Open Mic Episode with Heidi, Elle, and Amy – Hosts of Pulled By The Root.
Before recording interviews, we always take time to dive deep with one another. Amy thought it would be meaningful to share some of those behind-the-scenes conversations with you. For this episode, the only guideline was simple: bring a few topics—but don’t tell anyone what they are in advance. What unfolded instead was an organic, heartfelt dialogue about what it means to be adopted and how that experience continues to shape our lives.

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Adrian Burks is currently working on a documentary called Finding Home which is a search for honest answers about family and identity. Adrian documents three adopted people (including himself) as he explores the different stages of connection with their adoptive and biological parents.

He is also a dynamic and rising talent in the world of film and television, known for his natural charisma, emotional depth, and powerful screen presence. With a growing body of work that spans drama, comedy, and action. Adrian brings authenticity and nuance to every role he takes on. Whether he’s lighting up the screen in independent projects or delivering memorable performances in major productions. Adrian’s dedication to his craft and magnetic energy make him a standout in today’s entertainment landscape. Offscreen, he’s passionate about storytelling that uplifts underrepresented voices and explores the complexity of the human experience. 

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

In this episode, Heather Sachs courageously dives into the issues surrounding adoption loss. Here are her words:

 I am adopted and see myself as a disrupter as well. The more we put our stories out there, the more we can change the narrative to being adoptee focused! I was adopted at two when my mother relinquished me to her then boss. Like many others, I didn’t even know that adoption/relinquishment was trauma until a therapist told me so. Only at that point was I able to start the journey reparenting myself enough to heal some of my abandonment wounds. I’ve subsequently became passionate about genealogy as a means to help adoptees establish the roots they have felt they are missing all their lives. I’ve found creating biological family trees can help adoptees remember that despite their mother and fathers inability to keep their family together, they still are made up of numerous ancestors DNA and stories. I love to help them find those stories.

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Dr. Deborah Sweet is a licensed Psychologist who specializes in adults recovering from childhood trauma. To treat trauma she uses Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Brainspotting, the Havening Technique, IFS and the pit model.

She is also certified coach for personal growth. Before her career in mental health, she worked in the music and film businesses. She was the founder of the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles and is currently working on a book.

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Trigger warning:
In honor of Joshua’s life, Nicholas Fontana agreed to film with PBTR a few years ago to share his experience of losing his adopted friend Joshua to suicide. I ran into Nicholas at a mutual friends party a few weeks ago. Everything fell away as we began to speak about the effort to heal and all of the ways he has made progress. I asked Nicholas if he would be willing to be on the podcast to talk about the ideas he shared during our conversation. This led me to think about how to deal with our diverse levels of pain in a way that I have never considered before. His inspiration for self exploration came from; Gangaji, Alan Watts. Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle and Terrence McKenna.

It is important to understand that the people who love adopted people hurt when we hurt. Adoption is not a singular event that happens to one person. Adoption loss extends out from us; it affects our relationships, our parenting and our ability to feel worthy. In reintroducing you to Nicholas and Joshua we hope you feel inspired by the courage, friendship and the bond they shared. We honor Joshua and his brave battle, we honor all of the warriors we have lost. Remember you are worthy in fact you are spectacular!

 -Joshua Samuel Kukla -
Father, friend, musician, brother, son, adoptee

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Ashley is a 40-year-old wife and mother of three. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ashley moved to New York City after college and has remained in the area ever since. She now resides in South Orange, NJ, a town she loves. She enjoys a balance of yoga and tennis and cherishes her friends and close-knit community. Professionally, Ashley holds a hybrid role that blends project management and executive support, allowing her to work primarily from home, a flexibility that's especially valuable as her children grow and need her in new ways. Ashley was adopted at birth, and after processing much of her pain, she is passionate about sparking conversations that could eventually lead to adoption reform. She believes it's essential for both those considering adoption and those who have adopted to understand its complexities, so they can provide the support and guidance necessary for a healthy, fulfilling life.

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Scott, a high school math teacher from New Jersey, placed his daughter for adoption in the 1980s after a teenage pregnancy. In 2002, he reunited with her through an online search. Scott has three other children who were also part of the reunion. Lena, a domestic closed adoptee from New Jersey/New York, was adopted in the 1980s and raised as an only child by a family unable to have children. She reunited with her paternal biological family in 2002 and has attempted to contact her birth mother twice over the past 20 years, though both attempts were rejected. Now a licensed clinical social worker in Florida, Lena specializes in grief, loss, and terminal illness. She has been married for 15 years and has two children.

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Heidi Marble and Alysa Zalma MD discuss a retreat coming this summer aimed at the "Pulled By The Root" audience. The retreat is called "Finding Your Roots".

"Finding Your Roots" is a transformative retreat designed to support the healing of traumas related to the adoption experience. Hosted at the Surya Chandra Center, this retreat offers a unique space where members of the adoption community can revitalize, restore their sense of self, and reconnect with their truest, most fulfilling life.

Set on a serene 55-acre property in Oregon's beautiful Chehalem Valley, within Yamhill County’s renowned wine country, the Surya Chandra Center provides an idyllic sanctuary for healing. The retreat includes expansive healing gardens that offer breathtaking views of the valley and the Oregon Coastal Range, creating a private and tranquil environment for introspection and rejuvenation.

Participants will have the opportunity to rebuild their sense of identity through a powerful combination of ancient ceremonial practices and modern therapeutic modalities. These integrative treatments are designed to transform the challenges faced by members of the adoption community into powerful tools for personal growth and healing.

The Finding Your Roots retreat will take place from Thursday evening, July 17 to Sunday, July 20, 2025. Registration is limited to 30 participants to ensure an intimate and supportive experience.

For more information or to register, please contact us:

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Find our book using this link: Pulled By The Root

Bessel van der Kolk is a Dutch psychiatrist, author, researcher and educator. Since the 1970s his research has been in the area of post-traumatic stress. He is the author of The New York Times best seller book “The Body Keeps the Score.” He has spent his career studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences, and has translated emerging findings from neuroscience and attachment research to develop and study a range of treatments for traumatic stress in children and adults. Much of his research has focused on how trauma has a different impact at different stages of development, and that disruptions in care-giving systems have additional deleterious effects that need to be addressed for effective intervention. In order to promote a deeper understanding of the impact of childhood trauma and to foster the development and execution of effective treatment interventions, he initiated the process that led to the establishment of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a Congressionally mandated initiative that now funds approximately 150 centers specializing in developing effective treatment interventions, and implementing them in a wide array of settings, from juvenile detention centers to tribal agencies, nationwide. He has focused on studying treatments that stabilize physiology, increase executive functioning and help traumatized individuals to feel fully alert to the present.



https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/scientific-publications

https://time.com/6998595/bessel-van-der-kolk-trauma-profile/

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Anna Maria DiDio, MSW - is an adoptive mother and children’s author whose adoption-themed books encourage open and honest conversation between parents and children. Anna Maria was inspired to write her memoir, Love at the Border, An Adoption Adventure after her own family journey to Mexico.  Now her L.I.F.E.* Adventures children’s books feature stories about adoption from the point of view of the child. Anna Maria holds a BA in Psychology from Villanova University and an MSW in Family Specialization from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the mother of two young wonderful women and can be found in Philadelphia reading, speaking, walking, swimming, baking and quilting - then writing about it! *Love Inspires Families Everywhere


www.amdidio.com/

Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/