Pulled By The Root - Amplifying Adoption Issues

Monica Hall is an adoptee and birth mother. She is also the author of her memoir, "Practically Still a Virgin”, which will be released on Saturday March 23rd. Born in Canada, she was adopted by American parents and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing.

She is a business consultant and entrepreneur who has founded several companies and has worked in advertising and marketing for more than two decades. Monica is telling her life story to provide understanding, courage, and empowerment, showing that no matter the difficulties, it's possible to heal and succeed.

 Monica is a speaker, coach, and mentor. She has three grown children and lives in Sacramento, California. In this episode Monica shares her unique point of view on the trials and tribulations of being adopted. Her humor, positive energy and talent are abundant. This heartfelt conversation will leave you thinking.

For more about Monica:
https://www.monicahall.com/
https://www.monicahall.com/author


Content Notice:
This episode contains sensitive material, that may be difficult for some listeners.

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/

George is a filmmaker, writer/director living in Los Angeles.   
One of the first questions he is frequently asked is "where is your accent from?"  
Here it goes, George was born in 1974, in Russia (Soviet Union). He was adopted from an orphanage in 1976 and raised in Georgia (the country). In 2000, he migrated to Australia and was granted a gay refuge status. Since 2010 he splits his time between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. George is on a life long search of his birth history, and as of today he has no information about his birth parents or the first two years of his 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/

Lena Rosenbloom is a domestic closed adopted person from New Jersey New York. She was adopted in the 80’s and raised as an only child in an adoptive family that could not have children. She entered reunion in 2002 with her paternal biological family. Elena discovered her biologic family through the adoption.com website and message boards She has three half siblings on her paternal side. Lena has reached out to her biological mother two times in the past 20 years and been rejected.Lena is a licensed clinical social worker in Florida working with grief and loss as well as terminally ill clients. She helped start a non profit organization for first responder spouses in 2018. She has been married to her wonderful husband for 15 years and has tow children. She loves to journal, make crafts and find healing through music and concerts. In this episode, Lena shares her heart about her lived experience. Her expertise in grief and loss give depth to the experience of being adopted.

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/

Greg Gentry is a domestic baby scoop era adoptee, born in California in 1969. He spent the first 6 weeks of his life in foster care before going to live with his adoptive family. Greg has gone through the ups-and-downs of reunion with his maternal side since 2006. In 2021, a fellow adoptee helped him locate his paternal family. He has been in reunion with members of his late father’s side since early 2022, and continues to cultivate those relationships. Since July 2021, Greg has been an active member of the online and in-person adoptee communities. Greg is a facilitator and interviewer for Fireside Adoptees, a private Facebook group which also runs a private group open to the larger adoption constellation. Additionally, Greg hosts in-person meetings for Adoptees Connect out of Derry, New Hampshire. In this deeply meaningful episode Greg shares his heart in ways that open the eyes of understanding. His compassionate demeanor invite the listener to sit by the fireside with him. 


https://www.youtube.com/@firesideadoptees673
https://www.instagram.com/firesideadoptees


Mentions: 
https://adopteesconnect.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/

In this episode, you will get the chance to get to know our team at PBTR.  Stephanie Joy Pipes/ Creative Director /Producer, Amy Hansen Co-Host/ Operations Manager/ Publicity , Elle Klassen Co-Host/Art Curator and Sean Farley Sound Engineer/Co-producer will be joining us today. The  definition of a team is a group of people working collaboratively towards a common goal pooling their skills and knowledge. Although this definition resonates, our team also leads with their hearts, generosity and time. Our collective goal is to open the arms of understanding about adoption loss. It is our hope that through our content, conversations and creativity people can embrace the reality of what it means to be adopted. This platform would not exist without the devotion of our team. Amongst our highest goals is to take care of our guests and provide the listener with edifying information. Enjoy this conversation between people who care deeply about you and each other.

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/

Michelle Madrid is a life coach and guidance mentor who is passionate about igniting the light within every adoptee. She seeks soulful modalities of healing to support clients in feeling a deeper connectedness with themselves and with others.

