Trauma sits frozen in time within the part of us that experienced the trauma. For those relinquished at birth it's newborn who's lost their mother. Parts work (also known as Internal Family Systems IFS) heals those parts. Our Self is untouched by trauma. Our Self heals our parts. It does that by accepting, loving and giving them the recognition that they've never had before. Listen in as adoptee and IFS therapist Kathy shares how we heal all our parts. Here's a bit about Kathy from her website: ...
Aug 14, 2024•50 min•Ep. 508
Does healing seem like a journey to you? A long, arduous trip. What if wholeness were closer? Something we can see and feel sooner? Listen in as Yael and dive deep into revealing and reclaiming our wholeness. Here's a bit about Yael: "My personal experience as a bisexual Jewish woman, a practitioner of Mussar, an adoptee, a divorcee, a “bonus mom” and a “career transitionist” have given me a deep repository of strength and skills as well. As a mindfulness-based coach, I help people who are at tu...
Aug 13, 2024•55 min•Ep. 507
How's your healing evolving? Are we ever whole? Listen in as guest host Jude flips the script on me. Her questions on healing were great! They're well worth you asking yourself. Do my answers bring you an insight or two? There's only one way for you to find out... I was adopted at 5 weeks old and told so young I don’t ever remember not knowing. I didn't experience any conscious adoption trauma until 40 when I found out my childhood teddy bear was a gift from my birth mother. This caused an erupt...
Aug 08, 2024•58 min•Ep. 506
We only have to heal if we've been sick or damaged. But what if this perspective is off? Listen in as therapist and teacher Corie shares a fresh perspective on growth and change. Find out more about Corie and her book at: https://www.facebook.com/corieskolnick https://corieskolnick.com/orfan/ 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....
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 505
Our anger can be explosive, scaring ourselves as well as others. It's often a central part of our trauma as well as coming out of the fog. So how do we find peace? Where do we find peace? Listen in as Quinn shares his insights on finding peace. https://novacatfilms.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinn-wolverton-4285662b2/ https://www.instagram.com/novacatfilms/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice...
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 504
Changing the narrative requires changing the narrators. What narrative would empower you? What if being adopted has given you superpowers? How would that perspective power you? Listen in as Stephanie shares her thoughts about becoming superpowered and other healing insights. More about Stephanie at: https://www.loyola.edu/school-education/academics/graduate/curriculum-instruction/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flores-koulish-5792919/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) license...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 503
How do you see your trauma? Does it scare you? Has the lead to you pushing it away? Suppressing it? Would a new relationship with trauma improve your life? Listen in as Tim shares key learnings on his journey to seeing trauma as a gift. Tim Perdion, born Thomas Griffin Demchak on March 1, 1969, was adopted shortly after birth. Despite growing up in a seemingly perfect family, he struggled with anger, depression, and anxiety. Discovering his biological roots at 46 unveiled complex family secrets,...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 502
What have you done with your trauma? Turning the tough stuff you've been through into work to empower others is one of the most healing things we can do. Listen in as Mallory shares learnings from her life including what she discovered about herself adopting her daughter. We touch on empathy, ending self-judgement and more...powerful and insightful. Enjoy. Mallory is an intercountry transracial adoptee and a former foster, now adoptive, mom. She has a profound awareness of the challenges faced b...
Jul 30, 2024•53 min•Ep. 501
Gabor Maté says that the feeling we are not good enough is actually a belief that we are not good enough. And that's important given so many of us feel less than. Do beliefs seem more bustable than trauma seems healable? Listen in as I explore belief busting, hope and more in this short episode. 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.
