Once Upon A Time...In Adopteeland

Veronica is the co-author of "Rooted in Adoption-A Collection of Adoptee Reflections" and the "Rooted in Adoption Journal" now on Amazon. Veronica's Instagram is @rootedinadoption0520 Recommendations: https://www.sdpb.org/2012-07-16/piecing-together-stories-of-families-lost-in-slavery https://growbeyondwords.com/2015/08/screening-questions-when-seeking-an-adoption-competent-therapist/Music by Corey Quinn

Kimberly L. Carter is a women's leadership strategist, speaker, and author of the journal, “Rise, Thrive, and Flourish”. With a background in spirituality, empowerment, and Gen Z leadership development, she helps women and organizations cultivate confidence, clarity, and purpose. Through her consulting work, coaching, and vibrant online presence, Kimberly empowers the next generation of leaders to show up boldly, speak with authority, and lead with heart. She is a military veteran, holds an MBA and M.Div., and is pursuing a PhD in Women's Spirituality.Connect with her at www.kimberlycarter.live or on Instagram @kimberlycarterlive

Laura Batt (she/her) was adopted domestically as an infant and raised in a closed adoption. She has been in reunion with her biological family for 26+ years. Laura is also a birth/first parent to her oldest adult son. She is parenting another teenage son and young child with her significant other in Oregon.Laura worked in pregnancy and parenting support for 20+ years. She has a Master's degree in social work, and she has certifications in adoption therapy and perinatal mental health. Laura has experience supporting families with open adoption relationships and providing post adoption support. She is currently a perinatal social worker in a medical setting. Website: https://adoptionmosaic.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Mirella Stoyanova is a therapist, writer and international adoptee from Bulgaria of both Bulgarian and Iraqi origin. Her writing work has appeared in Write or Die Magazine, Business Insider, and HuffPost Personal, among other places. She is a proud member of Adoptee Voices and lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Jason, her son Milo and her beloved dog, Finn. Find her @mirellastoyanova on Instagram or on her writing website, mirellastoyanova.com. Reference: https://adopteelitfest.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Maureen McCauley is the adoptive mom of four now-adult children, two sons born in the U.S. and twin daughters born in Ethiopia; she has lived experience with infant adoption, international adoption, older child adoption, U.S. adoption, and transracial adoption. She also has three granddaughters. Her professional background is in social and educational welfare advocacy, including as former executive director of three nonprofits focused on adoption and foster care.With Adoption Mosaic, Maureen co-facilitates Conscious Adoption: Seasoned Parents and Navigating Estrangement, adoptive parent courses for which she also co-developed the curriculum. She is a writer and editor, including co-editor with two Ethiopian adoptees of “Lions Roaring, Far From Home: An Anthology by Ethiopian Adoptees.” Her writing has been published in Slate, Catapult, Focus on Adoption, Adoption Today, Adoptive Families of British Columbia, and others. She blogs at Light of Day Stories.She has a B.S. degree from Georgetown University and an M.A. from the University of Maryland. She is a Certified Sage-ing Leader via Sage-ing International, an organization focused on aging consciously and intentionally with joy and discernment. She also has a certificate as an End-of-Life Doula for Companion Pets, partnering with their humans.Websites: https://adopteesunited.org/ https://www.adopteesforjustice.org/Music by Corey Quinn

Brooke Haynes is a business coach, website and marketing system designer, and the founder of Consurgo, a personal development community for visionary entrepreneurs. With a unique ability to see the big picture, Brooke helps small businesses streamline their systems, build engaged communities, and create sustainable growth. Everyone who works with Brooke walks away with renewed passion and clear visions for their entrepreneurial journeys. Connect with Brooke here itssimplyreal.comWebsites: https://consurgo.world/ https://adoptionmosaic.com/ https://frequency500.com/Music by Corey Quinn

My guest is Stephanie C. Watterson.Originally a shy and awkward biracial adoptee, Stephanie is now one of those people who, as soon as you meet her, you'll feel joy around. She graduated from Langara College (Digital & Print Publications, Dean's Honour Roll) and recently from Simon Fraser University (Editing Certificate). Last summer, she published her first children's book – Septopus.Stephanie's love for literature has lingered and will always be a labour of love. Try saying that ten times fast! Today, she writes, edits, and creates in Victoria, B.C. Never boring, often unconventional, but always engaging, Stephanie enjoys empowering other creatives in various capacities.Websites: https://contentauthoring.com/ https://editors.ca/editor-profile/?id=40fae0c2-35f3-429e-80fe-ab410015866f https://www.bipocadoptees.org/Music by Corey Quinn

