Shows
Unraveling AdoptionResponding to the Siren Call: Navigating Birth Family Connections with Susan Kiyo Ito - Ep 182"I think she had a deep ambivalence about me, knowing me, having a relationship with me from the very beginning." -- Susan Kiyo Ito Read the transcript of this episode here: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01JJYRPQ0EJEGKW4GNXFMCA8CV EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the pleasure of speaking with Susan Kiyo Ito, a writing professor and author of the memoir I Would Meet You Anywhere. Susan's book, a culmination of 30 years of work, explores her journey as a biracial adoptee—half Japanese and half wh...
2025-02-0331 min
Unraveling AdoptionThe Importance of Adoptee-Led Initiatives with Jessica M. Luciere - Ep 162"I tell every adopted person that I meet that their story changes my own story. And it's the truth. It is the absolute truth." - Jessica M. Luciere In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson interviews Jessica M. Luciere, an inter-country, interracial adoptee from Colombia who works at Spence Chapin, a nonprofit adoption agency. Jessica shares her personal adoption story and highlights the importance of adoptee-led initiatives in the adoption community. She discusses the programming she has created at Spence Chapin, including Voices of Adoption for adoptees over 18 and Teen Voices of Adoption f...
2024-09-0923 min
Unraveling AdoptionShedding Light on Children of Priests with Brendan Watkins - Ep 161"The Church, of course, is doing everything it can to silence victims." - Brendan Watkins EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, the host, Beth Syverson, interviews Brendan Watkins, an Australian adoptee who shares his emotional journey of discovering his origin story filled with religious intrigue. Brendan found out that his birth mother became pregnant in the 1950s and relinquished him for adoption, and later became a nun. He then discovered that his birth father was a Catholic priest. Brendan's memoir, Tell No One, sheds light on the challenges faced by children of priests and nuns...
2024-09-0228 min
Unraveling AdoptionAdoption and Suicidality with Joey Nakao, Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, Bruce Porth, Janell Strube, Laura L. Engel, Lorraine Dusky, Terri Dreismeier, and Melissa Brunetti - Ep 158Adoption and Suicidality with Joey Nakao, Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, Bruce Porth, Janell Strube, Laura L. Engel, Lorraine Dusky, Terri Dreismeier, and Melissa Brunetti - Ep 158 "Despite working hard on a daily or moment-to-moment basis to stay alive, the poem revealed a thin thread of hope that by turning toward and befriending my pain, I might just find a way through it." -- Bruce Porth, one of the book's contributors ❤️🩹 If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (Outside US, call your area's crisis line.) ❤️🩹 Podcast Episode Synopsis: In this special...
2024-08-121h 22
Unraveling AdoptionRituals and Relationships in Adoption Reunion with Elizabeth Barbour - Ep 157"I think my mom, my adoptive mom, was probably scared that she was going to lose me to my birth family." -- Elizabeth Barbour EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson interviews guest Elizabeth Barbour, an adoptee who has been in reunion with her birth parents and 11 siblings since 1999. Elizabeth shares her personal adoption story and highlights the importance of navigating search and reunion in a healthy way. She emphasizes the need for support, education, and personal growth for all members of the adoption triad. Elizabeth also discusses the significance of...
2024-08-0526 min
Unraveling AdoptionUnraveling Adoption Update: New Book Launch and Other Collaborations with Beth Syverson - Ep 153Podcast Episode Synopsis: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I, Beth Syverson, provide a detailed update on the latest happenings within the Unraveling Adoption community. As an adoptive mom to my son Joey, we are dedicated to delving into the complexities of adoption and providing support to those impacted by adoption. Book Launch Announcement: The main highlight of this episode is the impending launch of our first book in the Unraveling Adoption book series. Titled Adoption and Suicidality, this anthology features stories, poems, and resources for adoptees, families, healthcare professionals, and allies. The book, co-authored by Joey a...
