Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

By Simon BennHealth & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement How To

Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive episodes

July 23 Mindset And Trauma - WHAT??? With Jamole Callahan
Mindset is rarely talked about in adoption and fostering. It's trauma all the way. Why is that? What can we learn from exploring mindset to be better and do better. Listen as the inspirational force of nature that is unofficially adopted Jamole dives deep into normally uncharted waters...
Jamole Callahan spent six years in foster care living in nine different homes until he was emancipated at age 18. His road into foster care was paved with being the product of an affair, his father’s subsequent abandonment, then his mother’s drug addiction that left him to care for his baby sister at the age of 11. Although he had doting and attentive grandparents the state of Ohio still decided to put Jamole in foster care, while his sister went to live with her father, and his brother ran away and eventually went in to the prison system. He moved from home to home for six years due to abusive situations or the illness or death of his caretakers. Finally, he reached a home that changed his life and attitude, propelling him into building a success. The influence of his foster father planted the seed of Mr. Motivator by the mantra “Recognize no such word as impossible” (Napoleon Hill). He completed his college education, started a family, and saw the opportunity bring foster youth and others to a mindset of possibility.
https://www.jamolecallahan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jamole_callahan/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamole-callahan-9b31975b/
https://www.facebook.com/jamole.callahan
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.
56 min
July 21 Seeing Our Own Resilience with Roof Sweatte
Would you like to bounce back faster from setbacks in your life? What if resilience is seen not strengthened? Revealed in a moment not built over years? Instantaneous? Listen in as adoptee Roof shares what he's seen about resilience, mindset and more. His insights could catalyse yours.
Here's a bit about Roof from his website
"I didn't learn about resilience, openness, and foundation from a workshop. I learned it growing up.

My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gentle, were two selfless human beings who offered over 40 children shelter a home where young children could be cared for when their biological parents couldn't. They opened their arms to a panoply of cultures, even when people disagreed with their decision to foster and care for other children on top of raising their own six biological kids. I am one of four children they adopted, totaling ten.

My adoptive father, Mr. Gentle, passed away in 2020 during COVID—a day I'll never forget. The last thing I remember him saying was to " You’ve got it Big Guy!,Never Give Up." My parents taught me patience, presence, and what unconditional love actually looks like.

I grew up with a brother navigating mental health challenges and a sister with Down syndrome who showed me that strength doesn't always look the way people expect and that support means meeting people where they are, not where you think they should be. I grew up in a blended family with white siblings, biological family, and all the complexity that comes with navigating multiple identities and cultures under one roof. I learned early that wholeness requires access to all parts of who you are, not just the parts that are convenient or comfortable for others."
https://www.iamroof.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roof-sweatte-194a13153/
https://www.facebook.com/Roof.sweatte/
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.
58 min
July 16 Fundamental Wholeness
How would it feel to know that You are whole under your trauma? To know that You are intact, undamaged and complete despite your trauma. That everyone else is too. Listen in as I explore our Fundamental Wholeness with Donna Pope, adoptive mother, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and executive director.
Here's more about Donna from her agency's website:
Donna is an irreplaceable member of our adoption agency, dedicated to aiding women who are contemplating placing their child for adoption. Helping women through an unexpected pregnancy has become her life’s journey. She is seldom “off duty.” On weekends she communicates with birth mothers to aid them with their financial concerns or traveling to a hospital to ensure they are receiving the best medical possible.
Her resolute dedication and heartfelt compassion make her an essential figure in supporting these women throughout their entire journey.
Donna ensures that every person who works at Heart to Heart Adoptions treats birth mothers and adoptive families with respect and compassion. She insists on a non-judgmental approach to every situation. She creates a safe and nurturing space for them to share their concerns, dreams, and worries. By approaching each individual with empathy and without judgment, Donna ensures that these exceptional women have the necessary guidance and resources to make well-informed decisions.
Donna’s expertise within the Utah Adoption Agency lies in her ability to find the perfect match between birth mothers and adoptive families, making her an invaluable asset to our agency.
https://hearttoheartadopt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HeartToHeartAdoption
https://www.instagram.com/hearttoheartadoptions/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba/