This episode is dedicated and in tribute to Ricky Lamont Boone. August 7, 1962-January 2, 2025.Music by Corey Quinn

Dr. David McCarty-Caplan (PhD) is a researcher, educator, writer, and consultant whose professional experience focuses on issues of identity development, support of underserved populations, racial equity, and pursuit of social justice. David was born in Bogota, Colombia but adopted and raised in a white Jewish family in the United States. This lived experience has profoundly shaped his personal and professional interests and he is increasingly involved in work dedicated to adoption consciousness and education, through research on and consulting with organizations, families and individuals working to explore adoption-related issues. He is particularly passionate about helping adoptees and their families navigate race/racism, religious identity, and sense of belonging.Websites: https://www.davidmccartycaplan.com/_files/ugd/0bdc61_f4e764d3d33e4ebb9f5f215bf0418cb5.pdfhttps://www.nuroots.org/davidMusic by Corey Quinn

D. Yvonne Rivers is a returning guest. She is the host of the Birth Moms Real Talk Podcast.Since 1988, D. Yvonne Rivers Aka Phoebe has been a champion of a cause, from business success, domestic violence, re-entry, and adoption community. One facet of this global business expert is an esteemed speaker, facilitator, and trainer across the globe on four continents.Another facet of this woman started in 1973 with the birth of her son who she championed for family assistance for support to raise as an unwed mother at age 19. Life changes as she ‘did her best' to place her son in a loving home. Yvonne had such ambition and brilliance, finishing a pre-med program in 3 years and accepted to medical school. Yvonne's journey to become a ‘change-maker in her life and others began in 1973. Over 30 years, she continued the search with letters, journaling, speaking on panels and processing her grief and loss alone. Yvonne was unrelenting and never gave up. 2015 gave her a breakthrough with finding a picture of her son on social media. With boldness, she reached out, not knowing whether she would get rejection or acceptance. The Courage of a Birth Mother Overcomes All. Yvonne met her son in 2018. Through sitting in rooms of support groups and conferences, Yvonne found she had created a pathway of peace as a Birth Mother for herself and the “Now” is the time to help others in the adoption constellation. Yvonne launched “Birth Moms Real Talk podcast in June 2021. After Season One, BMRT podcast has reached over 185,000 persons and over five thousand downloads. BMRT hosts Saturday Chats with all members of the triad and has an audience who write letters and comments of the magnificence impact in their lives. Website: https://phoebemarketing.com/Black Voices Amplified Link: https://birthmomsrealtalk.com/episode/episode-71-yvonnes-journey-live-podcast-at-black-voices-amplified-summit-2024Music by Corey Quinn

Powerful Reflections/Words From Eleven Prior Guest Adoptees in Honor of Black History Month"In order of appearance:Dr. Syb, Isaac Etter, Maya Holmes, Sandria Washington, Dr. Jack Rocco, Kenneth Bonomo, Joi R. Fisher-Griffin, David Bynum, Dr. Patrice Martin, Iris Bryant and Dr. KE Katherin Garland.Thank you for your generous gift of sharing a part of your story on the show.Each adoptee has been a guest on this podcast. Go to https://www.onceuponatimeinadopteeland.com/ to listen to their full episode.Music by Corey Quinn

Dewi Sungai Marquis-Houston is a mixed-race Native Bornean (Ngaju Dayak, Banjarese, Sundanese, English) mother, wife, and filmmaker who was born in Indonesia, adopted as an infant by white American parents, renamed “Amy" (a name she has since rescinded to reclaim her birth name), and raised in the U.S. in white suburbia. Dewi's experiences as a transracial adoptee led her to a filmmaking career that centers marginalized voices and challenges narratives spun from white supremacy culture and colonialist worldviews. As an Indigenous transnational adoptee, being in community and collaborating with Native people across the U.S. has helped her heal from the impact of colonization on her own life and lineage. Dewi is a proud member of A-Doc, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, BIPOC Editors, Creative Nations, Kin Theory, and Mountain Media Arts Collective, and was an inaugural fellow at Denver-based Cine Fe.Websites: https://www.eight16creative.com/. https://www.mynameisnotamy.com/https://adopteesunited.org/. https://www.adopteesforjustice.org/Music by Corey Quinn

