Oriana Carey is the Chief Executive Officer for the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families. She is driven to ensure that the Coalition creates programs and services that ensure all children have a champion and that those champions have support. Oriana earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1991 and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1995. She is currently licensed as a clinical social worker in the State of Wiscon...
Jul 06, 2021•55 min•Ep. 38
Voce (vō-chāy) means voice. Here's what Voce share on their website "We use our voice, and empower you to use yours, to create positive, lasting change in people's lives. We use our voice because we believe every person should belong and be empowered to thrive. Our agency (previously known as Family Design Resources) began in 1999 by pioneering a model that is nationally recognized for expediting adoptions and supporting families. Today, we provide consultation and training to agencies throughou...
Jul 05, 2021•45 min•Ep. 37
Here's an excerpt from Sheila's website: "My story starts with my husband and I’s journey to become parents in 2008. I grew up in a seemingly uncomplicated and non-dramatic country home in the plains of South Dakota where struggles were few and far between. Not until this moment in my life had I experienced a setback of this magnitude. Going through infertility, and subsequently adoption, pushed me beyond limits I didn’t know I had. I learned more about myself than I could have possibly imagined...
Jul 02, 2021•57 min•Ep. 36
Natalie Lohneis is Diagrama's Head of Adoption & Fostering Services. The registered social worker has over 18 years of post-qualification experience in work with children and families. This ranges from family support and safeguarding services to adoption and fostering. Natalie has extensive rounded experience through Local Authority work, and with charities and private organisations. The last 11 years of Natalie's career have been focused on family placement services, at a managerial/ consul...
Jul 01, 2021•41 min•Ep. 34
Joy has her own podcast too so check it out at: https://feeds.captivate.fm/adoption-arena-podcast Connect with Joy at https://www.joycarter.co.uk/ https://www.adoptionarena.com/ https://twitter.com/joycartershow https://www.facebook.com/joycartershow/ https://www.instagram.com/Joycartershow / https://www.youtube.com/user/JoyCarterComedian https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-carter-485ab434/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion onl...
Jun 30, 2021•46 min•Ep. 33
Maggie joined the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies in November 2018. Previously, she was Chief Executive of Foundation, an organisation dedicated to ending social exclusion which works with over 4000 of the most disadvantaged adults, young people and families across the North of England, providing resources and opportunities for everyone to achieve and belong no matter their personal circumstances. Before Foundation, Maggie was Chief Executive of Children England, the umbrella body for ...
Jun 29, 2021•51 min•Ep. 32
Ereka Howard is a speaker, an entrepreneur, Adoptee, and Mental Health Advocate. She has dedicated her life to the upliftment and empowerment of others. She is a fresh voice for a new generation. Ereka is a graduate of Texas State University with a BS in Exercise and Sports Science and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counselling. Ereka is also a licensed Chemical Dependency Counsellor- Intern. After overcoming many hurdles throughout her life, Ereka now shares her life experiences. To connec...
Jun 28, 2021•41 min•Ep. 31
Estella brings a lifetime of experience both personal and professional to help you. She's the biological mom of one and adoptive mom of 2 kids from the foster care system. Her story will inspire you and her insights will empower you so listen up, you're in for a treat. To connect with Estella check out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estella-swain-652b0aa5/ To find out more about where she works: https://cyfd.org Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak fr...
Jun 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 30
Here's a little about Natalie: "My name is Natalie Vecchione. I’m a homeschool mom of two and we built our family through adoption. Our son, who is almost 19, lives with an FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). He has graduated from homeschool and he is working part time as a carpentry apprentice. Our typically developing daughter is almost 6 and we have a much different adoption journey with her, as we’re very close with her birth mom. In October 2020, my husband and I co-founded “FASD Hope” ...
Jun 22, 2021•59 min•Ep. 29
Here's an introduction from Sheryl - the first birth mom to guest on Thriving Adoptees. "I have been connected to Adoption Options since 1990, as I first came to the agency as a client dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Working with a professional social worker who provided a safe and non-judgmental environment for me to make a plan for my son and myself was incredibly impactful. I became a social worker and initially worked in Child Welfare as a case manager. In 2003, I was thrilled to join t...
