Unraveling Adoption

  • Home
  • Unraveling Adoption

Unraveling Adoption This is an intentional space to delve into adoption's complexities together, hosted by Beth Syverson.
(4)

Would it help if you talked about it?We're here for it!  We've created a monthly courageous container for conversations ...
15/11/2024

Would it help if you talked about it?

We're here for it! We've created a monthly courageous container for conversations about adoption and suicidality. Whether you're an adopted person, a birth/first parent, an adoptive parent, or an ally, you're welcome here! And whether you are the one who's had suicidality yourself, whether you lost someone to su***de, or whether your loved one struggles with suicidality, you're welcome here!

Join us Sunday, November 17 at 4pm PST / 7pm EST for this month's 90-minute Conversations and Adoption and Suicidality.

Registration and more info here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conversations-about-adoption-and-suicidality-november-2024-tickets-1052880312357

***dePrevention

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption 🌟This week's podcast episode features the incredible Kayla Tange, a Korean adop...
05/11/2024

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption 🌟

This week's podcast episode features the incredible Kayla Tange, a Korean adoptee and a performance artist who has navigated the complexities of adoption, identity, and empowerment through s*x work. Here are three key takeaways that will deepen your understanding of adoption's complexities:

The Search for Connection: Kayla discusses how her experiences as an adoptee have shaped her desire to connect with others. She reflects on the feelings of loneliness and displacement that often accompany adoption, and how her work as a performer allows her to forge meaningful connections with strangers.

Empowerment Through Agency: One of the most powerful aspects of Kayla's story is her journey toward empowerment. She shares how her work in s*x work and performance art has given her a sense of control over her body and her narrative. Rather than viewing her career through a lens of stigma, she embraces it as a form of self-expression and autonomy. This challenges the stereotypes often associated with s*x work and encourages us to consider the diverse experiences of those within the industry.

The Complexity of Identity: Throughout the episode, Kayla candidly discusses her struggles with identity as an adoptee. She reflects on her trips to Korea and the feelings of not fully belonging in either her birth culture or her adoptive one. This conversation serves as a reminder of the complexities that many adoptees face in navigating their identities and the importance of honoring and respecting those experiences.

I encourage you all to listen to this thought-provoking episode and share it with anyone who might resonate with Kayla's story. It's a powerful reminder of the multifaceted impact of adoption.

*xworkersrights *xwork

02/11/2024

Maureen McCauley joined Mike Davis in this week's episode of Unraveling Adoption to talk about the great injustice of deporting adopted children who were raised in the US. Find out more by hearing the whole episode here: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/33621727

The episode's show notes also has information for how we can all take action to help Mike and others who are at risk of deportation. Act now by calling your U.S. Congressperson and insist they get on board with the Adoptee Citizenship Act.

If you're a parent of a struggling teen or young adult (adopted or not), I want to make sure you know about Other Parent...
01/11/2024

If you're a parent of a struggling teen or young adult (adopted or not), I want to make sure you know about Other Parents Like Me. I'm a Peer Parent with that wonderful organization, and I lead an Adoptive Families meeting every Monday morning. They have 15+ other support meetings every week for parents with kids who are struggling with addiction, mental health, eating disorders, etc. Many of our kids are in rehab, residential treatment centers, wilderness, etc. The parents in these rooms will nod and empathize with WHATEVER is going on with your kids. We've been there and you are not alone!

They also have a giant resource hub, weekly speakers, and mentoring support.

DM me for a link for a free 2-month trial.

Did you know that authors can see how many Kindle pages have been read?  (Not by each person, but all together.) It's fa...
31/10/2024

Did you know that authors can see how many Kindle pages have been read? (Not by each person, but all together.) It's fascinating to see our book - Adoption and Suicidality - being processed each week by people who purchased the Kindle version.

You can access our anthology 3 different ways - Kindle, Audible, and paperback, and it's available worldwide.

We are grateful to all who have read/heard, purchased, and reviewed our book. We truly hope this book is helpful to many! The reviews really help boost our book in searches!

https://www.amazon.com/Adoption-Suicidality-Healthcare-Professionals-Unraveling/dp/B0DCBCTSLL

A special shout-out today to our Patreon supporters! We really appreciate your financial support of our mission, and I h...
31/10/2024

A special shout-out today to our Patreon supporters! We really appreciate your financial support of our mission, and I hope you are enjoying your little perks as well! (50% off live webinars, early podcast releases, Adoption on Screen database, behind-the-scenes content, and more!)