Diego Vitelli is a dedicated adoptee-focused therapist, relationship expert, and advocate for racial diversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion. An international adoptee from Colombia, Diego was adopted at approximately five years old by an Irish-Italian family outside of Boston. His lived experience as an adoptee fuels his deep passion for amplifying adoptee voices and fostering spaces where identity, belonging, and healing can thrive.Now holding a master's degree in Couples and Family Therapy, Diego specializes in working with adoptees and their families, as well as others navigating complex relationship structures and dynamics. His therapeutic approach is rooted in empathy, cultural awareness, and a commitment to social justice. Whether working with individuals processing adoption-related trauma or those striving for deeper connection within their relationship(s), Diego brings insight, warmth, and a keen understanding of identity's role in shaping relationships.Beyond his clinical work, Diego has been a steadfast mentor to adoptees of all ages. He previously served as a youth mentor at Amara, a Seattle-based adoption agency, facilitating post-adoption support programs. He continues to be a supporter of the Colombian adoptee community, having served as an administrator for a global private Facebook group of over 2,400 Colombian adoptees. Additionally, as a Chair member of Aireroots, a local BIPOC adoptee organization, Diego is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for BIPOC adoptees of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Through community-building, advocacy, and collaboration with like-minded organizations, he works to ensure that adoptees—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—have access to support, visibility, and empowerment.A fierce advocate for racial equity and LGBTQ+ inclusion, Diego's mission extends beyond adoption. He is committed to helping individuals and people(s) navigate identity, intimacy, and connection in a way that honors their unique experiences.Websites: https://www.adopteefocusedtherapy.com/ https://aireroots.com/ https://adoptionmosaic.com/Mentioned: "Adoption Unfiltered: Revelations from Adoptees, Birth Parents Adoptive Parents and Allies" by Sara Easterly (Author), Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (Author), Lori Holden(Author)Sara Docan-Morgan's book; “In Reunion: Transnational Korean Adoptees and the Communication of Family" available on https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/sdocan-morgan/ and Amazon.comMusic by Corey Quinn

Paul Kimball is an active musician in Stockton California. He conducts Musicals, The Zion Chamber Orchestra and Pops Choir and recently retired after 36 years as a music teacher with the Lincoln Unified School District. He is French Horn player. As a baby, Paul lived in Foster Care after being relinquished by his first mother, a concert cellist, at 5 days old. He was adopted on his first birthday by a liberal Berkeley family in the 1960's. He is married to Doctor Dominee Muller-Kimball. They have two daughters and one and one beautiful grandson! Paul loves hiking. His Memoir, We are all Human Beings/An Adoptee Ponders is available on Amazon and Outskirts Press. He is currently working with California Alliance for Adoptee Rights on legislation that would allow unrestricted access to Original Birth Certificates to Adult California born adoptees.Paul's memoir, "We are all Human Beings; An Adoptee Ponders is available on Amazon.com. Music by Corey Quinn

Jennifer Hiltebeitel (HILL-ta-bite-el) is a returning guest.Jennifer is an adopted person on a lifelong healing journey. She was adopted through the county foster care system in Pennsylvania in the early 70s and just obtained her original birth certificate in 2023. She met her biological mother at 17 and father at 21 before the internet existed and has ongoing relationships with extended members of her biological family. Jennifer loves helping others - especially adoptees - process their stories through the lens of the Enneagram: a personality tool for self growth and navigating relationships.Jennifer has a MEd in Multicultural Education and an Enneagram Certification).If you are interested in discovering the Enneagram as a tool to help you process your adoption story email Jennifer at jhiltebeitel@outlook.com to set up your first coaching session or schedule a free 30-minute consultation with her at https://calendly.com/jhiltebeitel to see if you would benefit from Enneagram coaching.Music by Corey Quinn

Astrid Castro is the founder and CEO of Adoption Mosaic, an adoptee-led, BIPOC woman-owned business that creates for and connects our adoption constellation community through adoptee-centered events, education courses, and consultations. For over three decades, Astrid has served the adoption constellation through a variety of innovative programing designed to highlight the adoptee experience. Prior to creating Adoption Mosaic, Astrid worked in both the private and public sectors of various adoption organizations such as the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), Holt International and Rocky Mountain Adoption Exchange, to name just a few. Astrid is aware of the benefits of post-adoption services for individuals and their families and seeks to bring these services to the adoption community. Her life-long interest in adoption is rooted in her own adoption at the age of four from Colombia (along with her older sister). Astrid has been in reunion since December 2012 with her birth family in Colombia.Website: https://adoptionmosaic.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Sharon Butler-Obazee, an adoptee, attended Cal State Hayward. She worked in human services and tenured with the insurance industry as a medical sales rep. After retirement, she became certified under the International Coaching Federation after attending Professional Christian Coaching before starting her coaching practice. Her handle on social media was @adoptionclarity, where she encouraged an adoptee-centric philosophy. She became a Board Member of the Post Adoption Center for Education and Resources. She acquired Strengths-Based Coaching certification, where she encouraged families to support their strengths and encourage their children to use their strengths as well. As an adoptee, she had a hard time investigating her heritage because she felt she did not deserve to know her background out of loyalty to adoptive parents. After several years of therapy and adoptee support groups, she was able to break through her thinking to use Ancestry to complete her search. She received a response in 48 hours and had a chance to meet her bio-dad before he passed. She has added Butler to her name in honor of her heritage.Website: https://giftfamilyservices.com/Music by Corey Quinn