2024-07-0816 min
Unraveling AdoptionInsights from Plant Medicine for the Adoption Constellation with Mee Ok Icaro and Leslie Pate Mackinnon - Ep 152"Psychedelics can offer a portal to other consciousnesses and open spaces beyond our regular reality." -- Mee Ok Icaro (adoptee) "Psychedelics can be a powerful tool for deep work and accessing feelings". - Leslie Pate Mackinnon (birth mom) "Psychedelics can lead to transformative experiences, dividing life into before and after the journey." -- Beth Syverson (adoptive parent) *********** All adoption constellation members (adoptees, birth/first parents, adoptive parents, and other allies) are invited to a Medicine Circle on July 7, 2024, led by Mee Ok Icaro and hosted by Unraveling Adoption. Register her...
2024-07-011h 00
Unraveling AdoptionThe Impact of Divorce on Adopted Children with Jane Spreckley - Ep 147"I didn't want to lose them. I loved them both and I thought, it's hard to think about your life separated. I guess now knowing all that I know about being separated from the first person that I was supposed to be with, you know, I just never wanted to be separated from either one of them." -- Jane Spreckley Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, the host, Beth Syverson, interviews Jane Spreckley, an adoptee whose adoptive parents divorced when she was 14 years old. Jane shares her experience of how the divorce activated h...
2024-05-2723 min
Unraveling AdoptionWrestling with Social Anxiety as an Adoptee with Tammy Murphy - Ep 146"I have a hard time believing in love, that love just really exists, that you can love somebody. Then I feel like I have a hard time loving men and stuff, so I wouldn't want them to get hurt if they ever felt like I didn't love them." - Tammy Murphy Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the privilege of speaking with Tammy Murphy, a Black, same-race, domestic adoptee living in Indiana. Tammy shared her struggles with social anxiety and dissociation, stemming from her adoption experience. She recounted how her adoptive mother's inconsistent...
2024-05-2020 min
Unraveling AdoptionNurturing Hope: A Recovery Update with Joey Nakao - Ep 145"I'm in a great place, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally." -- Joey Nakao Podcast Episode Synopsis: In this heartfelt episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson welcomes her son, Joey, back to the podcast after a five-month hiatus. Joey, a courageous 20-year-old in recovery from addiction, shares his journey of sobriety and self-discovery with listeners. The episode delves into Joey's recent experiences at Hazelden Betty Ford in Palm Springs, where he is participating in a PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program). Joey reflects on the challenges he has faced during his recovery, including moments of...
2024-05-1325 min
Unraveling AdoptionFinding Her Beat: Healing and Identity Through Taiko with Jennifer Weir - Ep 144"Taiko drumming is a wonderful way to release lots of negative energy and have it transformed into positive energy. " -- Jennifer Weir Podcast Episode Synopsis: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson welcomes guest Jennifer Weir, a Korean adoptee who connected with her Asian identity through Taiko drumming. Jennifer shares her journey of being adopted from South Korea at a young age and growing up in North Dakota with very little Asian representation. Despite facing bullying and struggles with identity, Jennifer found solace in Taiko drumming, eventually becoming the executive director of Taiko Arts Midwest.
2024-05-0629 min
Unraveling AdoptionSolving the Genetic Puzzle of Health Issues in Adoptees with January - Ep 141"I hate when people say that my life should be a movie. Can we just ban that phrase?" - January Read the transcript here: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01HV5M7AN2D7GP4H2P1NBVSNMQ [Note the guest's name shifted from Jeremy to January after recording and publishing this audio episode] Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson delves into the complexities of adoption alongside her guest, January, a 24-year-old adopted person from Texas. January shares his journey of struggling with various health issues an...
2024-04-1528 min
Unraveling AdoptionEmbracing Complex Identity: Insights from a Non-Binary Adoptee of Color with Anthony Lynch - Ep 139"I think everyone has had this experience of feeling like they're in two places or even more than that, but not quite enough of any." -- Anthony Lynch Read the Transcript: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01HSYYTTTDQ2QVDVHZ079SXA3E Episode Summary: Beth Syverson, the host of the podcast "Unraveling Adoption," welcomes Anthony Lynch, a 24-year-old non-binary transracial adoptee living in London, as a guest on the show. Anthony is the co-founder of In Between Lines, an organization that empowers individuals with complex identities. Throughout the episode, Anthony shares insights i...
