What we resist persists. Especially our feelings. So what if we could be open to our feelings? Be openhearted. Ride life's emotional rollercoaster with more ease. Listen in as Cindy talks about vulnerability, openness and much more...

Ms. Cindy Sarai is the Founder and Executive Director for Adoption Dreams Come True, a non-profit domestic adoption agency based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With 23 years in the field of Social Work and 15 years in the adoption arena, her passion is clear. Her belief that every child deserves a home that is loving, safe and permanent is the foundation for the work her agency does for birth parents, adoptive parents and children. As a result of her focus, Cindy has been a part of over 500 placements of children into permanent happy homes.

Cindy created a diverse agency that was not exclusive in any aspect, but served all birth parents and adoptive families regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. Cindy provides free life-time counseling for all birth parents regardless of their final choice and often meets with birth moms whom she met years ago. Adoptive family fees are based on a sliding scale, using annual income, so that adoptive families are not taken out of the adoption process based solely on income. Adoption Dreams Come True has always mirrored our diversity rich world and values the uniqueness of every client who comes through its doors.

https://www.adoptiondreams.org/

https://www.facebook.com/AdoptionDreamsComeTrue

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlTbJSW7UtYqHBNZWK8X6A

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Raising adoptive children and teens is an art not a science. It's something you get a feel for. Listen in as adoptive father of 10 Dr Ray shares his insights on getting a better feel for this art. Packed with humour and humility.

Dr. Ray Guarendi is a clinical psychologist and adoptive father of ten children who provides guidance on adoption, dispelling myths and offering practical advice from his personal and professional experience, emphasizing that love and commitment create family bonds, even across different ages or races, and encouraging adoption as a rewarding path. He's known for his books, radio shows, and talks, addressing concerns about the adoption process, fostering, and integrating adopted children into the family.

Find out more here:

https://www.drray.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-guarendi-233042291/

https://www.youtube.com/@dr.rayguarendi

https://www.facebook.com/Dr.RayGuarendi

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Shame is a big obstacle to our thriving. So how do we say goodbye to it? How is shame different to guilt? Listen in as Penny dives deep into shame, guilt and more...

Here's a bit about Penny from her agency's website:

"I have been a qualified social worker since 1991 and have worked with children and families in the safeguarding arena and as a therapeutic social worker. I qualified as a play therapist in 1999 and have worked independently as both a social worker and play therapist over the years. In 2003, I coordinated the development and delivery of mental health services for Looked After Children across social care, health and education for two years.

I love sharing knowledge and deliver training to a wide range of professionals, foster carers and adoptive parents on areas such as attachment, child development, the impact of trauma and abuse and communicating with children. I joined Adopters For Adoption in 2015 and have enjoyed every minute of my time working with our adopters and their children, when they have arrived! I live in Sheffield with my husband and two boys."

https://www.adoptersforadoption.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AdoptersforAdoption

https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-rowntree-26a47382

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

How often do you realise that you're wrong? It's incredibly freeing. It's the ultimate lubricant for life. It reduces frustration and oils relationships. But if you're like me, your beliefs can get way of humility. Listen in as Arnie dives into humility, change, making a difference and much more. Truly empowering.

Arnie and his wife Donna have been foster parents for over 20 years and are the parents to three daughters and three sons, four of which are adopted into his family from the foster care system.

Arnie currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA). NFPA is a non-profit organization representing thousands of foster, adoptive and kinship parents, established to provide opportunities for advocacy, networking, and education.

Arnie’s role includes developing partnerships and building relationships that benefit foster parents by providing the resources, services and support they need to provide care for children in need.

He serves on multiple national, state, and local government committees, and strives to provide one voice in advocating for core needs for family-based care.

https://www.facebook.com/NFPAonline

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nfpaonline/

https://nfpaonline.org/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Are we going to rise above trauma or to succumb to it? Perhaps one of the most profound questions we can ask. Listen in as foster/kinship parent Joanna's profound and powerful take on thriving.