We encourage you to go to https://www.onceuponatimeinadopteeland.com/ and search the individuals mentioned in this episode to find their contributions/links.OBC to California Born Adoptees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erHylYLHqXgMusic by Corey Quinn

Original air date: November 1, 2022Jennifer Hiltebeitel (HILL - ta - bite - el) was adopted from foster care as a preschooler and grew up to be a fourth-grade teacher with a Master's degree in Multicultural Education. She met members of her biological family between the ages of 17-21 and is honored to understand pieces of her story that were once missing. She has been married to her husband Eric for 24 years - the person who taught her she was worthy of unconditional love. They have one daughter through birth who is in college and another daughter through international adoption who is in high school. Her daughters have taught her how to love the way another needs to be loved and the value of caring for her own story first so she can parent with intentionality. Jennifer currently volunteers at her church supporting other moms and mentoring teen girls. She works with The Adoption Connection and is an Enneagram coach - a job that combines her love of learning, teaching and relationships.If you are interested in discovering the Enneagram as a tool to help you process your adoption story email Jennifer at jhiltebeitel@outlook.com to set up your first coaching session or schedule a free 30-minute consultation with her at https://calendly.com/jhiltebeitel/free-consult?month=2022-11 to see if you would benefit from Enneagram coaching.Books referenced: "The Road Back To You" by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile "The Journey Toward Wholeness" by Suzanne Stabile "The Path Between Us" by Suzanne Stabile "The Story of You; An Enneagram Journey to Becoming Your True Self" by Ian Morgan CronMusic by Corey Quinn

Natasha Tripplett, a Jewish-Jamaican American author, lives in Northern California where she writes from a tree house perched in a sycamore tree. As a baby, Natasha was adopted into a Dutch, Christian family. Growing up on Vancouver Island in Canada, she was acutely aware that she was different from her family; this did not keep her from integrating all the pieces of her identity. Natasha's multicultural background has allowed her to flow seamlessly through different cultures while bridging gaps that typically divide people. Natasha has her masters degree in social work and practiced in the field of adoptions. She has counseled families, adoptees, and children in foster care. She desires to help adoptees and those in foster care integrate their identity into one cohesive narrative. She has been published in various online magazines. Natasha is a children's book author. Her titles include THE BLUE PICKUP and JUNETEENTH IS. Her forthcoming picture book, PLANTED WITH LOVE - a foster care story, will be released on March 11, 2025. She is represented by Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency and her picture books are published by HarperCollins, Chronicle Books and WaterBrook. Natasha bubbles with excitement over antiques, chocolate, coffee on the front porch, and cozy movie nights in front of the fireplace with her husband and four children. Website: NatashaBooks.comMusic by Corey Quinn

Lisa MM Butler is a Black (biracial), US domestic, transracial adoptee and former foster youth. She is an artist, writer, advocate, community organizer, and library lover. Lisa is known, online, as the Adoptee Clown and shares her experiences as an adoptee both on her Instagram @theadopteeclown and on Substack as The Adoptee Clown Diaries. She serves on the Board of VOICES, a BIPOC Adoptee Community 501(c)3 organization and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer at CASA for Children in Multnomah, Washington, Columbia & Tillamook (OR) Counties. Lisa lives in the PNW with her hubs, three-legged dog and rotund cat. Links: https://butlerl.substack.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theadopteeclown/Music by Corey Quinn

Original Air Date: 11/22/22Anita is a passionate, creative, transracial adoptee. Adopted with her identical twin sister, she grew up on a chicken farm with five siblings and considers her faith and family to be most important to her. She has a bachelor's degree in Social Work and is presently pursuing her Master's degree in Social work and a Certificate in Expressive Arts. When she isn't engaged in coursework or academic activities, you can almost always find her grabbing a bite with friends or working on her first book, to be released in 2023. Music by Corey Quinn

