Here is a link to the podcast episode I mention about the Primal Wound at the end of the episode. https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/primally-wounded-or-fundamentally-unwoundable-with-nick-mabey Mark Hoult-Allen is Chair of We Are Family, Jay Nicol is a Trustee. Here’s a bit about them from their website: We Are Family is a peer to peer support community by adopters, for adopters. We’re there for parents throughout their adoption journey. Online and in person, our parents’ groups,...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 147
Sharen Ford is a nationally-recognized child welfare consultant and the retired Manager for Permanency Services for the Colorado Department of Human Services in the Division of Child Welfare Services. She retired with 30 years of comprehensive work history with the department. She oversaw six programmatic areas including the Foster Care and Adoption Program and supervised a team of professional staff. Dr. Ford is the former President of the National Association of State Adoption Programs (NASAP)...
Mar 22, 2022•58 min•Ep. 147
Nina is Director of Post Adoption Support at The Cradle, connect with her at: https://www.facebook.com/nina.friedman.cradle https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-friedman-4a3b82/ Here's a little about The Cradle from their website: At The Cradle you will find a legacy of excellence, decades of experience, and a reputation for quality education that helps to inform adoption decisions. Renowned as one of the foremost adoption agencies in the country, since opening in 1923 The Cradle has helped place mo...
Mar 18, 2022•58 min•Ep. 146
Connect with Brian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-lynch-a7352320a/ Brian is CEO of The Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut This is a multiservice agency founded in 1999 whose mission is to provide diverse and creative support services to children and families throughout Connecticut. Find out more and connect at https://www.ccp-ct.org/ https://www.facebook.com/CCPConnecticut/ https://twitter.com/ccpconnecticut https://www.instagram.com/ccpconnecticut/ Guests and the host are not...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 145
Allison Davis Maxon, M.S., LMFT is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of child welfare and children’s mental health specializing in Attachment, Developmental Trauma and Permanency/Adoption. She is the Executive Director of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency and was the foster care consultant for the Paramount Pictures movie Instant Family . Allison was honored in 2017 with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute ‘Angels in Adoption’ award and is the co-author of S...
Mar 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 144
Anna Valdez is the Program Director at Chosen and came on board in January of 2022. She is bilingual, and holds a BA in English with a Teacher Certification and an MA in English with a concentration in Literature and Culture and is completing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. After teaching high school for 2 years, Anna Valdez lived in Monterrey, Mexico for 5 years as a Program Coordinator for the international organization, Back2Back Ministries. Along with being a Program Coordinator...
Mar 07, 2022•43 min•Ep. 143
Here's a link to the episode I mention in the podcast https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/with-joy-carter-Ni_rUkb3 Lori Holden writes at LavenderLuz.com and hosts the podcast Adoption: The Long View . She’s the author of the acclaimed book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole , written with her daughter’s birth mom and featured on required reading lists with adoption agencies across the United States. She has keynoted and presented at adoption co...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 142
Abby Jacobson is a professional Adoption Consultant bringing over 20 years of experience from her previous career as a psychotherapist & substance abuse counselor. Additionally, she has received training as a National Adoption Competency Mental Health Provider. With her knowledge of family systems & networking, it is her aim to provide support to individuals who have experienced the process of adoption, both adults & youth alike. Coming from a family with 4 generations of adoptions, ...
Feb 28, 2022•49 min•Ep. 141
Marnie and Gail work with The Forget Me Not Family Society. Here's more about them from their website. It was formed for education, consultation, peer counselling and to offer support to all those who are impacted by adoption. We are a provincially registered, non-profit society in British Columbia, Canada and a federally registered charity, (88908-4869-RR0001) run by a dedicated group of volunteers in the Metro Vancouver area and the Interior of B.C. Our Purpose To establish and operate a Post ...
Feb 22, 2022•57 min•Ep. 140
Connect with Christian at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mayer-001/ Email him at carayamayer@gmail.com 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.
