Living in Adoptionland with Bryan Elliott

Lesli Johnson MFT is as an adoptee therapist helping people in the adoption community to live healthier and happier lives. Want to find out more about Leslie? Visit: www.askadoption.com From Lesli's website: "I created Ask Adoption to provide a community for individuals and families created by foster care and adoption and for others who are curious about the adoptive experience. It's a place I needed when I was growing up, and a resource my parents would have surely benefited from. Ask Adoption is a safe space to connect, learn and find answers to your questions. It's a place to find comfort and validation. Ultimately it's a place for healing. I'm committed to raising awareness around adoption issues, elevating the voice of adoptees and providing support and guidance, to adoptive parents, birth parents and families worldwide. I came “out of the fog” in my mid 20's after spending most of my life believing that separation from my biology was not relevant to who I was or how I viewed the world. Adoption was just a word that meant I was “special” and birth parents were colorful characters (likely rock stars) created in the fantasy world I visited regularly. I spent many years in therapy, racked with anxiety but none of the therapists I worked with helped me connect my symptoms to the early loss I experienced. They didn't think it was relevant because I was “lucky to have been adopted by wonderful parents.” While it is true I was adopted into a good family, it is also true that those early separations from my biological mother and then my foster family did matter. Fast forward to present day. I've connected the dots of my adoption story and understand that my feelings were normal and helped shape who I am. My personal experience led me to my profession working as a Licensed Therapist and Coach and Consultant, specializing in adoption and related issues. Fascinated by the brain as it relates to implicit memory and trauma, I became trained in EMDR and Brainspotting – two power therapies that have become pivotal in my work with clients. I write about adoption, I'm an invited speaker at adoption related conferences and most important, I work with individuals, couples and families just like you. Whether we meet in person, virtually or in a group, we'll collaborate and transform your confusion, grief and anxiety into clarity, insight and resilience. Visit www.YourMindfulBrain.com to learn more about my work in private practice." AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Anxiety Depression Adoption Brainspotting EMDR Relationship challenges Parenting Transitions Crisis Intervention Grief, loss and trauma

How does an adoptee who grew up with an outrageous passion for rock-n-roll end up writing giant country hits? How does a guy who had no music-business connections whatsoever find his way to his dream of being on hit radio? Your attitude about your circumstances helps a whole lot. According to Harding, “Being adopted has given me an incredibly optimistic view of life. Whenever life throws me a curveball, a disappointment, or a roadblock, I remind myself that I was adopted by the Hardings (the greatest parents ever), and that the universe has had my back since day one.” J.T. HARDING was born and raised in South Detroit. While other kids were on the baseball field, J.T. was in his basement, jumping around to MTV videos and trying to write his own songs. He put together several bands in high school and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. J.T. made his first demo tape with prize money he earned by winning the VH1 game show Rock & Roll Jeopardy! He has since written several chart-topping hits, including “Smile” with Uncle Kracker, “Somewhere in My Car” with Keith Urban, “Somewhere with You” and “Bar at the End of the World” for Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley's “Different for Girls,” Jake Owen's “Alone with You,” and Blake Shelton's number-one song “Sangria.” J.T.'s new book, Party Like a Rockstar: The Crazy, Coincidental, Hard-Luck, and Harmonious Life of a Songwriter is available everywhere books are sold. Learn more at www.twelvebooks.com. Follow J.T. on social media @jtxrockstar on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and @jtxmusic on Facebook. To learn more and the “Write Like a Rockstar” contest, visit www.writelikearockstar.com.

Moses Farrow is the international Korean born adopted son on Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. To say Moses' adoption, childhood and adult life has been complicated is a massive understatement. Forget about what you think you know about Moses and put any tabloid style commentary aside. In his own words, Moses said, "Adoption Trauma is a shared life-changing experience, or set of experiences, for all those involved with adoption. It's important that we recognize and acknowledge the risk factors and causes of adoption trauma that makes this a crisis we all need to take action to end. This is why I have developed the Adoption Trauma Factsheet, which is free to download at https://transformadoption.com Education is key to creating a well-informed, trauma-informed society. This starts within homes, therapy offices, schools, hospitals, and all the places adopted people and their parents need to feel safe in and receive the most support, understanding and most of all, validation of the traumas they have experienced." About Moses Farrow: "Adopted people are a marginalized group who deserve their rights. It was a difficult decision after spending my entire career in the mental health field, but I knew it was a step forward to become an Adoption Trauma Educator. I helped many children and families working in community-based, intensive programs before pivoting completely to adoption. I spent two years leading a team in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families in Connecticut for their Intensive Family Preservation and Intense Safety Planning Programs. I was presented with the opportunity to work with an adoption agency, one of the oldest in the U.S. It was a chance to make a difference for others who had also been adopted like me. During my time there, I took a position as a board member for ATTACh.org, a national organization focused on the training and treatment in the attachment in children. It was an important step in my own personal and professional evolution. Since then, I have had to come to terms with my own truth. In 2020, I advocated for anti-racism with the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S., I spoke against the stigma towards mental health and have continued to raise awareness of the suicide crisis in the adopted population. I have made numerous appearances on podcasts and have been featured in the media in the U.S and across the world, sharing my own story of adoption to help raise awareness of adoption trauma. I began the social media movement #truthislouder and joined NAAPUnited.org as a board member. This perspective now informs the way I connect with and educate my clients, whether they are individuals embarking on their own adoption truth journeys, or their family members who want to learn how to best support their adopted family member, or other interested parties in their support system including schools, workplaces, businesses and organizations. I believe we all thrive when we live, grow and support each other in safe ways and in safe environments. And the way to create a sense of safety is by uncovering who we truly are. Learn more at mosesfarrow.com"