Jill Mann is a transracial, transnational Korean adoptee. She is an artist, musician, and writer, and a member of the BIPOC Adoptees team. She also works on the BIPOC Adoptees documentary project as editor, animator, and producer. She is also on the board of Asian Heritage Association, a local organization based in McMinnville, Oregon.Website: https://www.bipocadoptees.org/IG: @pandamonium25 Music by Corey Quinn

Sandi is an international adoptee from Panama, adopted by a Black US Air Force family stationed in Panama at the time. Most of her life has been in the midwest but she moved to Virginia in 2020. She is a social worker whose 30-year career has included time in mental health & child welfare. She has been in reunion with her first mother and maternal family since 2004. She's experienced some life-changing events since she was guest in 2022.Music by Corey Quinn

Simon Benn is the host of https://www.thrivingadoptees.com/podcastMusic by Corey Quinn

Original Air Date: 07/12/2022Sandi C. is an international adoptee from Panama. Most of her life has been in the midwest but she returned to the DMV area about a year & a half ago. She is a social worker whose 30-year career has included time in mental health, adoption, and foster care. She has been in reunion with her birthmother and maternal family for 18 years.Music by Corey Quinn

Julie Brumley is a trauma-informed adoptee coach who has been coaching men and women for more than 15 years to overcome addictive behaviors and heal the primal trauma of abandonment. She is also the CEO of Coming Home to Self, a company dedicated to helping adoptees heal. After her own birth mother tried to abort her twice, she found herself frozen in an unconscious trauma response for decades until she found the power of somatic trauma healing. Now she uses somatics, nervous system regulation, personal experience and her masters in counseling to help other adult adoptees find their way out of their own trauma and into a life of radical self-belonging.Website: https://cominghometoself.co/. Links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilienceprojectforadopteeshttps://tinyurl.com/Rheti-Assessmenthttps://www.instagram.com/juliebrumley_/https://www.positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/https://www.lightoasis.co/freehd

Julie Brumley is a trauma-informed adoptee coach who has been coaching men and women for more than 15 years to overcome addictive behaviors and heal the primal trauma of abandonment. She is also the CEO of Coming Home to Self, a company dedicated to helping adoptees heal. After her own birth mother tried to abort her twice, she found herself frozen in an unconscious trauma response for decades until she found the power of somatic trauma healing. Now she uses somatics, nervous system regulation, personal experience and her masters in counseling to help other adult adoptees find their way out of their own trauma and into a life of radical self-belonging.Website: https://cominghometoself.co/. Links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilienceprojectforadopteeshttps://tinyurl.com/Rheti-Assessmenthttps://www.instagram.com/juliebrumley_/

Molly/Mavka is an early 80's Catholic Charities, closed, same-race adoptee. She has been in on-again-off-again reunion with her birth mother for 20 years, and is leisurely navigating reunion inklings with her birth father. Her adopters' choice to estrange themselves from her has offered an often-troubling-but-still-freeing expanse in which to explore her post-placement options, she guesses. In the interest of efficiency, her hobbies are her coping mechanisms and include pitch-black humor, elaborate culinary undertakings, surrendering to the wilderness with little more than a knife and a snack, and giving driving advice to her Instagram followers during her morning commute. Really, she doesn't know who she is, she only knows who she has failed to be for her adopters.Music by Corey Quinn

Kim Stevens was adopted in Korea along with her bio brother into the same family. They were stationed in South Korea and immigrated to the US after their adoption. Kim was raised in Central Texas in a predominantly white community with few racial mirrors and even less cultural socializations. Being in that environment, she was taught to ignore the racism and micro-aggressions which caused her to deny a lot of her identity and curiosity until much later in life. Kim has two biracial children, a husband and a dog.Music by Corey Quinn

Dana Ozak is a full-time preschool teacher, passionate adoptee advocate whenever she has time, part-time college student, part time water color artist, part time author, and whatever other free time she has is spent going on long walks with her sweet husband and hanging out with him and their college aged offspring.Website: https://girland4families.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Liana Soifer (she/her) is a transracial, transnational adoptee from South Korea, raised in Oregon, and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of BIPOC Adoptees VOICES, a Portland-based nonprofit leading initiatives for BIPOC adoptee communities. With a BA in Human Services, Liana has experience as a Project Manager in software and web applications. She previously ran a web design and digital branding business and is dedicated to building community and making a positive impact through her professional and personal work.Website: bipocadoptees.orgMusic by Corey Quinn

Amanda Robinson is a Korean adoptee. She was adopted with her twin sister and raised in Washington. Though she's wanted to be many things, currently she is a retired dental hygienist who homeschools her two kids, and is an aspiring children's lit writer in her free time. She aims to encourage kids through her future children's books.Music by Corey Quinn