Michelle is a former foster child from the United Kingdom and an international adoptee. She understands the nuances of the adoptee experience and considers it a great honor to guide adoptees back home to themselves as they embrace a deeper sense of identity and calling. Michelle is a Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) Angels in Adoption Honoree as well as an inductee to the New Mexico Women's Hall of Fame. She is a former Emmy-nominated television news journalist and an in-demand high-impact speaker whose perspectives are renowned both domestically and internationally. She is also the host of the Electricity of You podcast, sharing transformational teachings that nudge listeners to respark their potential. Her illuminating content and coaching offerings can be found at TheMichelleMadrid.com.

Michelle is a mother, animal lover, passionate equestrian, and a world traveler who feels at home no matter where she is because she's found her home within.


https://themichellemadrid.com/
https://linktr.ee/TheMichelleMadrid

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/

A special message from Heidi:

With the tremendous support of my family, the PBTR team, and our adoption community, I am back to interviewing and embracing the work I am called to do. This week's solo episode is not just a reflection of my gratitude but also an exciting prelude to what's ahead. We are thrilled to be releasing future interviews soon with some remarkable guests, showcasing the diverse and impactful stories from around the globe. This marks a significant step in our journey, as Pulled By The Root continues to expand its reach and influence on an international scale. Stay tuned for these powerful conversations that promise to enlighten, inspire, and cultivate a deeper understanding.

-H.M.

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/

Christelle Pellecuer is a certified coach who helps adoptees to navigate their stories so they can find their authentic voices and identity. 
She has have been on a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance as her adoption journey, like for many adoptees, has not been straightforward. She  was adopted in South of France from Madagascar at the age of 10.  For a long time, she lived in denial and didn’t acknowledge that her adoption was the cause of much of the life confusion she was feeling and her lack of identity.
Through several years of self-discovery, healing and sharing her story, she was able to slowly find her own voice and build her own identity. She is also a multidisciplinary artist and the arts has helped her immensely to reconnect to herself.


https://www.christellepellecuer.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/

“Lora K. Joy is the progression of me. Lora was the name my biological mother gave me, but did not feel she had the right to put on my birth certificate. K. stands for her last name and for Kimberly. A name that is on my adoption record, but I am not sure who gave it to me. Joy was my adoptive name and how everyone knew me until January 2022 when I legally reclaimed the name Lora. 

I am an adult adoptee, born in 1979 and adopted through a religious organization in a closed adoption. The first time I remember knowing I was adopted was at 8 years old and my whole world shifted under my feet. The first 29 years of my life I was swirling in pain, not realizing it was caused by relinquishment. The reality of adoption trauma crashed over me and I began to heal through various therapy approaches. The journey has been long and difficult, but now I can stand on the other side, while continuing to grow and heal. Reunion happened with my biological mother and maternal half-brother in 2008 and my paternal, biological cousins and half siblings in 2020. Upon healing my adoption trauma, I gained strength to live my truth. This led to an estrangement 30 years in the making from my adoptive parents. Estrangement is about both the unhealthy relationship with my adoptive parents from which I needed to remove myself and about rebuilding the life I should have always had. 

I have taken the lessons from my life as an adoptee and tried to parent my children accordingly. I have 2 children - a son and a daughter who are teenagers as of this writing. I have been married to my husband since 2003. He has been on this journey and supported me every step of the way.”

https://www.myadopteetruth.com/lora-k-joy

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/

Jessica Pearson is a Certified Life and Health Coach, Co-Founder of Path Nutrition and Co-Host of Weight a Minute Podcast. 

Her work dives deep into the world of anti-diet culture and self acceptance. She's on a mission to help people to break free from diet culture and develop a profound and compassionate relationship with both their bodies and food. Her holistic approach to well-being extends beyond mere nutrition advice; it's about fostering lasting transformations and nurturing an empowered mindset.

Jessica is a transracial adoptee and passionate about elevating adoptee voices and holding space for everyone's unique experiences. 



https://pathnutrition.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/