There is so much that goes into our names. In this episode we explore complexities names can bring to the adoptee community and how to navigate them.

Rarely does society make room for birth/first mothers to share their stories, perspectives, and experiences. In this episode Amy Barker D'Alessandro and Jennifer Joy Phoenix share their Fog Faze framework for birth/first mothers. This episode is filled with wisdom and insight as Amy and Jennifer share their heart's work with us.

BOOKS:

The Girls Who Went Awayhttps://www.amazon.com/Girls-Went-Away-Fessler-2007-07-17/dp/B0182PZAEK/ref=sr_1_4?crid=CIR2SJMEPENQ&keywords=the+girls+who+went+away+book&qid=1707937442&sprefix=girls+who+went%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-4
Primal Wound 
https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Wound-Understanding-Adopted-Child/dp/0963648004/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7ZWH7OGP5BC9&keywords=primal+wound+book+adoption&qid=1707937565&sprefix=primal+wound%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1
Relinquished https://www.amazon.com/Relinquished-Politics-Adoption-Privilege-Motherhood/dp/1250286778/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1707937506&sr=8-1
Concerned United Birthparents, Inc (CUB): https://concernedunitedbirthparents.org/ CUB's free monthly online support group for Birth Mothers:  https://concernedunitedbirthparents.org/zoom-support-groupsUpcoming Untangling Our Roots Conference: https://untanglingourroots.org/

More Resources:

1) link to our website to either contact us or get the Fog fazes for various constellation members: www.adoptionsavvy.com

2) Database for People looking for therapists and other professionals that are also impacted personally by adoption: “ Unraveling Adoption’s Healing the Adoption Constellation Database” https://unravelingadoption.com/healing/

3) Some free safe online support groups for birth/first mothers        a) NAAP Happy Hour: 1st and 3rd Fridays (for all members of the adoption constellation) https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/national-association-of-adoptees-parents-457749     

b) First Families: Birthparents Journeying Together an online Support Group facilitated by Amber Jimerson and Amy Seek- Once a month on    

 c)  Thursday Evenings: Follow the NAAP Event Bright collection for updated information:  https://www.eventbrite.com/o/national-association-of-adoptees-parents-12399641129#collections

https://www.mybellis.org/

As Always, thank you for tuning in. Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

Dr. Susan Branco is a collaborator in the creation of the Adoptee Consciousness Model. In this episode she joins us to dive deeper into what this framework consists of and how adoptees may find affirmation in their experiences. This episode reminds us that we are not alone in our stories and there is community that understands and holds space for the wholeness of our experiences.

Susan Branco, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH, she/her/ella, is a transracial and transnational adoptee from Colombia, South America. She is an advocate for increased adoption related research and training within counselor education and is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for transracially adopted persons. Dr. Branco is a practicing counselor, clinical supervisor, and an Associate Professor in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Palo Alto University. Her research includes transracial adoption and mental health, Colombian adoption policy, and clinical training and supervision practices for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color counselors. In addition, she has multiple peer -reviewed publications related to her research interests and frequently presents at regional, national, and international counseling related conferences. 

Website: https://www.drsusanbranco.com

Instagram: @drsusanbranco

Collaborators for Adoptee Consciousness Model:

Susan F. Branco, JaeRan Kim, Grace Newton, Stephanie Kripa Cooper-Lewter, and Paula O’Loughlin

Research for Adoptee Consciousness Model

https://www.drsusanbranco.com/_files/ugd/641244_cfdcfc5fae824790b80767fc7ab84a93.pdf

Peer Reviewed Journal Article with trauma/somatic focus:

https://www.ibpj.org/issues/articles/Susan%20F.%20Branco,%20JaeRan%20Kim,%20Grace%20Newton,%20Stephanie%20Kripa%20Cooper-Lewter,%20Paula%20O'Loughlin%20-%20....pdf

We are so excited to share this episode with all of you.

Patrick Armstrong is a transracial Asian American adoptee, born in South Korea and adopted to a white family in rural Indiana in 1990. He is the host of the award-winning podcasts The Janchi Show, a show about the Korean + Asian adoptee experience, and Conversation Piece, a show about the missing pieces of the conversations we’re already having. He is also a speaker and has worked with universities (Purdue, Yale, IUPUI) and organizations (Indianapolis Colts, The Asian American Foundation, Asian Pacific American Public Affairs) to tell his story as well as amplify the stories of others. He currently resides in downtown Indianapolis with his wife, their newborn son, and their cat.

Instagram: @patrickintheworld

@janchishow

@conversationpodpiece

@asianadopteesofindiana

Many of us have heard the term coming out of the fog, but in this episode Amy Barker D'Alessandro, LMHC joins us for a rich discussion about what that actually means by breaking "the fog," into 8 steps. This framework is powerful and helps adoptees feel seen and understood as we navigate so much.

Amy Barker D'Alessandro, LMHC, is a Licensed Mental Health

Counselor, Group Facilitator, and Clinical Supervisor in private practice in Seattle and owner of Adoption Savvy. She’s also the Newsletter Editor for the nationwide organization Concerned United Birthparents, Inc. She’s a closed adoption Adoptee from the Baby Scoop Era in long- term reunion and has ongoing contact with her grown son of a semi- open adoption from the late ‘80’s. She works almost exclusively with Adult Adoptees, Birth Mothers, and people with DNA surprises.

Thank you for tuning in. Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

Kathy Mackechney, LCSW, is an adoptee and therapist who specializes in working with other adoptees, which she started doing after her own experiences in therapy, where she had to educate her therapists about the issues adoptees commonly face. Kathy is an IFS (Internal Family Systems)-certified therapist and consultant in Denver. 

Rachel is a Korean-American transracial and transcultural adoptee and therapist who owns a private practice based in Connecticut. She works primarily with adults and specializes in adoption and attachment trauma. Her therapeutic approach is holistic and mind-body incorporated, with the intention of helping clients build a compassionate and confident relationship with themselves, increase self-awareness and strengthen self -leadership.

Thank you for being here and for tuning in.

XO.

Amy & Marcella

Welcome back to season 2 of Adoptees Dish! We are so happy you are here with us. As Season 2 is launching in National Adoption Awareness Month, we wanted to create a tool fellow adoptees could listen to for grounding and affirmation. This meditation was created to breathe our support and love for our community into those listening. Please listen to this any time you are in need of a reminder or co regulation when things are feeling overwhelming or isolating. We see you and we are so happy you are here.

Welcome to Season Two! This is a quick welcome to our upcoming season and reminder to take care of yourself as it also marks the beginning of National Adoption Awareness Month. We see you and we are so happy you are in community with us. Thank you for tuning in, together we have the power to heal broken systems.

XO,

Amy & Marcella

Last episode of Season 1 !!

Last episode we began unpacking some of the amazing questions all of our listeners sent in. In this episode we begin unpacking the remainder of questions listeners sent in.

Thank you to all of those who participated, sent in questions, or tuned in. Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

Tune in Next week for the Launch of Adoptees Dish, Season 2!