How does growing up as an Asian adoptee in a white family influence mental health and identity?

This episode delves into Joey's personal story of being a Japanese adoptee raised by a white woman, exploring how his experiences with identity, trauma, and belonging led him down a path of drug use and self-harm. Joey and Beth share their candid journey through various healing pathways, offering valuable insights for families navigating similar challenges.

Adoption and Identity: A Path from Self-Harm to Self-HealingMain Benefits

1. Understand the unique struggles faced by transracial adoptees and their families.
2. Learn about the signs of inner child trauma and its potential impacts on mental health.
3. Discover diverse and effective healing methods, including traditional therapy, life coaching, and alternative approaches like psychedelics and EMDR.

Guest source: UnravelingAdoption.com

Guest bio:

Beth Syverson is an adoptive mom, wife, musician, and as of 2021 a podcaster, activist, and public speaker.

Since 2019, her son Joey has struggled with addiction to substances plus serious mental health issues. For the first year of that roller coaster ride, she and Joey were both derailed. Beth tried to “fix” Joey, and her Supermom cape was tied on tight. But when nothing worked to “fix” him, she sought help for herself, which improved her own life and also her relationship to her wife Jan and to Joey.

She and Joey created Safe Home Podcast in August 2021, with the purpose of helping other families avoid some of the pain we’ve experienced.

Beth adopted Joey from Japan when he was 7-1/2 months old. She now realizes that his relinquishment trauma is one of the core issues that causes him to seek substances. Beth is a leader for other adoptive parents who are coming “out of the fog” and realizing that the adoption that created their family also created trauma for their child.

In September 2022, she created a free support group for adoptive parents called APtitude, and in August 2023, she became a certified coach through the Virginia Satir Global Network so she can help more adoptive parents and others who are struggling.

Listen to this episode now to hear Joey's compelling journey from trauma to healing and gain essential knowledge on supporting transracial adoptees.