Grace Yung Foster is the Founder and CEO of The Inclusion Initiative. They are elevating the future of work for Adoptees of Color and Foster Care Alumni. Grace is both an Adoptee and a Foster Alum. She's committed to creating more equity, inclusion, and opportunity for our communities, especially within our workplaces and careers. She is a former nonprofit executive with 15 years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors and holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. Website: https://www.theinclusioninitiative.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Kathleen Shea Kirstein is a Late Discovery Adoptee and NPE (Non-Expected Parent Event), as well a mother of two sons, retired Registered Nurse, and illustrator of three children's books with author D Ann Hollon. She has published two essays in Severance magazine: "Dear Mother" and "Blown off Course.”https://severancemag.com/dear-mother/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r4LJkJJ6aIhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1480979724?ref=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_VEQD3XYGHN0MX43XVFC8&ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_VEQD3XYGHN0MX43XVFC8&social_share=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_VEQD3XYGHN0MX43XVFC8&language=en_US&skipTwisterOG=1A contributing published author to the Adoptee Voices Writing Group created by Sara Easterly; the e-Zine https://adoptee-voices.com/ezine-root-morning-coffee-at-wits-end/Music by Corey Quinn

Shannon Gibney is a writer, educator, and activist. The author of several books, including The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption, which received a Michael L. Printz Honor and a Minnesota Book Award; See No Color and Dream Country, both winners of Minnesota Book Awards; and Sam and the Incredible African and American Food Fight, a children's picture book about a cross-cultural family also published by the University of Minnesota Press. A Bush Artist and McKnight Writing Fellow, Gibney teaches at Minneapolis College, where she was named Educator of the Year in 2023. She lives with her two children in Minneapolis.Website: https://www.shannongibney.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Ryan Jafar Artes (he/she/they) is an activist, memoirist, and poet. Ryan's work calls for a re-imagination of culture via cultural renaissance from their lived experience and perspective as a transracial transnational South Asian Indian American adoptee. Ryan is the host of The Adoptee Open Mic, and hosts virtual letter writing classes to support their activism and creative work.Links: https://linktr.ee/ryanartes https://upendmovement.org/dream/ Music by Corey Quinn

Original air date: 02/01/2022Pekitta Tynes is a published author of the book "Thank God I was Adopted 'Cause DNA is No Joke!" Based on her memoirs and journey to how she found her biological family through DNA testing. Her reunion can be seen on a YouTube video, "Pekitta's Journey". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFhUFNkqpPUMusic by Corey Quinn

Original air date: July 27, 2021"Raise your hand and self validate yourself." -Marc BorneMusic by Corey Quinn

Elizabeth(EM) Blake has a recently released graphic memoir called Connecting Threads: Five Siblings Lost and Found.She is one of five children who were removed from their first family over time and placed in foster care, and most were adopted when young. She didn't know until decades later that she had lived with her first mother for weeks or months. Because of closed adoptions, it took decades to connect scarce information to find her siblings. She and her siblings have Ojibwe or A-nish-i-naabe and Northern European roots. Some are enrolled tribal members, and all have Indigenous heritage. After many years, they began to find each other, one by one. Because her siblings did not grow up together, it took time to know each other, feel solid in their identity, and develop a deep sense of belonging. This happy ending came after a complicated childhood with many challenges.Website: https://www.elizabethblake.us/Music by Corey Quinn

