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What happens when your story starts with secrecy… and ends with a global family?

In this milestone Episode 200 of Family Twist, Kendall sits down with author, musician, and adoptee Zara, whose life began in England during the forced adoption era of the 1960s, a time when young, unmarried mothers were often given no choice but to relinquish their children.

Zara always knew she was adopted. What she didn’t know was how deeply that truth would shape her identity, her relationships, and her lifelong search for connection.

From quietly wondering if she might recognize her birth mother on the street… to becoming her own detective in a pre-internet world… to finally using DNA testing decades later to uncover her father and a web of siblings across continents, Zara’s story is a powerful look at what it means to search for where you come from.

But as anyone in this community knows, reunion is only the beginning.

Zara opens up about:

• The emotional weight of growing up adopted in a time of secrecy
• Searching for her birth mother before the digital age
• Using DNA to finally find her biological father
• Navigating complicated sibling relationships and loyalty dynamics
• Losing her father just two and a half years after finding him
• Turning her story into music, writing, and advocacy

This conversation is about identity, truth, and the reality that family discovery doesn’t follow a script. It’s messy, beautiful, and deeply human.

If you’ve ever wondered where you come from… or how DNA discoveries reshape a life… this episode will stay with you.

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What happens when a life-altering DNA discovery becomes a feature film… and then gets unpacked in a room full of people who truly understand it?

In this special live episode of Family Twist, Corey sits down with filmmaker, actor, and storyteller Lisa Brenner at Untangling Our Roots.

Lisa shares the real story behind her film One Big Happy Family, inspired by discovering at age 40 that the father who raised her was not her biological father. But this conversation goes beyond the screen.

Together, they dive into:

• The difference between real life and what made it into the film
• The emotional impact of late discovery and identity shifts
• Family dynamics, secrecy, and the question so many people ask, who am I now?
• Nature vs nurture, and what we carry from both

Then the conversation opens up to the audience, and this is where things get powerful.

Members of the adoption, NPE, and donor-conceived communities share their own questions, reflections, and lived experiences, turning this episode into something bigger than an interview. It becomes a shared moment of recognition, honesty, and connection.

Because when you’re in a room like this, you realize something important. Your story may be unique, but you are not alone.

If you’ve experienced a DNA surprise, questioned your identity, or are navigating new family relationships, this episode will hit home.

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What happens when you go from being an only child… to one of twelve overnight?

In this episode of Family Twist, and Kendall sits down with Elizabeth Barbour, an adoptee, adoptive mom, and reunion expert who has spent more than two decades living the reality so many are just beginning to face.

Elizabeth shares her story of searching in a pre-DNA era, making that life-changing phone call, and hearing the words many adoptees dream of: “I’ve hoped and prayed for this day.”

But this conversation goes far beyond the moment of discovery.

Together, they explore what happens after reunion. The emotional complexity. The shifting identities. The joy that exists right alongside grief. And what it really means to build relationships with people who are suddenly family.

Kendall opens up about his own ongoing experience with rejection from his birth mother, leading to one of the most honest and emotional conversations we’ve had on the show.

Elizabeth brings a rare perspective. She has lived reunion as an adoptee and as a parent. Through her work as a coach and practitioner, she helps others navigate this exact terrain with intention, care, and grounding.

This episode is about more than finding family.

It is about what comes next.

WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• The moment Elizabeth found her birth mother and how it changed everything
• What it was like discovering 11 siblings after growing up as an only child
• The emotional reality of reunion after the initial excitement fades
• How Kendall continues to process rejection from his birth mother
• Why “family is addition” is more than just a comforting phrase
• What adoptees, NPEs, and donor-conceived people need most in reunion
• How to navigate identity, belonging, and grief all at the same time

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

With more people discovering DNA surprises every day, reunion is no longer rare. But understanding how to navigate it still is.

If you are:

• An adoptee
• An NPE (Not Parent Expected)
• Donor-conceived
• Or someone supporting a loved one through discovery

This conversation will help you feel less alone and more prepared for what comes next.

Elizabeth Barbour, M.Ed. is an author, speaker, life coach, and shamanic practitioner who helps people navigate life’s most complex transitions with grounding and intention.

An adoptee reunited with her birth family for more than 26 years, Elizabeth is also an adoptive mother whose family is in reunion with their daughter’s birth family. Her lived experience, combined with her professional work, gives her a rare and deeply informed perspective on the emotional realities of adoption reunion.

Elizabeth supports individuals moving through grief, identity shifts, and relationship-building after discovery, using self-care, storytelling, and ritual as tools for healing.

She is the author of Smart Self-Care for Busy Women and Sacred Celebrations: Designing Rituals to Navigate Life’s Milestone Transitions, and is currently writing a book focused on adoption reunion.

She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her daughter and two cats.