In this week’s Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Cindy Olson McQuay, an adoptee from Pennsylvania who is the co-founder, with Erin Cosentino, of Hiraeth Healing Retreats for Adoptees, DCPs (Donor Conceived People), LDAs (Late Discovery Adoptees), and NPEs (Not Parent Expected). Cindy is a baby scoop era domestic infant adoptee, and she had a rather idyllic childhood with well-informed and open adoptive parents, which was somewhat unusual at the time.  Besides her work for Hiraeth, she advocates for adoption law reform and educates the public about separation trauma. 

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RESOURCES:

Cindy’s information:

• Hiraeth Hope & Healing Retreats: https://www.hiraethhopeandhealing.com/

• Email: [email protected]

Other things mentioned in this episode:

• The Chosen Baby book from Cindy’s childhood: https://amzn.to/3FwgCdn

• The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler: https://amzn.to/3JNM35j

• InterCountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV) with Lynelle Long: https://intercountryadopteevoices.com/

Other Resources:

• APtitude: A Support Group for Adoptive Parents Facing Adoption’s Challenges - UnravelingAdoption.com/APtitude

• Other Parents Like Me -  https://www.facebook.com/other.parents.like.me

• Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https://heatherrosscoaching.com/

• Find a Tele-Therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/online-counseling

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Unraveling Adoption is produced and hosted by Beth Syverson

Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao

Email questions or comments to [email protected]

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Support UnravelingAdoption on Patreon: Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption

www.UnravelingAdoption.com

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TIME STAMPS:

  1:25 Cindy’s adoption story and childhood

  6:40 Cindy’s search for her birth family

10:35 Does a “good adoption” preclude adoption trauma?

15:44 What prompted Cindy to become an adoption activist and search angel?

16:58 Adoption v. Guardianship

18:46 The problems with intercountry adoption and surrogacy

21:49 What is Hiraeth Hope & Healing?

25:25 The overlaps between adoptees, LDAs, DCPs, and NPEs

27:03 What do people experience at Hiraeth retreats? 

31:40 Scholarships ARE available! And help them find mansions to host these retreats 

35:17 Advice for non-adoptees and adoptive parents