Nancy McCaughey is a returning guest.Nancy identifies herself by her most treasured life roles; wife, mother, daughter, sister, newly-retired midlife transition coach and late discovery adoptee (LDA). She is in the process of completing her memoir, Reunion. It is about her own midlife ‘identity quake' that took place at her 20th high school reunion when her best friend from childhood revealed a 37 year old family secret: Nancy was adopted. Nancy returned home from the reunion without telling her mom what she had learned in order to process the crushing grief of her loss alone. Her husband begged her to not tell her mother what she learned. Nancy had no idea how many people knew but her. She researched why her birth certificate's information was false and learned about Illinois' sealed records laws and the amended birth certificate that replaced her original one. The injustice that adoptees born in Illinois were not allowed to know their identity only made Nancy more determined to find out the truth and the woman responsible for giving her life. The real breakthrough occurred several weeks later, when she stopped asking “Why now, God? Why me,?” and instead, opened her heart and mind to the possibility that this may be happening for a reason. It was then that Nancy could see the mysterious synchronicities that were happening and unexpected mentors that were appearing, much like Joseph Campbell's description of the Hero's Journey. One by one, she found more clues that led her to find and reunite with her birth mother, Donna and four half siblings. Twenty-eight years later, as Nancy prepared to start writing her memoir, she took an Ancestry.com test, hoping it would give her the missing pieces of her story. It did, including who her father was, that he was the son of Croatian immigrants and she is the oldest of eight siblings.What Nancy could not see in 1991 was that her fateful decision to attend her reunion with her friend was the beginning of a 28-year soulful and transformative journey to find her true identity, purpose and belonging. After searching and reuniting with her birth mother, Nancy transitioned from a successful 30-year sales and marketing career in the travel and pharmaceutical industries and completed a year-long certification program with Hudson Institute of Coaching. It was at Hudson, when she discovered that her true purpose and passion was to coach people who were at a midlife crossroads, asking themselves life's deepest questions: “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” Over the past two decades, she has had the privilege of guiding and encouraging hundreds of global professionals seeking the clarity and confidence to craft their new life narrative and successfully transition into their next chapter. Nancy lives with her husband of 22 years in Bainbridge Island, Washington and is lucky enough to have her son and daughter in law who live close by in Bremerton. Even though she will always be a “Chicago girl” at heart, Nancy feels she has found the place where her she was destined to be. She enjoys opportunities to hike, kayak and trailer camp with her husband, David while being nurtured and inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Website: http://www.nancymccaughey.com/Music by Corey Quinn

ADOPTION LOSS: WHEN GRIEF IS SUFFOCATEDBy Kate Murphy, LCSWKate Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a psychotherapy practice in Atlanta, GA. She specializes in working with members of the adoption constellation with a focus on adoptees. She knows that processing the loss and grief caused by relinquishment is challenging to do alone. Kate believes it's possible to understand yourself better, take charge, and live with more purpose and joy.Website: https://katemurphytherapy.com/

Simon Benn was adopted at 5 weeks old and told so young he doesn't ever remember not knowing. He didn't experience any conscious adoption trauma until 40 when he found out his childhood teddy bear was a gift from his birth mother. This caused an eruption of anger, feeling rejected and unloved. That kickstarted a healing journey exploring trauma, my roots and who he is. Simon spent 17 years doing this and continues to be fascinated by healing, growing and thriving. He's interviewed over 400 people about this from the adoption constellation for the Thriving Adoption podcast https://www.thrivingadoptees.com/podcastSimon also runs his own webinars on advocacy, thriving and other topics for adoptees and adoptive parents and adoption social workers.Music by Corey Quinn

Marcie J. Keithley, is an author, speaker, master storyteller and CoFounder of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents (NAAP) She retired as Vice President of Retail Bank Management and Merrill Lynch after serving the financial industry for over 32 years.A first/birth mom in reunion since 2008, she co founded Indiana Adoptee Network and testified moultiiple times throughout the years in support of OBC access for the sister organization, H.E.A.R. Hoosier For Equal Access to Records, where she served as Vice President. She also hosts the twice monthly Friday night virtual event Adoption Happy Hour with a global audience from across the adoption constellation.Keithley is the author of The Shoebox Effect, Transforming Pain Into Fortitude and Purpose and co author of the childrens book, Frankie and Friends Talk AdoptionShe is a native Hooiser and resides on the sunnyside of Louisville along the banks of the Ohio River in Indiana Owned by one sassy goldendoodle, Murfee, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and is an avid cloud watcher, lover of Cali Reggae and always in search of the perfect Margarita.Music by Corey Quinn

Dr. Katherin Elizabeth (K E) Garland is an award-winning creative nonfiction writer, blogger, and author based in Florida. She uses personal essays and memoir to de-marginalize women's experiences with an intent to highlight and humanize contemporary issues, such as reproductive rights, intergenerational trauma, adoption, and mental health issues. Her work has appeared in several online magazines and anthologies, including Midnight & Indigo and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Garland's debut memoir, In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict was released September 2023 with NEW Reads Publications. She is married, with two adult daughters and is an associate professor at a community college. Website: https://www.kegarland.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Lisa K Bouler is a returning guest.She was born and adopted in Chicago. From an early age her adoptive parents shared her adoption story and encouraged her to search for her biological family. With their support, she eventually found out she was not only a big sister to her parent's biological child, but a big sister to her own four biological siblings. Lisa is the mother of two phenomenal young adults aged 22 and 25. She has been in education for 34 years. In her spare time, she runs marathons, crochets, and tends to her vegetable gardens. StoryCorps: https://storycorps.org/stories/adopted-woman-finds-siblings-learns-family-secret/Music by Corey Quinn