Feb 18, 2022•55 min•Ep. 139
HelpUsAdopt.org, founded in 2007, is a national 501(c)(3) adoption grant program. HelpUsAdopt.org was founded by Becky and Kipp Fawcett as a response to their own personal adoption experience - they have 2 daughters - in an effort to make adoption more feasible for all families. The organization is the only one of its kind in the United States that embodies all of the following criteria: awards large, life-changing and problem-solving grants up to $15,000 supports all types of families (married ...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 138
Paige Adams Strickland (1961- ) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and adopted at 13 months. In 1987 she began a search for her biological family members. She has a BA from Florida State University in Spanish Education. She has 30 years experience in teaching. Her writing has been featured and won attention from scinti.com, a wordwithyoupress.com, soniamarsh.com and adoptionvoicesmagazine.com. Find out more about her at: https://stricklandp.wordpress.com/author/stricklandp/ https://www.facebook.com/gr...
Feb 07, 2022•55 min•Ep. 137
Steph is an independent Social Worker, Therapist , Trainer, Manager, Academic, Practice Educator and Consultant. The main focus of her career has been children's mental health and she managed an award-winning mental health service for children and adopted children for over a decade Connect with her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-dip-s-w-ba-bsc-ma-pgce-fhea-08633890/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qu...
Jan 18, 2022•52 min•Ep. 136
A Little About Damon Davis "I had the good fortune to be reunited with my biological mother in 2009 in a heart warming story of coincidental history, a mutual desire to be reunified, and the pure luck to be able to surprise my biological mother, Ann, for our reunion on her birthday! I always enjoy hearing and sharing the real stories of our lives that makes each of us who we are. I’m devoting this program to helping people placed into adoption or who grew up in foster care to explore their own e...
Jan 17, 2022•59 min•Ep. 133
Here's a bit about Jaclyn from her website "I believe healthy, post-adoption outcomes begin with pre-adoption education and intentional parenting. My goals are to create a space that embodies compassion, to foster a therapeutic relationship that enables vulnerability, and to support the exploration of your whole self. I am an ally, an empath, and an attuned listener. I offer a safe environment without judgment to best encourage and support your self-exploration. As a trauma-informed clinician, s...
Jan 14, 2022•56 min•Ep. 135
Jeanette Yoffe, M.A., M.F.T., earned her Master's in Clinical Psychology, specializing in children, from Antioch University in June of 2002. She treats children with serious psychological problems secondary to histories of abuse, neglect, and /or multiple placements. She has specialized for the past 18 years in the treatment of children who manifest serious deficits in their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development. She is the Founder of Celia Center Inc, a non-profit organization in Los...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 134
Andrea Damone-Brown received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and her Masters in Education focusing on Professional Counseling and Psychotherapy through Oklahoma City University. She has been working in the adoption field since 1992 and was the Director at a licensed adoption agency in Dallas for six years. Andrea also co-founded and co-Directed Lifetree Adoption Agency in Dallas, Texas from 2003 to 2014. Continuing her passion for adoption, she recently branched out on her own in 20...
Jan 12, 2022•47 min•Ep. 132
Steve Sunday has worked in the field of adoption for more than four decades as a caseworker, supervisor, and administrator. Currently, he is the Founder and President/CEO of Forever Bound Adoption, as well as an advisor to the adoption advocacy support organization, United for Adoption. Since graduating with his MSW in 1981 from Arizona State University, he has worked professionally in Arizona, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Utah. He has taught students at the collegiate level in three state...
Jan 11, 2022•59 min•Ep. 131
Pat joined the Coalition team in December 2016 as the Director of AGAPE in the Southern Tier/Finger Lakes region. After three months he transferred to the Long Island Rockland Region to be the Director of AGAPE after AFFCNY was awarded an additional contract. He now serves as the Coalition’s Executive Director. Pat is an adoptive dad. The former Founder and Executive Director of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement , Pat was also previously Board President of the...
Jan 10, 2022•43 min•Ep. 130
Matthew McCall started at The Home in 1998 as a Child Care Worker. Matthew has held virtually every client serving role at The Home, from counselor, to clinician, program and department director, in both congregate care and community settings. For much of his career at The Home, Matthew served as an internal consultant to all The Home’s programs, providing support and leadership during times of transition, challenge, growth, or reimplementation. In his current role he brings these skills to bear...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 129
This Is Me - No Darkness Too Deep Here's a bit about Fiona's Autobiography "This is my story, a harrowing account of me as a young mixed up teenager going down many wrong paths, into the darkness of drug and alcohol addiction, prostitutution and surviving more than one life-or-death moment in the midst of the madness. The book also details my encounter with Christ and the journey of a baby Christian trying to find their feet in a church where not many had come from my background. One of the main...