Emma Stevens is an adoptee from the Baby Scoop Era and author of the book, The Gathering Place. You can find her book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zP4JwP Emma's story is heartbreaking and healing at the same time as we discover the ends to which she had to endeavor in order to find her real identity. It's a familiar story of how adoptees often venture off on a quest alone to find truth only to realize it's a very rocky road of unexpected setbacks, rejection and disappointment. Despite the obstacles Emma has been able to find peace and talks through her trauma with me in an effort to help those who may still on the journey. Special thanks to our sponsor! This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep.?Good sleep is the ultimate game changer and the Eight Sleep Pod is the ultimate sleep machine. For me, the three pillars of health are: Sleep. Nutrition. Exercise. Sleep, especially on a thermo-regulated bed at the right temperature customized for me, has been the key to feeling my best and performing at a high level. The Eight Sleep Pro Pod is a game-changer! If you sleep with someone every night like I do, you would normally have to compromise with your partner on temperature… But not with Eight Sleep. The Pod is the only sleep technology that dynamically cools and heats each side of the bed, to maintain the optimal sleeping temperature for what your body needs. With the pod, you can start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. You control everything with an app on your phone and it's really easy. The result: Clinical data shows that Eight Sleep users experience up to 19% increase in recovery, up to 32% improvement in sleep quality, and up to 34% more deep sleep. The new Pod 3 enables more accurate sleep and health tracking with double the amount of sensors, delivering you the best sleep experience on Earth. The Pod is not magic, but it feels like it. Go to eightsleep.com/BRY to start sleeping cool this Summer and save a lot with my special code.

Nearly 50 years after he was relinquished for adoption, Rudy Owens learned how fortunate life can be. In 2014 in San Diego, Owens met his biological half-sister for the first time. That meeting inspired Owens to tell his adoption story set against the larger adoption narrative that has impacted millions of adoptees, their birth parents, and their collective biological and adoptive families. Owens' story offers insights on the widespread American institution of adoption, a national social engineering experiment that remains mired in discriminatory laws and partisan politics, not equality and fairness. Check out Rudy's book here: https://amzn.to/3ooGLBS Thank you for listening! If you want to ask me a question you can do it anomalously or include your name and I'll give you a shout out — to Record your question just goto https://Speakpipe.com/Adoptionland from your phone or computer and it's that easy.

Marcy shares the story of her father who is an adoptee and how she discovered more of her past. Thank you for listening, if you want to ask me a question you can do it anomalously or include your name and I'll give you a shout out — to Record your question just goto: Speakpipe.com/Adoptionland from your phone or computer and it's that easy.

This episode of Adoptionland with Dr Paul Conti was adapted from a previous interview I did with Dr Conti on my other series Behind the Brand [Listen to my business show on iTunes: https://apple.co/3OWJ0bj ]. His work in the area of trauma is so important and relevant that I wanted to share this excerpt with my audience here as well. Dr. Conti is adept at helping people untangle complex problems – and he also happens to be a psychiatrist. He incorporates a holistic view of each client or patient into his work, knowing the far-reaching impacts trauma can have upon the systems and communities in which an individual resides, works, and serves. In addition to clinical treatment, he provides personal, business, and legal consulting services. Dr. Conti is a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed his training at Stanford and Harvard, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Conti is the author of Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic, a book that brings his valuable insights about how we can collectively heal from trauma's effects to a larger audience. I highly recommend getting his book, Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic https://amzn.to/3c2R5ww Your can find out more about Dr Conti by visiting his website: https://www.drpaulconti.com/ What topic should I cover next on my podcast? Let me know by leaving me a private message. Just goto: Speakpipe.com/Adoptionland from your phone or computer and it's that easy.