Thank you to our current Patreon supporters: Adair, Autumn, Barbara & Steve, Bruce, Camille, Charlyn, Eva, Greg, Janet, Jenny, Jo, Katie, Laura, LC, Lisa, Mar, Margaret, Miriam, Nancy, Nina, Patricia, Sue, and Susan

If you would like to join them in supporting Unraveling Adoption with as little as a $5/month donation, we'd welcome you in our Patreon group. It's easy to join and easy to change later: Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption

30/10/2024

Today is Adoptee Remembrance Day - October 30th. I am reflective on this day (and every day) about the pain that adoptees live with - and sometimes die with. How can we as adoption community members better support adoptees so we don't lose one more adoptee to su***de, murder, or deportation?

This day is a call to action. The status quo is not working.

According to preliminary results of a study (A Preliminary Exploration into Adoption Reunions), adopted people are 36.7 times more likely to attempt su***de than the general population.

I don't know the statistics about adoptees and foster children being murdered by their adoptive/foster parents, but the stories of adoptee murders are horrific and should never ever occur.

This is a scourge that is not talked about enough.

And the fact that adoptees who grew up in the US have been deported back to their country of origin is a disgrace. This week's podcast episode was with Mike Davis, who was deported to Ethiopia and has fought for his freedom for over 20 years. (https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/33621727)

This is far far far from the unicorns and butterflies view of adoption that is so prevalent in our culture.

I'm wearing yellow today and speaking up about these issues on this day in particular, but it all seems like small little drops in a giant ocean.

But if we all combine our little drops, the wave will become bigger. Let's continue to bring up adoption's complexities within our circles of influence, find more ways to support adoptees we know, and raise our own awareness about adoption trauma and adoption healing.

Sending love to all adoptees everywhere, to those who love and support them, and to those who loved and supported an adoptee who died by su***de. The ripples of grief AND love flow out far and wide. 💜

30/10/2024

On Adoptee Remembrance Day, I just want you to think about what it would be like to be an adoptee who was deported to a country they left as a child. That's what happened to Mike Davis. He's struggled for over 2 decades to get justice, and he's supporting a bill that's working it's way through the US Congress right now to protect adoptees from deportation.

Listen to Mike's full episode here: https://youtu.be/71LhJdVq2dU?si=iJ1EHGscLG-Sn08K

Can you help? Donate to Mike's GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mike-davis-abebe-hailu-come-home-to-the-us

Mike Davis

Wouldn't it be great if there was a central place to find practitioners who work with people who are impacted by adoptio...
29/10/2024

Wouldn't it be great if there was a central place to find practitioners who work with people who are impacted by adoption (the adoption constellation)? Well, there IS!

Here's your reminder about the free resource for the adoption community that I created: Healing the Adoption Constellation database.

To access the database, go to UnravelingAdoption.com/healing. (Bookmark it for future reference.)

This chart contains practitioners of all kinds of healing modalities -- EMDR, hypnotherapy, coaching 🙋‍♀️, EFT, regular psychotherapy, and much more. There are currently 102 practitioners from around the world, and more are added each week.

You can Filter the chart to find just the type of practitioner you're looking for.
For instance, the database will help you find:
❓ an adoptee play therapist who can work with your 6yo adopted child.
❓or a psychotherapist who does EMDR therapy online for adoptees.
❓or hypnotherapist who sees birth/first parents in person in Oregon.

I hope this resource will be very helpful to those in the adoption constellation who are seeking help.

And if you're a practitioner who works with the adoption constellation, and you want to be added to the database, fill out the submission form here: https://forms.gle/Vbp447XvsbPxyjam6

October 30 is Adoptee Remembrance Day. How can you make space in your heart for adoptees who have died by su***de, who h...
29/10/2024

October 30 is Adoptee Remembrance Day. How can you make space in your heart for adoptees who have died by su***de, who have been murdered, or who have been deported?

Join Fireside Adoptees for a special event on Wednesday 10/30: https://www.adopteereclaimed.com/ard2024

And here are some recordings about adoptees' su***de, murder, and deportation that might inform and inspire you to take action:

From Ethiopia to America and Back Again: An Adoptee’s Fight for Justice with Mike Davis and Maureen McCauley: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/33621727

Adoption and Suicidality with Joey Nakao, Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, Bruce Porth, Janell Strube, Laura L. Engel, Lorraine Dusky, Terri Dreismeier, and Melissa Brunetti: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/32523277

Preventing Adoptee Su***de through Compassionate Community Support with Moses Farrow: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/28592058

2023 Adoptee Remembrance Day Candlelight Vigil: https://youtu.be/uun76F2JQpE

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption 🌟Our latest episode highlights the story of Mike Davis, an intercountry adoptee...
28/10/2024

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption 🌟

Our latest episode highlights the story of Mike Davis, an intercountry adoptee who faced unimaginable challenges after being deported back to Ethiopia, a country he left as a child.