Jun 08, 2021•51 min•Ep. 28
Jenna feels blessed and is thankful that she was adopted and this really comes across as she shares her insights as an adoptee, someone who's worked in adoption since 1994 and adopted in 2013. She and her husband also have four biological sons. Here's what Jenna says: "I have always had a heart for adoption. As an adoptee and an adoptive parent, I know the blessing that adoption has been in my life. I love helping families experience that same blessing with their adoption journeys. I've been inv...
Jun 07, 2021•51 min•Ep. 27
When I came across the Parra family on Youtube I just had to get them on the show. Their kids exude the kind of positivity that warms my heart in a world where most of what we hear is talk about trauma. Jenny and Cesar share the story behind their family - a biological daughter, a son from a private domestic adoption and a boy and girl from the adoption system. They talk about giving their kids the support and understanding of who they are so they have the positivity and confidence to give them ...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 26
Jason and his wife Trisha first gained a passion for children in foster care while living and working in the inner city. Many of the kids and families they encountered in their neighborhood had experienced foster care at some point in their lives. Partially as a result of this experience, Jason and Trisha became foster parents and have been caring for and adopting children from U.S. foster care since 2001. They have had the privilege of adopting their five children from foster care. Jason has he...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 24
Karl created Adopt Ed. to educate those who know an adoptee, adoptees and biological families who have an adopted child in the world. Here's what he says about himself "I am an adoptee. I lived my life dealing with the usual ups and downs that everyone faces; hopes and dreams, some met, some lost. I had a good a life. I knew I was adopted, but never thought it had much impact on my life. I was (and am) grateful to have been adopted by such a great family. Then, in 2009 I began to research adopti...
Jun 02, 2021•49 min•Ep. 23
With the age of 60 on the horizon filmmaker David Bynum set out on a journey of discovery to find his biological family. After 58 years of not knowing where his true roots were or any family history, the need to search became overpowering and prompted him to begin his journey. He shares his incredible story from a happy childhood knowing about being adopted to an overwhelming fear of rejection in his search for his birth parents to resolution. For more about David https://fromaplaceoflovefilm.co...
May 31, 2021•56 min•Ep. 25
Having worked with young people for over 25 years, Ruth has extensive experience in developing services to support young people who have had challenging backgrounds. She is passionate about young people benefitting from services to help them grow into adulthood and sees stable families as a key way to encourage them to reach their potential. Families for Children Trust is a Specialist Voluntary Adoption Agency and charitable trust based in the South West of the UK. Families for Children believe ...
May 30, 2021•58 min•Ep. 24
Political turmoil stirred Jennifer to move away from her corporate role to do something to help society. This led her her into fostering and then advocacy. She has been a foster parent for over 2 years. She currently has two children and is committed to creating efficiencies in the foster care system that allow to children to regain permanency, support relationships, and break the generational cycle of foster care. Fostering The Community's Mission: With the belief that children in our foster ca...
May 28, 2021•48 min•Ep. 22
Alex Ellis hosts a Nashville podcast community focused on supporting and discussing foster care, adoption and all things parenting - even the sticky stuff. She's passionate about sharing what she's learned through her parenting journey - and continues to learn - with others. Listen in about coming from love, choosing who to listen to, staying curious and most importantly how we can help our adopted children see how special they are. It's all about curiosity, overcoming some of our own stuff and ...
May 26, 2021•49 min•Ep. 21
Satwinder is CEO of IAC – The Centre for Adoption. IAC’s mission is to place children from all parts of the world, both in the UK and overseas, in loving families and to work in a fair, transparent and professional manner with all individuals who need their services. He is a qualified social worker with 26 years experience across the voluntary, statutory and independent sectors. Satwinder’s passion for a better future for all children is clear as he shares what he's learned about helping adoptee...
May 24, 2021•57 min•Ep. 20
When adoptees talk about the fog they're describing being unaware of the impact being adopted or relinquished has had on them. If that's the case then I was in the fog for 40 years. I was adopted at 5 weeks old, told about with the aid of a story book before my parents adopted a little girl before my second birthday. We had a good life, lots of love and care. A good adoption. At 40 I found out that my childhood teddy bear was a gift from my birth mother. My first reaction was curiosity. Sharing ...
