Please join me as I speak with the board of Adoptees for Family Preservation. AdopteesFFP.org was formed with the goal of supporting advocacy and education about the way that the adoption industry functions today and to promote family preservation rather than family dissolution. The board members all bring their own lived experience as adopted people to the conversation, along with their skills as professionals in a range of career fields.

Please check out their bios at the non-profits website for more information about Sullivan Summer, Lora Alegria and Lilly Anspach.

Please share the links to adopteesffp.org with everyone you know! Be a part of something powerful.

https://www.adopteesffp.org/

Find them on Instagram @adopteesffp

Check out Haley Radke at: https://onadoption.net/

https://www.adopteeson.com/about

Donate and be a part of creating healthier communities at: https://www.adopteesffp.org/donations

The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, our opinions. The host is not a therapist, lawyer or adoption professional

First mom Dani Joy joins me as we discuss spiritual trauma through the lens of adoption. We are reading and discussing the book Holy Hurt, by Hillary L McBride PhD. We hope the listeners will join us in this journey to understand and to navigate adoption related spiritual and religious trauma.

https://medium.com/@danijoy

https://hillarylmcbride.com/holy-hurt-book/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=acd48c2d0b8111f1804e00550a1eba24&cm_mmc=CJ-_-100357191-_-5250933-_-Evergreen+Link+for+Mayo+Clinic+Diet&utm_source=cj&utm_content=100357191&utm_capaign=3-months

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/complex_ptsd_assessment.asp

https://www.nicabm.com/program/a1-brain-trauma-fb2/?del=bing.1718.ptsd&network=o&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=530620131&ad_group_id=1351302280065123&utm_term=traumatic%20stress&utm_content=&del=bing530620131&msclkid=bee2c579db9c177b015bacea48f39198

https://www.mhanational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MHM-2025-Resource-List.pdf

https://rainn.org/

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vagus-nerve-reset

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits

The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, our opinions. The host is not a therapist, a lawyer or an adoption professional.

Dani Joy, first mom, birthmothers rights advocate, adoptee ally. amazing friend joins me in reviewing the book Holy Hurt Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L Mc Bride PhD.

https://hillarylmcbride.com/holy-hurt-book/

We are reviewing the book from the perspectives of a mother of loss to adoption and a person lost to adoption. Religion contributed a great deal to the trauma we have both experienced and informs the family severance narrative to this day.

We hope you will join us in this journey.

Please be aware that the episodes will discuss things that may be triggering to many of our listeners. Please take care of yourself.

The host and their guest are not adoption professionals, lawyers or mental health professionals. Our opinions are just that, our opinions. They are informed by our respective educations and lived experiences.

This episode is the conclusion to my trip to Georgia, hoping to meet maternal family, and walk in circles for a lot of hours just in case no one showed up.

Day two here. My day to stretch out after traveling. One of my free time days that I hoped to meet family. I deliberately included a week day and a weekend day, because, timing?

Have you ever thought about the way you move? How some, any of your gestures may mirror those of a family member? How seeing them in yourself may make for a sense of belonging?

I would love to experience that. Have you?

This is a messy episode. I recorded this at the end of a very long day where i woke up at 2 am, drove an hour to an airport and then wore an itchy mask for ten hours to get to a place I am not sure I want to be in order to do one thing I want to do and feel conflicted about another thing I am not sure is going to happen or if I want it to happen if it does.

I am in Georgia for an Ultra. I am in Georgia to maybe, finally, meet my mom. And maybe my maternal siblings.

And also, the Ultra, which is put on by a group called Yeti Trail Runners and is called The Dark Anchor. If you have never done an endurance event-think about participating. Training to complete a marathon or an ultra or a century or, well, there are lots of options, teaches you a lot about yourself and about other people.

Listen to learn about Californias new bill designed to restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates for people adopted in California. You can be a part of making history and restoring equality!

The bill: CA SB 381 2026 (this number was assigned to a housing bill for last legislative session. This will change when session for this year opens)

Sponsor: Author Senator Aisha Wahab

The bill restores unrestricted access to original birth certificates for adult people who were adopted as minors in the state of California



https://caallianceforadopteerights.org/legislative-updates/

https://concernedunitedbirthparents.org/how-we-can-help

https://bastards.org/

https://savingoursistersadoption.org/

https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

https://registertovote.ca.gov/

https://www.adopteerightscoalition.com/

The opinions of the host are just that, their opinion. The host is not a lawyer or an adoption professional.

The road to hell is paved in good intentions. What might this have to do with adoption? Listen to this conversation with embodiment instructor and adoptee rights advocate Lorah Gerald, also known as The Adopted Chameleon on social media. Information about Lorah and links to her social media can be found at https://lorahgerald.com/

Mentioned in the episode

http://kathrynjoyce.com/books/the-child-catchers/

https://www.relinquishedbook.com/

https://thefamilypreservationproject.com/

https://adopteerightslaw.com/

https://adopteesunited.org/

https://www.adopteesforjustice.org/

https://savingoursistersadoption.org/

The host is not a lawyer or a therapist. The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, our opinions.