Dr. Stephen Rowley became a psychotherapist after a rich and varied career in K-12 and higher education. He earned his B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in English and Psychology. He also earned a Ph.D. in Administration and Policy Analysis from the Graduate School of Education of Stanford University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Dr. Rowley holds a license as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC, #LH61080171) in Washington State and is formally trained in Mindfulness Meditation. Additionally, he has completed Advanced Training in Somatic Transformation™, Certification Level l of Dream Tending, and a yearlong course from the Centre for Psychological Astrology in London, U.K. My recent training includes “Ethics in the Context of Cultural Diversity,” taught by Samuel Kimbles, Ph.D.Dr. Rowley is available for a brief, no-cost phone consultation to answer your questions about his practice and him.Website: https://stephenrowley108.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Rebecca Autumn is a returning guest to the podcast.Rebecca Autumn Sansom is a documentary filmmaker, event planner, and non-profit director. Her films, including Reckoning with the Primal Wound (2023) and Trainsforming America (2012), have screened at film festivals and public and private events throughout the United States. She is the founder and director of the non-profit, the WAVYS, that hosts a music awards show annually in New York City with generous support from the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. As a native Nashvillian, Rebecca's life has been steeped in the sounds of Music City, and in 2015 she won a Midsouth Regional Emmy for her work on Tout Your Town, a travel series produced by Genuine Human Productions in Nashville, TN.Watch: Reckoning with The Primal WoundWebsite: Variety Feature on The Wavys www.thewavys.orgMusic by Corey Quinn

Mee Ok Icaro (pronounced “Mee Oak Ee-car-oh”), is a unique and powerful voice in the world of visionary medicine and personal growth. As a Writer, Book Doula, Sacred Medicine Advisor and Integration Specialist, Life Purpose Coach and Guide, Mee Ok is dedicated to helping individuals heal and find their path in life. Skilled in Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry approach, a method she has personally integrated for over a decade to transform her own life, she integrates many teachings from a variety of traditions, from ancient to modern.With a passion for writing and a talent for prose, Mee Ok is an award-winning stylist and poet. Her work has appeared in notable publications like the LA Times, Boston Globe Magazine, and Michael Pollan's Trips Worth Telling anthology. She was even featured in Gabor Maté's New York Times bestseller The Myth of Normal and the Netflix docuseries [Un]Well. With over a decade of experience working with ayahuasca and dieting seven master plants, Mee Ok is curing a near-fatal autoimmune disease, scleroderma, and is dedicated to helping others heal and recover their birthright of authenticity and truth.Mee Ok holds a BA in Philosophy from Boston University and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and has studied the history of sexuality and medicine at Harvard. She is currently in the process of being initiated in her own indigenous tradition of Korean shamanism (mudang) and as an ayahuasquera in the Shipibo lineage. With a diverse set of passions, including racial and disability equity, adoptee advocacy, social justice, film, literature, doggies, and drag, Mee Ok is a curious soul with a wealth of knowledge and experience she loves to share. To learn more about her writing and work, visit Mee-ok.comWebsite: https://holdingcompassionate.space/Music by Corey Quinn

Shelise Keum Mee Gieseke (s/hers) is the head of operations at Adoption Mosaic. She has worked in the adoption community as an editor, educator, and administrator for over 10 years, including editing and curating the blog Land of Gazillion Adoptees and the online magazine Gazillion Voices. Shelise is also an intercountry Korean, interracial adoptee who was adopted as an infant by a white family and raised on a farm in Minnesota. She has three siblings who are biological children of her adoptive parents. She has searched for but is not in reunion with her Korean family. Shelise lives in Portland, OR and is parenting two biological biracial children with her husband. Website Resources: https://adoptionmosaic.com/ https://gazillionvoices.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Becca Flatt is a Mixed Race, Black and white, closed, domestic infant, interracial adoptee. Becca's biological family and adoptive family mirror each other; however, Becca, being mixed race, does not share the racial identity of either set of her parents. Becca Graduated from The University of Southern California with her Master's in social work and a concentration in mental health in 2014. Becca provides mental health treatment to transracial, interracial, and same-race adoptees of color in Oregon. Websites: https://www.mendedheart.org/ https://adoptionmosaic.com/Instagram: @mending_the_adopted_heartAdoptee Consciousness Model: https://intercountryadopteevoices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/adoptee-consciousness-model.pdfhttps://redthreadbroken.com/2022/06/23/out-of-the-fog-and-into-consciousness-a-model-of-adoptee-awareness/Music by Corey Quinn