May 21, 2021•15 min•Ep. 19
At 3, Jesse told his parents that he wanted to be a professional athlete. His parents divorced when he was 7, and he became even more focused on academics and athletics during his teenage years. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a degree in Psychology, he was living out his childhood dream as a soccer goalkeeper. In Africa, he took a prescribed medication to prevent malaria, and it built up toxic levels in his system. He was fighting for his life for a year, and it took ten years to r...
May 20, 2021•47 min•Ep. 18
Liza was adopted from China by a white mom from the USA and a white dad from the UK and raised in a jewish family in the USA. Her mom is a clinical therapist who encouraged open talk about adoption. But that doesn't mean it's all been plain sailing... She talks about navigating some tricky issues especially around understanding her identity - feeling like a banana - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. She shares what's she's learned about bringing the different parts of ourselves into...
May 19, 2021•47 min•Ep. 17
Robbie has 5 kids including 4 by adoption who came from very difficult beginnings. Her dream is for them to thrive despite this and FASD. A great episode full of her learnings on the way. Robbie's story is incredibly emotional and humbling. Listen to her as she's shares her highs, lows and learnings. She's taken everything that's happened into her commitment to helping others. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes the permanent impacts on the brain and body of individuals prenatally...
May 17, 2021•37 min•Ep. 16
I was adopted at 5 weeks old. I'm 54 now. I was lucky - adoption trauma didn't hit me until I was 40. Here's what I've learned so far. It runs counter to pretty much everything every other person in the adoption space says. So I'm not asking you to believe me. Trust only yourself. Make your own mind up. If you want to find out more check out www.thrivingadoptees.com Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified adv...
May 15, 2021•19 min•Ep. 15
Scott and his same sex partner didn't consider kids until they'd been together for 4 years. He tells an incredible story of perseverance, barriers and most importantly lessons. What comes through in spades is his passion for sharing what he's learned since 2007 - and continues to learn - as an adoptive dad to 3 sons. This passion led him to reveal more about himself and his family's journey than he expected. He's usually the one asking the questions on his own podcast so I think he revelled in b...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 15
Suzanne was formerly the Director of Children’s Services for Barnardos, a role which she has held for the past 17 years. Suzanne led the transformation of Barnardos’ children’s services to become needs led and outcome focused with a clear organisational commitment to evaluation of their work. She is a qualified Social Worker. Suzanne has an immense amount of experience of working with children who have experienced singular or multiple traumas and how this often intersects with chronic disadvanta...
May 13, 2021•42 min•Ep. 14
Marion is a mother of 5 including 3 adopted sons and Executive Director of the Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Care Association. She shares her take on remaining positive in the tough times and relying on our wisdom to navigate the ups and downs of being an adoptive parent. There are lots of insights to help you be the best adoptive parent you can be here so settle into hearing from a great lady with a big heart. You can find out more about Marion, her books and the Association she leads at: https...
May 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 13
I've been scared of rejection a lot of my life. Sometimes it's held me back. Sometimes it hasn't. But understanding rejection has made my life a lot easier. In this video I share what I've learned about seeing through this to move on. There's a line between understanding trauma and moving past it. Here's my very personal and raw take on what I've been through and how I've come out the other side through exploring what rejection is. There's lot of stories and metaphors to guide you through. It's ...
May 11, 2021•14 min•Ep. 12
She was given up at birth and spent the first two years of her life in an orphanage before being adopted by what turned out to be a totally dysfunctional couple. Daniela talks healing for adoptees being open to where they come from and addressing the pain of what's happened. She talks about self exploration and whether we're still rejecting ourselves because of the past. The power of what she shares is difficult to put into words so dive in for some deep insights on healing from the inside. For ...
May 10, 2021•50 min•Ep. 11
Jeanine shares how acknowledging the origins of the adoption whilst embracing the present as it unfolds allows us to thrive. She talks about psychology as a tool rather than the be all and end all of thriving. It's a deep conversation as we go beyond the trauma to the truth of who we are. For more about empowering adoptees to thrive visit: https://www.thrivingadoptees.com https://twitter.com/_simonbenn https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed ps...
May 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 10