Joanna is president of the Maryland Resource Parent Association.

Connect with her or them here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-a-961369176/

https://mrpa.org/

https://www.facebook.com/mdresourceparents/

https://www.instagram.com/mrpa_md_resource_parent_assoc/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Rejection can tear us apart. How do we put ourselves back together? Where does the strength come from? Where do we find the hope before we find that strength. Listen in as Niemah shares her learning on hope, healing and more...

Niemah Scherlacher was born to a 15-year-old Palestinian girl in Jerusalem at a time when formal adoption was forbidden. Her birth mother was hidden and protected from honor killing, and Niemah was placed in a Jewish Baby Home to ensure her safety and survival. She was late adopted by American Christians and raised in the United States. Decades later, Niemah discovered the identity of her birth mother and the truth of her origins, a revelation that brought both heartbreak and redemption. Through her journey, she has witnessed God’s providence an faithfulness, especially in the deeply personal work of healing after finding her birth mother only to be rejected.

Find out more about her:

https://www.facebook.com/niemah.scherlacher

https://www.instagram.com/niemahanne_/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Holding on to anger holds us back. It stops us thriving. And it yet we all do it to some extent. It's part of the human condition. Listen in as Rachel shares her learnings and practice on releasing anger, forgiveness and more.

Rachel is the Director of the CAFO Institute for Family-Centered Healing & Health.

She has a background in physical therapy and holds a Master’s in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King’s College London, specializing in early adversity. Rachel has served on multiple boards supporting vulnerable children and helped found Tyndale Christian School in Arlington, Virginia. She advises families facing complex parenting challenges and has invested deeply in education and youth formation. Her recent book, When There Is Crisis: A Handbook for Christian Foster & Adoptive Families Facing Serious Struggle, offers biblically grounded principles and research-based, practical guidance to support families walking through seasons of crisis. Rachel and her husband, Jedd, have welcomed children through birth, adoption and foster care.

https://cafo.org/family-institute/

https://www.instagram.com/cafoalliance/

https://www.facebook.com/CAFOalliance

https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-alliance-for-orphans/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Rumi once said “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I wanted to change myself.” One of the most profound things we can see is that tough stuff helps us change. It creates space to grow. Listen in as Jenny shares her realisations on growth.

Jenny grew up in a small town with her siblings and in foster care. Later, as an adult, she became a kinship home that provided permanency through adoption. These experiences have given Jenny a unique way to see solutions and connect in an understanding and compassionate way. Her role on the AFKA Caregiver Support Team is not just a job to her, it’s her passion to help those going through difficult times and who just need a friendly person with perspective to turn to.

Find out more at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-brewer-3a3778308/

https://afkaonline.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/Albertafosterandkinshipassociation/

https://www.instagram.com/afka_caregiver_support/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/@AlbertaFKA

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Hope is sometimes in short supply within adoptive families navigating tough stuff. Why is that? How can we overcome fear, choose hope and enjoy a brighter future? Listen is as Carly talks faith, truth and helping kids be who they want to be. 

Carly Souza is an adoptive mother and Fostering Hope Director at The Hub in Las Vegas.

Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-souza-aa9a382b/

https://thehublv.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thehublv

https://www.instagram.com/thehublv/

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

How do we enable ourselves and others to thrive? Big question! Listen in as Damon shares what helps him thrive and empower his colleagues, foster youth clients and others to do the same.

One Hope United (OHU) is a nonprofit organization that has been serving children, youth, and families for 130 years. We provide early childhood education, child and family services, behavioral and mental health resources, and residential programs, reaching more than 10,000 children and families each year across Illinois and Florida. Through our evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, we empower children and families to see and create a future where, regardless of their past, they can reach their full potential.

www.onehopeunited.org
www.facebook.com/1hopeunited
www.instagram.com/onehopeunited
www.linkedin.com/company/one-hope-united
www.linkedin.com/in/damon-cates-53945a2b
www.x.com/1hopeunited
www.youtube.com/@1hopeunited

Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.