Here are three key takeaways from this powerful conversation:

The Hidden Risks of Intercountry Adoption: Many people believe that when a child is adopted from another country, they automatically become a U.S. citizen. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. This serves as a wake-up call for all intercountry adoptive parents to double-check their child's citizenship status and understand the legal implications of international adoption.

The Impact of Deportation on Families: Mike's experience sheds light on the broader consequences of deportation, not just for the individual but for their entire family. This episode emphasizes that the ramifications of such actions extend far beyond the individual, affecting spouses, children, and even grandchildren.

The Need for Legislative Change: The episode discusses the ongoing efforts to pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act, which aims to rectify the injustices faced by many adoptees who are at risk of deportation. We encourage everyone to get involved by contacting your congressional representatives and by advocating for the rights of adopted people.

Join us in raising awareness about these critical issues. Let’s support Mike and others like him by sharing their stories and advocating for change. You can find a GoFundMe link in the show notes if you feel led to help with Mike's legal and medical expenses.

Listen to Mike's episode (which also features Maureen McCauley, his biggest advocate) on your favorite podcast app or here: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/33621727 A transcript is also available at that link.

Podcast question for those of you who listen to our Unraveling Adoption podcast:I'm going to be away for almost 2 weeks ...
28/10/2024

Podcast question for those of you who listen to our Unraveling Adoption podcast:

I'm going to be away for almost 2 weeks in November, and I wonder what to do about the weekly Unraveling Adoption podcast episodes. We're coming out with episode #169 this week, and I've never gone dark for even a week that whole time.

When I've gone away before, I usually re-publish a previous episode. Or I could really work hard before I go to create episodes that would be released while I'm away. (But I probably won't be able to do this sensibly.) Or I could just let it go dark and not publish anything for 1 or 2 weeks. I'm scared if I don't publish anything that no one will come back to listen again when I return....

Reply with a 👍🏻 if you think I should just let the podcast rest for 2 weeks (and you promise you'll listen again when it returns)

Reply with a ❤️ if you think I should re-publish an episode or prepare a new episode before I leave.

Thanks for your insights! I value every single listener, plus I have loads of already-recorded content that I'm excited for you to hear. But I'm trying to balance out my mental health and my literal time constraints. Thanks much for listening and helping me out!

Did you know that the extensive bibliography from our book Adoption and Suicidality is available free for anyone?  Find ...
23/10/2024

Did you know that the extensive bibliography from our book Adoption and Suicidality is available free for anyone? Find it at UnravelingAdoption.com/Suicidality. It contains a long list of resources specifically about the intersection between adoption and suicidality, including research, essays, videos, podcast episodes, lists of providers, and more. We want to make sure everyone has access to these important tools.

And if you're in the U.S., make sure you know to call or text 988 if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation. We've called them several times and they were caring experts at de-escalation. Sending you all light and hope today!

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption with Allison Olson! 🌟Our incredible guest, Allison Olson, is both an adoptee an...
22/10/2024

🌟 New Episode Alert: Unraveling Adoption with Allison Olson! 🌟

Our incredible guest, Allison Olson, is both an adoptee and an adoptive parent, and she is a children's book author hoping to change the narrative around adoption for the youngest among us. Here are three key takeaways from our conversation that I believe everyone should reflect on:

The Importance of Representation in Children's Literature: Allison highlights the significant impact that children's books can have on adopted children. She emphasizes the need for stories that portray adoption in a balanced way, showcasing both the love from birth families and adoptive families. Her own experiences led her to write her book, Surrounded by Love, which aims to shift the narrative from the "lucky child" to the "loved child." This is a crucial reminder that our children deserve to see themselves represented in a way that honors their entire story.

Understanding Adoption Openness: We discussed the evolution of adoption practices, particularly the shift from closed to open adoptions. Allison explained how open adoptions allow for ongoing relationships between birth families and adoptive families, which can be beneficial for everyone involved.

Educating Non-Adoptees: One of the most powerful points Allison made is that the responsibility of educating friends and peers about adoption often falls on the adoptee themselves. This can be a heavy burden for children who are still trying to understand their own identities. Allison's book, Learning About My Friend's Adoption, aims to bridge this gap by providing a resource for non-adopted children to learn about adoption in a friendly and accessible way. It’s a reminder that we all have a role to play in fostering understanding and compassion in our communities.

👉 Check out Allison's episode now on your favorite podcast app, on YouTube, or here: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/33521222

Address


Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Unraveling Adoption posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Unraveling Adoption:

Videos

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Videos
  • Claim ownership or report listing
  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share