Ambiguous loss is a fascinating topic and this week we dive in to what it means. Guest Amy Geller, LCSW helps us identify what ambiguous loss means, how to identify it in our own life, and what we can do to cope through it. Amy shares her wealth of knowledge and lived experience both as an adoptee and adoptee clinician. Amy shares how she is using ambiguous loss theory to conceptualize her work when working with adoptees and their families.

A bit about our guest:

Amy Geller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and family therapist in Bergen County, New Jersey. Amy has a general practice where she has provided psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families since 2011. Prior to that, Amy has extensive experience providing social work services in inpatient and community health settings, of which, hospice care was a particular passion. Amy’s area of clinical interest and expertise has evolved towards working with all members of the adoptee kinship network (adoptees, adoptive families, and birth parents). Initially interested in working with adolescents, it became evident to Amy that a high degree of her adolescent clients were adoptees and that, despite their diverse backgrounds, there were similarities in their experiences and behaviors. An adoptee herself, Amy became particularly curious about understanding and meeting the needs of adoptees and their families as well as educating the mental health and school communities on the unique needs of this population. 

In addition to her private practice, Amy is the Clinical Director of the New Jersey chapter of A Home Within, a non-profit organization that provides open ended, individual psychotherapy, free of charge, to current and former foster youth. 

Amy is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Social Work at The Rutgers University School of Social Work where the focus of her scholarship and research is on adoption. As part of her studies, Amy presented a case study outlining strength-based interventions for building attachment between adolescent adoptees and their adoptive mothers. Amy is currently engaged in a qualitative study that examines “The Experience of Adult Adoptees in Psychotherapy”. In addition to her private practice, Amy lectures at Rutgers University School of Social Work and has appeared on several podcasts to speak about adoption related topics. 

Mother's Day can be a triggering day of the year for adopted individuals. Did you know there is also a Birth Mother's Day too? Not many know about this day reserved to honor biological mothers. This episode talks about a full spectrum of emotions, experiences , and thoughts from our clinical and personal lenses. Holding space for everyone impacted by adoption as we lean into such a big weekend. Thank you for tuning in! Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

Adoptee Community is a sacred and special space for so many of us. In this episode we dive into what we love about our adoptee community and how we grew into finding our voices and place within it.

Book Referenced by Amy in episode:

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Adapted-Young-Readers/dp/0593240189/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IRJKECD7OGN8&keywords=austin+channing+brown+i%27m+still+here&qid=1682960282&sprefix=austin+chan%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1

In 2021 Amy Wilkerson wrote her first children's book called, "Being Adopted." Amy wanted to create a representative space where all adopted children were able to see themselves in this complex narrative. In this episode Marcella interviews Amy on what inspired her to write this book and what impact it has had so far. Thanks for tuning in!

Too often when adoptees share their lived experience they are met with resistance. In this episode we unpack what adoptees face when they share experiences that challenge the narrative around adoption. We invite you to get curious alongside us as to how we can create more safety in these conversations and how we can advocate for more safety for adoptees to minimize and elevate harm. In this episode we chat some about current events as they are related to Colin Kaepernick. Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

Lina Vanegas, MSW (she/her) is a displaced person from Colombia. She is a national speaker, trainer and consultant on suicide, trauma, and family separation and a Master of Social Work. She is an advocate for for making what is known as "adoption" an adverse childhood experience. She is also the co-creator and co-host of the podcast, Rescripting the Narrative. She has been featured on NPR, multiple panels, and podcasts. You can find her on Instagram as @linaleadswithlove and on Twitter as LinaLeadsWLove. She will be offering multiple virtual trainings in 2023.

Book Lina referenced in our podcast:https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Someone-Suicidal-Thoughts-Harbinger/dp/1648480241

Please join us for this powerful conversation with Lina Vanegas, MSW. Thank you for tuning in. Together we have the power to heal broken systems.

In this episode we dive into what it means to be an adoptee clinician. We share how our worlds collide navigate our own healing while holding space for others to do theirs. We share our greatest challenges, joys, thoughts, ideas, and hopes for our community in the future. As always, thank you for tuning in.

When it comes to adoption there are tons of conversations that are difficult and hard. Whether it is uncovering difficult truths, navigating tricky conversations, we are here to unpack it all.  Join us this week as we chat about how to talk about the hard stuff when it comes to adoption. 

Traveling to birth country is a life changing experience. No matter an adoptee's age, the impact tends to hit the system with intensity and healing. In this episode we share our experiences of being in our birth countries as well as offering insights on how to take care of yourself and prepare for experience. 

In honor of Valentine's Day we wanted to debunk an age old myth around adoption : love is enough.  There are so many complexities in this narrative, we wanted to shine light on how these complexities impact attachment and ultimately love. Come join us for this important conversation.