2024-04-0126 min
Unraveling AdoptionSelf-Realization through Memoir Writing with Monica Hall - Ep 138"I think that being an adoptee groomed me to relinquish my own child." -- Monica Hall Transcript of this episode: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01HSM5N1067HY39ZRSGK11MB5T Podcast Episode Synopsis: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson welcomes guest Monica Hall, an adoptee and birth mother who has recently published her memoir titled Practically Still a Virgin: an Adoption Memoir. Monica shares her journey of healing and self-discovery through writing her memoir, which delves into the complexities of adoption, trauma, and family relationships. Monica opens up...
2024-03-2530 min
Unraveling AdoptionFinding Family: "The Keepers and The Throwaways" with David R. Ford and Tibby Ford - Ep 137"I think adoptees who are going to go try to find their family have to recognize that... once you get into the process, you just have to roll with it, right? You have to be optimistic and hopeful and just play it out." -- David R. Ford Episode Synopsis In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson delves into the complexities of adoption alongside her guest, David R. Ford, an adoptee who reunited with his birth family 20 years ago. The episode explores the theme of family relationships, especially in the context of reunion with birth families.
2024-03-1828 min
Unraveling AdoptionUnveiling Biracial Identity with Bethany Fraser - Ep 136"I was always trying to fit in and chameleon wherever I was." -- Bethany Fraser Transcript Read this episode's transcript: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01HR5W5M78X0PE4FV5GJNREW2AIn this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson welcomes guest Bethany Fraser, an adoptee and host of The Adoptee Diaries podcast. The conversation delves into the complexities of adoption, focusing on the impact of secrets and identity issues within the adoption experience. Bethany shares her personal journey of discovering her biracial identity in her 40s, after a secret about her ethnicity...
2024-03-1130 min
Unraveling AdoptionHappy Enough Holidays - November 14, 2023Register at HeatherRossCoaching.com or at https://HappyEnough.eventbrite.com Do you have a child or loved one struggling with addiction or mental health issues? Are you dreading the holidays? Happy Enough Holidays is an interactive workshop hosted by Heather Ross and Beth Syverson Tuesday, November 14th 4:30 – 6:00 pm PST / 7:30 – 9:00 pm EST $20 for 90-minute interactive workshop Here's What You Get: A Supportive Immersive Experience: Curate your holiday experience with other parents who face similar challenges and understand you during this live workshop. Custom exercises tailored to your needs and situati...
2023-11-0609 min
Unraveling AdoptionChallenging the Adoption System with Chester Jackson - Ep 109Challenging the Adoption System with Chester Jackson "The journey is more about being on the path more than off... The hardest part about being an adoptive parent is you're almost guaranteed to be disappointed because your motivation and your drive and everything you're thinking is involved around some fantasy child. It's not about that real human." -- Chester Jackson Discovering the truth can be as exhilarating as it is terrifying. It can shatter the very foundation of your identity, leaving you scrambling to pick up the pieces. Chester Jackson's life seemed like a harmonious melody until a...
2023-09-0450 min
Unraveling AdoptionComing Out of the Fog with Melissa Brunetti - Ep 106Coming Out of the Fog with Melissa Brunetti "As an adoptee, you want to be wanted. I thought, well, shoot, if I don't take this guy, I don't know if anyone else is going to come along." - Melissa Brunetti Even though Melissa was an adoptee with a FABULOUS adoptive family, she realized that she was "in the fog" of adoption trauma in mid-life. In this episode, we delve into Melissa's heart-wrenching quest to unravel the mysteries of who she is, her traumatic relinquishment and reunion story, and her healing path. 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Cal...
