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Ridghaus shares about relinquishing a son at age 19, and then moving ahead to age 35, he is surprised to learn he too is adopted. We discuss the crisis of identity caused by late discovery and how he managed to establish and ground himself during a two-year healing period. Ridghaus also shares an intimate conversation between himself and his son, processing adoption loss and what he would do if he could go back in time. This is part one of the two-part premiere of season 3! Next week we meet Derek Frank. Derek and Ridghaus are the creators of the Six Word Adoption Memoir Project.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Jessenia Parmer of I Am Adopted shares her incredible journey from being abandoned as a baby, her challenges within her adoptive family, to becoming an advocate and voice for adoptees. She is incredibly candid about her personal adoption trauma experiences which include abuse, identity issues, and suicide attempts. As a Christian, Jessenia is open with her faith yet struggles with how the church presents adoption. We discuss the things we’ve learned from our work with adoptee advocacy and wrap up with some new and some familiar recommended resources.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Lesli and I answer a listener question from Kate: How do we talk to significant others or friends about your feelings about being adopted? Any advice on how to teach a non-adopted partner or friend to be an ally?   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Liz Latty is a powerful writer, adoptee advocate, and activist. She shares her story with us and we talk a lot about reunion with our Dads and why we think first fathers often don’t even get a second thought. We dive deep into the complexities of adoption, sexuality, and the seemingly oh-so-common secondary rejection. Liz is incredibly candid about how concerned she was about coming out to her evangelical Christian birth father. We discuss what adoptee activism is and how understanding our own story and experiences as adopted people can be healing and create a passion for action. Liz calls for aligning ourselves with other movements to create systemic change together.     Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group

Pamela Cordano, MFT teaches us why so many adoptees struggle with perfectionism. Even better… she gives us three practical tools we can use to work on our perfectionistic ways.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Can you really be adopted back into your family of origin? I get to introduce you to Jemma Sullivan, and she shares some incredibly painful realities of having a narcissistic adoptive parent, it’s not all gloom and doom though - I promise you need to wait to hear what happens at the beginning of Jemma’s new chapter with her first mother.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Lesli A. Johnson, MFT answers a listener question about finding our identity. “Lesli kept saying it was important to know your narrative as a way to heal trauma. I don't know mine. I don't know really anything about how I came into the world, I don't even know who my father is. Half of my ancestry is a big black hole. And society tells me to be grateful for that. How do we move forward without knowing our first chapter?”   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group

If you are in reunion or are anticipating one shortly… this episode is for you. Marni Hall shares her story and walks us through three guiding principles that she has for a successful reunion, and they are so helpful.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Haley talks about how to find an adoption-competent therapist. She gives you five questions to ask and multiple tips for finding that perfect fit.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Rebekah Henson shares her story of growing up as an only child, then discovering she was one of seven biological siblings.  If this sounds at all familiar, I actually interviewed Rebekah’s older sister Mary Anna King on season one, episode 7. Rebekah is incredibly open with me about the challenges of such a complex reunion. We also dish on all the awkward and completely inappropriate things people have said to us about being adopted. We also chat about the adoptee rights movement and adoptee advocacy and activism.     Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Katie Jae Naftzger, LICSW discusses why adoptees can hold themselves back from becoming successful. Why do we feel like we’re not worth that much, that we don’t have value to bring to the table? How can we manage our insecurity?   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Mariette Williams tells us about her experiences as a Haitian adoptee growing up in Vancouver, Canada, and finding out that her adoption was non-consensual. We touch on some things that transracial adoptees may struggle with and Mariette gives us her perspective on adoption reform.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Is adoption really as traumatic as some people say it is? Lesli A. Johnson, MFT teaches us about what the word trauma means and confirms that indeed a trauma occurs when an infant, a baby, a child is separated from their mother. There’s even brain science to prove it! The process of separating a baby from its mother is coded in the nervous system as traumatic for both the mother and the baby. We chat about ways to heal from adoption trauma and Lesli suggests three books for further reading on the topic. Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

An in-depth discussion with a first mother and daughter (Maret Headley and Erica Curry VanEe) that is one of the most touching and intimate views I’ve ever had of a reunion. They were extraordinarily candid with me about what’s been lost because of adoption. Three adoptees (Ruth Rawlin Tacoma, Lisa Floyd, and Michelle Madden) tell me, “what do you really think about adoption?”, “what would you say to your family of origin if you had the chance?”, and “what do non-adopted people need to know about adoptees?”.  And, as per usual, I cry while describing a moment at the conference I will never forget.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Mike McDonald, the host of The Rambler podcast, tells us about his experiences as a Korean adoptee, his work with the Also Known As Teen/Youth Mentorship Program and why he did DNA testing before he got married. Mike teaches us about the extensive Korean adoption program and tells us that there are over 200,000 Korean adoptees worldwide.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Pamela Cordano, MFT and I discuss anger. What is it and why are so many adoptees accused of being “angry adoptees”? We discuss the reasons we have for legitimately being angry. Pamela teaches us about different types of anger and gives us some practical exercises to work on. I find out I’ve been engaging in Spiritual Bypass, and why that is so toxic. Anger is a powerful emotion, let’s harness it to make it work for us, and not against us.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Lesli A. Johnson, MFT answers the question, “How do I tell my adoptive parents I’m searching for my biological family”. An adoptee’s desire to search is not a rejection of their biological parents. It’s a natural, normal desire to want to know your biology, to know the circumstances of your birth, and to see someone who resembles you. Lots of great takeaways in this episode!   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Keith Sciarillo is a late discovery adoptee. His cousin accidentally told him he was adopted when Keith was 33 years old. No one would confirm this for Keith, so he went on to search and find out for himself. We talk about how almost everyone in Keith’s extended family knew and just assumed Keith knew too.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

We talk with Katie Jae Naftzger, LICSW about what to do when you don’t find answers at the end of your search. Katie shares about her trips back to Korea to search and her two moments of clarity during her second trip. One while hearing babies cry all night long at the adoption agency and another when a birthmother asks her, “What’s the hardest part about being adopted?”. We’ve got four steps to finding some peace when those answers never come.   Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group  

Anne Heffron (author of You Don’t Look Adopted) goes deep into all kinds of things in her story, including failures that she attributes to adoption trauma, things she’s working on to find healing, what “write or die” means to her, and we find a way to laugh a lot.    Full Show Notes Here   Connect With Us Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Adoptees On: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Monthly Newsletter Send a Note or Record a Voicemail   Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Google Play | iHeart Radio | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube   Support Adoptees On One Time Donation | Monthly | Secret Facebook Group