing all of herself so we can embrace all of ourselves. Here's a bit about Joellen from her website I am a clinical psychologist with over twenty years of private practice experience doing individual, couples, family therapy and psychologic...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 395
Do you wish feeling triggered wasn't so painful? Or that you were triggered less? Listen in as transracial adoptee Carlos shares how he sees triggers differently. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-munez Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.
Oct 30, 2023•53 min•Ep. 394
As a wise mentor once said to me, the past is a place of reference not a place of residence. Understanding birth mothers' predicaments is incredibly healing. Listen in as birth mother and therapist Delores shares her journey and profound insights along the way so you can live forward. https://www.facebook.com/p/Delores-Sullivan-Therapy-100063634445824 https://www.linkedin.com/in/delores-sullivan-4892ab25/ https://www.deloressullivantherapy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dssullivan1/ Guests and t...
Oct 27, 2023•57 min•Ep. 392
Would you like to feel more empowered? Listen in as transracial adoptee Julia shares her insights into empowerment and connection. She also talks about identity and being comfortable in her own skin. Julia Small is a transracial adoptee from Hunan, China who was raised in Topsfield, Massachusetts. One of her greatest passions is fighting for equity and social justice through grassroots advocacy, public policy and education reform. She has a particular interest in minority affairs and child and e...
Oct 26, 2023•54 min•Ep. 392
How do the emotional rollercoaster of reunion? Dawnie is right in the throes of figuring this out. She shares what she's learning as she goes and her insights on loving herself as well as putting herself first. https://www.facebook.com/AdoptedWithTheFro https://www.instagram.com/adoptedwiththefroblog/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help....
Oct 25, 2023•51 min•Ep. 391
Are you looking for answers? Because the truth sets us free right? Roxan wasn't told that she was adopted until her adoptive mother blurted it out in an arguments when she was 15. Listen in as she shares how she went from anger to curiosity and finally peace. Powerful and empowering. Connect with Roxan here: https://www.facebook.com/roxansherry Watch my video about the diamond and the truth of who we are here: https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn/videos/706029451324458 Find out about Adoptees Uni...
Oct 24, 2023•57 min•Ep. 390
Adoption trauma often manifests in anger or a loud inner critic. Would you like more peace? Listen in as Aubrey shares her learnings and insights on how she's moving towards more peace. Aubrey Jackson is a former news anchor turned published travel writer and professional travel planner, specializing in luxury leisure travel.As an entrepreneur and travel professional , Aubrey has served as an on-air expert and in person for panel discussions. When she is not traveling or boldly representing her ...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 389
What if what had happened to us happened for us? Adoptee and birth mother Monica shares her healing insights to help us heal and access our higher self. This has to be one of the most powerful and empowering episodes ever to air on this podcast. Monica was born in Canada, adopted by American parents, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. It was there where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing. Monica now lives in Northern Ca...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 388
Would you like to handle change better? Life started with a profound change for those of us adopted as infants: a new family. Later - search and reunion can bring about huge changes in beliefs we've held for our lifetime. David and I dive into navigating change when life throws us curve balls. Here's more about David and his book BLIND IN ONE EYE A Story About Seeing the Possibilities Where was my brother, the one born seven years before me but kept by my birth parents? Was it really possible th...
Oct 19, 2023•57 min•Ep. 387
