Welcome to 2025! And to the Adoptee Diaries Community, Happy New Year, beautiful souls!

As we enter this new season of The Adoptee Diaries, I reflect on the past two years, the stories that resonated most, and my hopes for the journey ahead. 2024 brought some of my most vulnerable episodes yet — including my emotional conversation with my birth father. But after that, I found myself retreating, overwhelmed by life and the emotional weight of this work.

This year, I’m leading with ease — showing up authentically, without the pressure to perform. I’ve learned that storytelling is powerful, but protecting your peace is essential. In this episode, I share my personal reflections, the themes that listeners like you have connected with most, and what you can expect from me in 2025.

From stories of trauma and healing to the search for identity and belonging, we’re diving deep — together. Here’s to a year of balance, connection, and showing up when it feels right.

💛 Protect your stories. Protect your peace. And most importantly, protect your beautiful, resilient spirit.

The Adoptee Diaries is a safe space for adoptees navigating the complex emotions of identity, trauma, and healing. Join me as I share personal reflections, journal entries, and real-time learnings from our community, featuring insights from experts who help us understand genetic and birth trauma. Whether you're an adoptee or someone seeking understanding, this podcast is about finding strength, connection, and resilience in a world that can often feel overwhelming. Together, let's move from our heads into our hearts and support each other on this journey.

Episode Description:

In this episode, I open up about the struggles I've faced over the past six months—feeling cornered, rattled, and overwhelmed by the world around me. But/And - my community has been my anchor, providing a safe space to heal and connect.

I discuss the importance of resilience, protecting our emotional well-being, and moving from head to heart.

Whether you're feeling stuck or just need a reminder that you're not alone, this episode is about finding strength together and pushing through the noise of the world with compassion and support.

So cheers to finding strength through community, to finding self-awareness, to protecting our emotional well-being and resisting the negativity that can come from external sources.

If you're experiencing anything you'd like to share, please do feel free to reach out. You are not alone and I'm here to support.

In this bonus episode of The Adoptee Diaries, host Bethany Fraser offers listeners an intimate glimpse into an adoptee's journey to find her roots. This remarkable two-part conversation between Bethany and her birth father tackles the myriad complexities surrounding adoption—from the pain of intentional secrets, an unintended separation, and confronting uncomfortable truths to the joy of reconnecting with blood relatives, cultural ties, ancestry, and the truth.

The episode shines a light on the under-acknowledged narratives within the adoption industry and underscores the lack of adequate support systems for fragmented families.

Drawing from her personal experience, Bethany, with the help of her birth father, dive into their emotionally stirring journey to uncover the truth of her origins. This story of hope, healing, and reunion serves to inspire and comfort adoptees experiencing similar struggles.

This candid conversation also speaks to birth parents, Black fathers specifically, upon discovering the concealed identity of her birth father, who also empathetically conveys the regret and longing he’s experienced.

This unique episode brings to light a few things:

1. The often overlooked humanitarian aspect of adoption.

Tune in to experience the transformative journey of an adoptee taking control of her narrative and discovering her true identity. Healing is available to you too. 

Welcome to a heartfelt episode of "The Adoptee Diaries - Season Two". Beginning this season, our focus remains on providing a supportive platform where adoptees can freely share their stories, fostering understanding and empathy. This episode features a captivating narrative involving our host and her biological father, disclosing remarkable insights from their personal reunion.

In the pursuit of truth and identity, the host initiates a journey of self-discovery, unravelling decades-long secrets about her birth, adoption, and ethnicity through an ancestry DNA test. This emotional roller coaster ride culminates in a long-awaited reunion with her birth father, unfolding a unique tale of love, loss, recovery and reconciliation.

Discussing intricate racial concerns in adoption, the episode unearths the story of being raised in a predominantly white family, emphasizing the critical emotional impact the absence of physical similarities can have on one's sense of identity and belonging. The importance of technology in reconnecting severed bonds, the excitement and anxiety of making the first contact, leading to the revelation of deeply guarded family secrets.

This narrative aims not only to attention to the oft-ignored perspective of birth fathers, but also to provoke discussions about the responsibilities of adoption agencies, adoptive parents, and advocating for adoptees' rights.

Join us for this extraordinary exploration into one story of search and reunion. Listen to one father's story of loss, longing, determination, as well as his perseverance to be part of his daughter's life.

In this episode of The Adoptee Diaries, host Bethany Fraser sits down with Beth Tyson, a global expert in childhood trauma, organizational training, award-winning authorship, and public speaking.

Beth's mission revolves around educating organizations and audiences worldwide about the profound impact of trauma. She offers guidance and tools to support affected children and families, as well as professionals like social workers, educators, child welfare practitioners, and corporate leaders. Beth's aim is to leave her audiences not just more aware of trauma but equipped to respond effectively.

Beth's message is crystal clear: Trauma is not a taboo word; it can manifest in everyday life events. With Beth's wealth of knowledge and insights, she paves the way for information to replace fear. She demonstrates that healing isn't just a possibility—it's a tangible reality that begins with awareness.

This episode is a transformative conversation, illuminating the world of trauma-informed care with Beth Tyson. It's a message of hope, where healing is not just attainable but within your reach. 

For resources and to connect with Beth:

• www.bethtyson.com

Psychologist, intergenerational trauma expert, and author Dr. Mariel Buqué, joins the Pod to discuss intergenerational trauma, its impact on adoptees, and tips for identifying and breaking generational cycles. 

Finding my truth wasn't easy. Writing it and reading it was just as difficult. In this episode, I read an excerpt from my personal essay. It isn't just about me though, it's about your own journey too. It's about the stories we tell ourselves, the truths we seek, and the connections that shape us. Whether you're an adoptee, a supportive friend, or someone who believes in the power of stories to change lives, I hope this episode is helpful to your healing. You are not alone. 

Dive into the powerful world of adoption and permanency with Adam Pertman, Founder & CEO of National Center Adoption & Permanency (NCAP). Adam has influenced policy, shaped laws, and advocated for change with his innovative research, powerful writing, and thought-provoking commentaries that educate professionals, parents, and the general public. His classic book, "Adoption Nation" has been hailed as a pivotal resource on the subject.

We are honored to have Audra Bullock, the President of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care (TFFC), as our special guest. Audra's dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of foster children in Hampton Roads, Virginia, has led her on an incredible journey of advocacy and compassion. Visit tidewaterffc.org to learn more.