2023-08-1433 min
Unraveling AdoptionEthical and Conscious Adoption with Astrid Castro - Ep 90In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Astrid Castro, Founder and CEO of Adoption Mosaic. She's a transracial intercountry adoptee, coming from Colombia at the age of 4 along with her older sister. She has been in reunion with her birth family since 2012. Her organization, Adoption Mosaic, creates a strong community of people who can envision a new future of ethical and conscious adoption. Adoption Mosaic provides adoptee-centered courses, speakers, and consultation services to teach adoption competency to anyone in the adoption constellation and beyond. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar 💌Sign up for ou...
2023-04-2456 min
Unraveling AdoptionLate Discovery Adoptee (LDA) Fred Nicora - Ep 89In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Fred Nicora, a Late Discovery Adoptee, or LDA. Fred's memoir is called Forbidden Roots: A Memoir of Late-Discovery Adoption. Because of his life experience, he now speaks out about truth and transparency in adoption. He has 13 years in recovery from substance use disorder and he now runs a small hobby farm in Southeastern Wisconsin. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar 💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Fred's information: Forbidden Roots: A Memo...
2023-04-1752 min
Unraveling AdoptionNavigating Transracial Adoption with Amanda Baum - Ep 88In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Amanda Baum, co-founder of Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group. They recently launched a sister site called Fireside Adoptees Constellation which is open to anyone touched by adoption. Now living in North Carolina, she is an intercountry adoptee originally from Mexico but adopted into Utah. Amanda will be talking about how being a transracial adoptee has affected her life. And she will talk about ways she gets and gives support in the adoption community. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar 💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: ht...
2023-04-1033 min
Unraveling AdoptionAdoption from 3 Perspectives with Kevin Burgart - Ep 86In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Kevin Burgart from the Nashville area. He's an adoptee, adoptive parent of two children with significant special needs, and recently he became the adoptive parent of his grandchild as well. Since Kevin has been on both sides of this equation, he has a unique perspective on adoption. His life has been more challenging than most in many ways. We will dig into the obstacles he's faced, and talk about what resources he's found to help him cope. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar 💌Sign up for our...
2023-03-2745 min
Unraveling AdoptionRetreats for Adoptees with Cindy McQuay - Ep 85In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Cindy Olson McQuay, an adoptee from Pennsylvania who is the co-founder, with Erin Cosentino, of Hiraeth Healing Retreats for Adoptees, DCPs (Donor Conceived People), LDAs (Late Discovery Adoptees), and NPEs (Not Parent Expected). Cindy is a baby scoop era domestic infant adoptee, and she had a rather idyllic childhood with well-informed and open adoptive parents, which was somewhat unusual at the time. Besides her work for Hiraeth, she advocates for adoption law reform and educates the public about separation trauma. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar 💌S...
2023-03-2041 min
Unraveling AdoptionAdoptee Peer Support with Greg Gentry - Ep 84In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Greg Gentry, a domestic baby scoop era adoptee, born in California in 1969. He has been in reunion with maternal family members since 2006, and in 2021 also connected with his paternal side. Greg is a facilitator and interviewer for Fireside Adoptees, a private Facebook group founded in 2021, which is committed to additional outreach through its Fireside Adoptees public Facebook page and the Fireside Adoptees Constellation private Facebook group. Greg is also an administrator and facilitator within the Adoption Trauma Network and a leader for the New Hampshire chapter of Adoptees Connect. He...
2023-03-1345 min
Unraveling AdoptionExploring Healing Arts to Process Trauma with Kelsay Elizabeth Myers - Ep 83In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Kelsay Elizabeth Myers, a professional writer, artist, and somatic movement educator living in Marin County, CA. She is passionate about personal and social transformation for trauma healing. She's a Korean transnational adoptee who has been on a healing journey the last several years, after spending the first 32 years of her life in self-destructive behavior patterns. Kelsay founded Dialogical Persona Healing Arts where she offers individual and group coaching programs and online courses that use expressive arts and transformational processes to help others discover new ways of understanding themselves...