Jul 29, 2024•6 min•Ep. 500
What if time ISN'T the greatest healer? What is? Anthony lost a wife through divorce, his adoptive mother who died and his birth mother for the second time. All in one year. How did he cope? What did he learn? Listen in as he shares some of his greatest healings. And we go deep on the healing power of realisations. About his book Lucky Bastard When he was ten years old, the author was told he’d been adopted. It was a seismic event that turned his world upside down. Nobody was who he thought they...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 499
The need to heal the “Primal Wound” assumes we are wounded. It is important to remember that it's based on the perspective of adoptive mother Nancy Verrier, NOT an adoptee. It can leave us feeling: *stuck with the belief we cannot heal. *unsure of what to do next for the best. *pathologized for an event we had no choice in. *More and more adoptees are questioning the wound narrative and wanting to take back their power. Post Traumatic Growth is an altogether more empowering, hopeful and positive...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 498
Would you like more joy and awe in your life? Who wouldn't? Listen in as Lena shares how nature brings out awe from within for moments that blow our minds (in a good way). And this is all backed up by the science of awe. Here are links to the science of awe https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/05/awe-by-dacher-keltner-review-the-transformative-power-of-wonder https://onbeing.org/programs/dacher-keltner-the-thrilling-new-science-of-awe/ Here is a link to Lena's website https://www.wildsoulp...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 497
Flik believes she chose to be adopted. What???? Perhaps one of the most challenging things I've heard in over 500 episodes. Listen in and find out why she believes this. Ooodles of insight into grace, acceptance, peace, the mind body connection and more. We go deep. Where the great stuff is buried. Find out more about Flik: https://www.therebalancecentre.com/ Here are links to the books I mentioned https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chris+niebauer&crid=3JXO4KTRK9CES https://www.amazon.com/Power-vs-F...
Jul 11, 2024•44 min•Ep. 496
Does the term healing resonate with you? It doesn't for Canadian adoptee Elle. For her it's all about peace and feeling better. And being at peace with not knowing. Listen in as she shares how growing up with evangelical adoptive parents impacted her. And what's helped - and continues - to help her to peace. Here's Elle's bio from the Adoption The Making Of Me podcast Elle Klassen is a Canadian who was born to a young woman of nineteen years of age in 1970. She was relinquished and then placed w...
Jul 10, 2024•56 min•Ep. 495
How hard are you on yourself? Self judgement is rife amongst us. It's always there. Until it isn't. Listen in as we go deep on grace, easing up and giving ourselves some slack. Bio: Anthony Lynch is a Jamaican-white adoptee based in London. As a research assistant at Coram, the UK's oldest Children's charity, they use their lived experience to inform policy and practice in the Adoption space. Links: Anthony's work: https://linktr.ee/inbetweenlinesorg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony...
Jul 09, 2024•58 min•Ep. 494
Time and time again I've heard that healing is a very active pursuit. A very conscious decision to make what is unconscious to conscious. Listen as Julie shares profound learnings from her healing journey. Here's the link to download the items Julie mentioned: https://cominghometoself.co/social Here's the link to the book I mentioned https://www.amazon.com/No-Self-Problem-Neuropsychology-Catching-ebook/dp/B07PLRZVTT https://cominghometoself.co/ https://www.instagram.com/juliebrumley_/ https://ww...
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 493
Have your feelings scared you? Terrified you? Have you closed your heart to save you heartache? Listen in as Jo shares what she's learned about opening our hearts to ourselves to heal. Profound and enlightening. You're going to love this. https://www.jowilliscoach.com/jos-adoption-story https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-willis-444ab03b/ 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....
Jul 02, 2024•59 min•Ep. 492
What if we could laugh at grief? Even though that grief is darkest part of our trauma? Wouldn't that lighten our emotional load? Listen in for a contrary take on grief and trauma that brings hope before diving deep to touch that part of us that's unwounded... Alison Larkin was adopted at birth in Washington, D.C., by British parents and raised in England and Africa. After graduation from the University of London and the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, she became a regular on the British ...
Jul 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 491
Spiritual growth is the ultimate healer. That sums up the 500 episodes of Thriving Adoptees in six words. And spiritual in this sense doesn't mean religious. Spiritual growth is seeing more of our essence underneath our psychology. Listen in as Alejandra shares the insights that fuelled her spiritual growth to catalyse ours. Adopted at five weeks into a loving and happy Mexican-American family, Alejandra had never sought her family of origin, but when they arrived unexpectedly, they showed up wi...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 490
How's your relationship with trauma? Do you yearn to heal? Crave it? Sara definitely did. Listen in as she shares how that craving ended. An interview bursting with hope. https://www.facebook.com/sara.hathaway.1965 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.