Dec 21, 2021•54 min•Ep. 125
Karen is the State Director for Pennsylvania at Children's Choice Here's a link to podcast mentioned in this episode https://thriving-adoptees.simplecast.com/episodes/unpacking-our-own-baggage-as-adoptive-parents-with-hollyann-petree-mom-executive-director Children’s Choice was founded on April 1st, 1982. By Reverend Doctor William and Doctor Carolyn Eberwein. Affectionately known as Doctor Bill and Doctor Carolyn. They had worked in a variety of Social Services fields including church ministrie...
Dec 20, 2021•48 min•Ep. 124
Shaun Doyle comes to Adoption STAR with 20 years of experience working for not-for-profits in the area of developmental disability. After studying at SUNY Fredonia, Shaun moved to Orlando, Florida to work for Walt Disney World. There he learned to train not only Disney Cast Members, but also to train people from other organizations on Disney’s Approach to Quality Service and Disney’s Innovation in Action. Shaun also created and led youth programs at the Disney Institute. Prior to joining the STA...
Dec 16, 2021•54 min•Ep. 128
“Adoption is my life and passion! I was adopted at birth, domestically. I have searched and found my birth family. I am also a mother of four children. I became the Executive Director of CHI in 1994, after adopting our daughter in 1991 in Romania, on our own. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work and have been blessed to have had the opportunity to work worldwide with CHI, developing programs and giving children who really need homes, a chance at having one of their own. A permanent, lov...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 127
Emily is a Care Leaver Mentor for Empower Change. Since graduating high school in 2016, Emily has completed her certificate four in community services. In 2015 she had her son, who has just started kindergarten. In 2016 pursued photography as a formal trade and experienced some of the most special moments between married couples and families but it still wasn't fulfilling her. After her care experiences from the age of nine, a foster family friend mentioned for a job as a residential staff worke...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 126
Michele Fried is the founder of Adoption STAR. Though the “title” most special to her is “mom” ~ it was a long time ago, but the experiences of becoming an adoptive mother led Michele to enter the adoption field. Michele’s background as an educator complimented this path. Michele served as the agency’s chief executive officer for over 20 years and grew the staff from a tiny office with one person (just her!) to three states, more than 50 professionals including full time, part time and per diem ...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 125
Skip joined the Lifeline team in August of 2018 and serves in the Birmingham office as the Assistant to the Executive Director. Skip comes from a family with 7 adopted siblings. She also lived in Zambia, Africa for 2 years working with and counseling vulnerable children. She’s originally from Montgomery, AL and attended Covenant College where she studied Sociology: Social Work and Family Studies. Connect with her here: https://www.facebook.com/skportis Here's a summary from Lifeline's website "W...
Dec 09, 2021•50 min•Ep. 123
Connect with Kristine at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinemoser/ here's a bit about Bellis from their website: Our mission is to serve as an empowering voice for adoption that connects, inspires, and transforms. Our reach extends to all people with any adoption experience who seek peer-based support for ambiguous grief related to adoption. Often, participants work together to advocate for greater awareness and understanding of adoption in schools and communities. Our work is neutral – it is n...
Dec 08, 2021•50 min•Ep. 122
Maris H. Blechner, M.Ed., LCSW is a well-known and well-respected educator, consultant, and motivational speaker. An adoptive parent, she spent many years in the child welfare field as Executive Director of an adoption agency, and is a wide-ranging speaker and trainer. She is now doing independent work, and has a great deal to offer. Whether teaching at a social work school, training foster and adoptive parents, helping agency staff navigate difficult cases, providing advanced training, or doing...
Dec 07, 2021•52 min•Ep. 121
Lori is the founder, CEO and President of FosterAdopt Connect. Lori and her husband Randy have been foster/adoptive parents since 1985. Together they have cared for more than 400 foster children and adopted 23 children, in addition to their five biological children. Lori and Randy are currently also the proud grandparents of 17 children so far. Lori holds a degree in psychology which she completed Summa Cum Laude as an adult learner, and has completed thousands of hours of additional training in...
Dec 06, 2021•48 min•Ep. 120