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.
54 min
July 15 Support Not Gratitude With Randi Thompson
Expecting gratitude from adopted kids turns them against us. We are here to support them! Listen in as Randi shares her learnings on supporting her kids to help them thrive including expectations, acceptance and more...
When Randi Thompson visited an orphanage in Kazakhstan more than 20 years ago, she saw teens forced to move out with no place to go, no skills, and no hope. Inspired to create a new future for these kids she went to work building Kidsave programs and she hasn’t stopped since. Randi is a 30-year veteran of outcome-based marketing and communications projects designed to effect social change. In 2016, Randi was awarded the Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau Adoption Excellence Award for Child Welfare/Judicial Systems Change for Weekend Miracles.
Randi is active in the Equity Committee of the Foster Together Network a group working to increase and enhance the provision of culturally responsive and competent care for Black children, in an effort to facilitate well-being and improve their life outcomes.
To Randi, a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and grandmother, family is everything.
https://www.facebook.com/KidsaveInternational/
https://www.instagram.com/kidsave/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/randi-thompson-a15a078/
https://www.kidsave.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.
56 min
July 07 Challenging Narratives With Kareemah Baker
So many of us are challenging other people's narratives, but what if we challenge our own? This invariably leads to the insights that power our growth, fuel our relationships and succeed. Listen in as Kareemah shares her biggest insights to catalyse insight in yours.
Kareemah Harris-Baker’s story is one of resilience. As an adoptee who lost both her adoptive parents by the age of nine, Kareemah’s early life was shaped by profound transitions—and an unwavering sense of purpose instilled by her late parents. Kareemah works at New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families as Assistant Director of the Office of Adoption Operations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemah-h-baker-lsw-mpa-830079a2/
https://www.facebook.com/Ladyk583/
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.
52 min
July 01 Realisations Are Everything With Cheryl Fix
Time isn't the greatest healer because if there's no change, there's no healing. So what IS the greatest healer? Realisations. Those profound insights that help us see differently, more clearly and better. Listen in as we talk realisations, grace and space...
Cheryl Fix is Executive Director of the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association, find out more at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-fix-4b7b36b/
https://www.facebook.com/Albertafosterandkinshipassociation/
instagram.com/afka_caregiver_support
https://afkaonline.ca/
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.
48 min
June 30 Healing, Wholeness & Growth With Lynda Monk
Healing, Wholeness & Growth. What do they mean? How do they fit together? How can we enjoy more of all three? Listen in as adoptee and social worker Lynda shares powerful insights and strategies.
Lynda is an Adoptee, Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW) Director of the International Association for Journal Writing, IAJW.org and Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
Find out more at:
https://www.amazon.com/Adoptees-Guide-Healing-Wholeness-Growth/dp/1963667328/
LyndaMonk.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndamonk/
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.
44 min
June 29 Looking Forward With Richard Kingswell
Going through tough stuff? Really tough? Tomorrow's going to be better...Listen in as Richard shares insights on hope, optimism and persistence...
Richard is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FosterVA and Extra Special Parents, organisations he established to strengthen foster care services and improve outcomes for children, young people, and families across Virginia. With a strong background in social work and decades of experience working alongside young people, Richard brings both professional depth and personal conviction to his leadership.
Richard believes foster care works best when families feel genuinely supported, listened to, and respected. His leadership is grounded in relationships, transparency, and a commitment to doing what is right for children and those who care for them. Through initiatives such as The Kingswell Conversations, he creates space for open, honest discussions about foster care, leadership, and the real experiences of families and professionals in the field.
Outside of work, Richard enjoys hiking and kayaking, unwinding with a good film, cooking for family and friends, and playing board games. He is also a dog lover and values the balance that time away from work brings, helping him stay grounded and connected to what matters most.
Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardkingswell/
https://www.fosterva.org/
https://www.espva.org/
https://www.facebook.com/FosterVA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1cwslKf_116XfeZ5eyTjcA
https://www.facebook.com/extraspecialparents
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.
42 min
June 25 Victim - Survivor - Thriver With Jane Baker
When we can see that our past and our trauma don't define us, we leave victimhood behind. Listen in as clinical social worker Jane shares learnings on what helps us move on...looking at what's going on in our heads, hearts and bodies.
Jane Baker, LICSW is a clinical social worker with concentration in trauma, attachment, and family systems. With her beginnings in the field of foster care and adoption over 25 years ago, she is experienced with the unique needs of adoptive families and children with early childhood trauma. This experience now includes recovery for other life changing situations such as Veterans issues, PTSD, divorce recovery, and grief/loss. She includes EMDR, and biofeedback in addition to traditional therapeutic approaches.
Connect with Jane here: https://www.adoption-associates.com/
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.
1 hr 3 min
June 25 Unflappable With Renée Freudenberger
Raising kids challenges all parents. The more trauma, the bigger the challenges. Listen in as adoptive mother Renée shares her learnings on commitment, sticking with it and being unflappable as we raise our kids to thrives
Here's an extra thought from Renée...
"Of all the things that I said that children need to thrive, I wish I had added fun! Children need the opportunity to explore who they are in ways that disarm their fight or flight. We always exposed our foster children, and later our daughter, to lots of different activities (sports, dance, art, theater, camps), where she could learn something new and have fun. There, she could also make mistakes and realize it was okay to make those mistakes and that she could figure out her own solutions. We call that the dignity of risk, and it certainly helps build resilience!"
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-freudenberger-6481b018/
https://www.woodfords.org/
https://www.facebook.com/woodfords
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.
49 min