Jun 27, 2024•53 min•Ep. 487
In this special episode the interviewer becomes the interviewee! Listen as Simon shares his thoughts and experiences on home, childhood memories and ah-ha moments that have birthed in him a passion to help other adoptees find freedom and peace beyond the "Primal Wound". https://www.facebook.com/simonjbenn https://www.facebook.com/thrivingadoptees https://www.thrivingadoptees.com/ https://www.instagram.com/simonjbenn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjbenn/ Guests and the host are not (unless men...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 486
Join us as we delve into the journey of adoptee Sloane Walker. Discover how Sloane has transformed her home into an oasis, reflecting the harmony and peace she is cultivating within herself. Gain insights into her unique Pentacle Program, designed to guide others on their path of self-discovery and create a space that truly resonates with their essence and brings joy to their lives. Sloane Walker, M.Ed., a BSE DIA, has come full circle in recent years since her reunion in 2019. After losing her ...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 485
In this enlightening podcast episode, Krista Boss, an adoptee who endured periods of homelessness during her childhood, shares her inspiring story of resilience and triumph. Join us as we explore the concept of home as not just a physical space, but also a sanctuary for healing and finding solace. Discover the transformative power of creating a safe haven and how it can impact our lives in profound ways. Krista is the owner of CasaHózhó, a sanctuary built to aid in her own healing and the healin...
Jun 24, 2024•51 min•Ep. 484
In this podcast episode, Dr. Eben Alexander, adoptee and neurosurgeon, shares his profound insights and wisdom gained from a Near Death Experience (NDE). He explores how his abandonment wound ultimately became a catalyst for an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and understanding. Tune in to gain deeper insights into the transformative power of life's challenges and to hear Eben's experience of life after death. Academic neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander III, whose career includes decades as ...
Jun 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 483
This first episode of "Finding Home" is a captivating podcast that delves into the profound experiences of Greg Gentry as he embarked on a quest to find a sense of belonging, wholeness and home. Through an intimate conversation we unravel the intricate tapestry of human connection, community and the pursuit of contentment. Join us as we explore the transformative and at times elusive journey of finding home. Greg Gentry is a domestic baby scoop era adoptee, born in California in 1969. He has bee...
Jun 19, 2024•54 min•Ep. 482
How open to change are you? How willing and curious to new ways to heal? Listen in as we go deep on how a method that initially felt a little weird helped Trish to feel better on the inside and enjoying better relationships on the outside. And there's the matter of being adopted back by her birth mother... Trish doesn't do social media, but is open to talking with others email me simon@thrivingadoptees.com and I will put you in touch Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho...
May 31, 2024•49 min•Ep. 481
The more fellow adoptees I speak with, the more I see a broader view of healing. On one side there's the logic of getting answers to questions we've been asking ourselves forever. On the other side there's the mystery of what happens often when we are with others. Tapping into both sides help us heal. Listen in as Kit describes four of his key healing moments. They might well spark some ideas in you. Kit Myers is an assistant professor in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic ...
May 29, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 480
Is your trauma eating you up from the inside? That's how it felt to Becca. Writing her book and talking about it openly is helping her shift to thriving with the help of a great therapist, energy work and some fab people lining up behind to support her. Great insights on seeing our connectedness, authenticity and vulnerability. Here's a bit about Becca's previous interview: Do you wish your healing was faster? Did your world fall apart when you came out of the fog? Are you wondering what comes n...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 479
Chris yearned to meet her birth mother to heal. But meeting her didn't heal Chris. Because as she realised, healing is an inside job. So how come Chris doesn't feel traumatised anymore? Listen in with big ears. Contact Chris here https://www.facebook.com/christine.giles.758 Here are the books I mentioned: https://sydbanks.com/onlinereading/ https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Your-Fault-Choosing-ebook/dp/B07957XB9T Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak fr...
May 24, 2024•50 min•Ep. 478
What if love is the ultimate healer? Love for ourselves? Seeing that we ARE love? Listen in as Dottie goes big and I try to keep up. An epic conversation. I think you're going to love this. Pun intended. Dot Todman is a talented Canadian-Jamaican singer/songwriter and highly regarded celebrity vocal empowerment coach. Despite facing challenges in her journey, Dot’s optimism and positive outlook shine through in all that she does. She spent her early life in foster care before being adopted by an...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 477