If you don't know Dr. Lisa Munro, one of the most articulate #adopteevoices I know speaking out on a variety of adoption-related topics, you should. Fair warning, Dr. Lisa doesn't sugar-coat and often has some of my favorite "unpopular opinion" rants and riffs on the internet. You can follow her here: https://twitter.com/llmunro Want to ask me a question? Visit: https://speakpipe.com/Adoptionland and you can leave a private, anonymous message or ask your question. For more information about the show and to join our community, visit our website: https://livinginadoptionland.com On Facebook: FB.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Instagram: Instagram.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Twitter: @BryanElliott

A Little About Damon Davis in his own words... "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 emotions, desires, and questions about reuniting with their biological family by asking others to share their true stories." For all things Who Am I Really? and Damon Davis, visit:https://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ Want to listen to me on Damon's podcast? Visit: https://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/episodes/181-living-in-adoptionland/ Want to ask me a question? Visit: https://speakpipe.com/Adoptionland and you can leave a private, anonymous message or ask your question. For more information about the show and to join our community, visit our website: https://livinginadoptionland.com On Facebook: FB.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Instagram: Instagram.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Twitter: @BryanElliott

Did you know that only 11 out of the 50 United States allow adoptees to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate? This means that many adoptees in both open and closed adoptions cannot ever know their true identity...heritage...race or origin story. It also means these adoptees may never have access to their personal or family medical history leaving them without warning about critical medical information that could prevent or prolong their lives --and the lives of their future progeny. Want to ask me a question? Visit: https://speakpipe.com/Adoptionland and you can leave a private, anonymous message or ask your question. For more information about the show and to join our community, visit our website: https://livinginadoptionland.com On Facebook: FB.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Instagram: Instagram.com/LivinginAdoptionland On Twitter: @BryanElliott

Leslie Mackinnon is a pioneer and trailblazer in Adoptionland -- and one of the girls written about in Ann Fessler's book, The Girls Who Went Away. Leslie recounts her personal story and part of the astonishing untold history of the million and a half women who surrendered children for adoption due to enormous family and social pressure in the decades before Roe v. Wade. Here are the links to the books mentioned in this episode: 1. Ann Fessler's book, The Girls Who Went Away - https://amzn.to/3Heh53F 2. Dr Paul Conti's book, Trauma - https://amzn.to/3Hke5mb 3. Betty Lifton's book, Lost & Found - https://amzn.to/3HgCaKH Thank you for listening. If you want to ask me a question you can do it anomalously or include your name and I'll give you a shout out — to Record your question, just goto https://Speakpipe.com/Adoptionland from your phone or computer and it's that easy.

The plot thickens a bit as Bryan explains more details about the methods he used to find his birth mom -- and the possible true reasons why she rejected and bullied him with the aid of her lawyers. This episode also offers advice for birth parents and adoptees who are seeking reunion as well as details Bryan learned first-hand about legal rights regarding potential inheritances and real property rights after adoption. Music cover by Ernie Halter. You can listen to more of Ernie's music at: https://erniehalter.com

Emma is a 23 year old international adoptee who was born in Russia and adopted by a couple in Canada, along with their natural born child and 2 other adoptees from Russia. Emma is active and outspoken about adoption issues on TikTok, you can find her at https://www.tiktok.com/@svetty4444

Living in Adoptionland is the podcast I wish I had before I started on my journey more than 20 years ago…I explore the world of adoption from positive stories to stories about heartbreak, trauma and sometimes even a lifetime of hidden pain.  There are more than 500k kids in the foster care system today waiting to find a home, while infertility rates are at their highest in history….Not to mention, the pain of a child or parent's search for biological family —only to discover they don't want to be found. We'll also talk about DNA science that is coming for your family secrets….the complexities, controversy and casualties in the multi-billion dollar unregulated business of babies. Want to ask me a question? You can do it anomalously or include your name and I'll give you a shout out — to Record your question, just goto: https://Speakpipe.com/Adoptionland from your phone or computer and it's that easy. Reach out on Twitter: @BryanElliott

Living in Adoptionland with Bryan Elliott is the podcast I wish I had before I started on my journey more than 25 years ago. It's a mosaic of real stories from the adoption community which includes parents who gave up their children, families struggling with infertility and natural conception, and the often silent adult adoptees. Host Bryan Elliott decodes these experiences, combined with expert advice from medical professionals and published authors on the subject to help people cope and live healthier, happier lives. Launching May 24th.