2023-03-0637 min
Unraveling AdoptionWe Are Not Our Trauma with Simon BennIn this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Simon Benn, an adoptee living near York, England and host of Thriving Adoptees podcast. I was recently on his show, so I wanted him to be on our show as well. Trading podcasts across the globe. Simon has been on a healing journey for the last 13 or so years, after a discovery about his adoption that rocked his world. He wants to help other adoptees move toward healing with his podcast and webinars. =============== 💌 Sign up for Unraveling Adoption's email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX ===============...
2023-02-2729 min
Unraveling AdoptionEngagement Journalism to Elevate Voices of Adoption with Amanda Kari McHugh - Ep 81In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Amanda Kari McHugh, an adoptee and an engagement journalist who is making her mark on the adoption community with her project Voices of Adoption which you can find on TikTok, Instagram, and Substack. In this project she elevates the voices of adoptees and birth mothers. Stay tuned for ways you might be able to participate in this project! Amanda is pursuing a double masters in journalism and engagement from grad school at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She hopes to be a res...
2023-02-2047 min
Unraveling AdoptionMusic That Connects and Heals with Paul KimballIn this week's Unraveling Adoption Podcast, Beth talks with Paul Kimball, an adoptee from Northern California and author of the memoir We Are All Human Beings: An Adoptee Ponders. Music has always been a huge part of his life, and he currently works as a conductor, horn player, and school music teacher. He didn't realize it at first, but when he reunited with his birth mother, the passion for music made sense. In this episode, we talk about the power of music to transcend time and space and connect individuals deeply. =============== 💌 Sign up for Unraveling Adop...
2023-02-1329 min
Unraveling AdoptionMoving Beyond Adoption Using Magnetic Mind with Kat Linquist - Ep 79SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: On Saturday, March 11, Unraveling Adoption is hosting a free webinar called Moving Beyond Adoption - An Immersive Experience with Kat Linquist so you all can experience this amazing work that Kat does. It's 10am-noon PST on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moving-beyond-adoption-an-immersive-experience-with-kat-linquist-tickets-532651855037 If you are curious about how Magnetic Mind can help you in your adoption journey - or with any blockage in your life - come on over on March 11 to check it out. The event is open to anyone 18 and older. You don't have to be an adoptee to...
2023-02-0654 min
Unraveling AdoptionWhat's the Big Deal About Birth Certificates? with Ann Weaver-Melendy - Ep 77In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Ann Weaver Melendy from Oregon, a baby scoop era adoptee who was taught by her adoptive family to not speak about her adoption and to not ask questions. Well that backfired big time, because not only is she now sharing her story on this public podcast and elsewhere, but she is also an adoptee rights advocate. Ann is particularly bothered that adoptees' vital records often don't include the true data about their birthdate, birth parents, and more. She has fought for her own birth certificate to list the correct information...
2023-01-2337 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Complicated Adoption Reunion Story with Alex Baquero - Ep 76In this week's Unraveling Adoption podcast (formerly Safe Home Podcast), Beth talks with Alex Baquero, a 31yo from Philadelphia who was adopted at 6 months old from Colombia. His adoptive parents are white, and he started reuniting with his birth family 12 years ago. He shares his adoption story and his complicated reunion story, plus he lets us know what tools have helped him along the way. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption's email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Alex's information: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindmentorllc/ Voices of the...
2023-01-1644 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Birth Mother's Perspective with Leslie Pate Mackinnon - Ep 75We are just switching our name from Safe Home Podcast to Unraveling Adoption, and this is the first full episode under our new name. In this week's episode, Beth Syverson chats with Leslie Pate Mackinnon, a licensed clinical social worker and an adoption activist for the past 30 years. Leslie is a seasoned and well-respected therapist in the adoption community. She is a nationally known trainer who travels across the country training therapists, agencies and child welfare workers about the psychological issues inherent in adoption and third-party reproduction. Following four decades of successful practice in Atlanta, Leslie and h...
2023-01-0948 min
Unraveling AdoptionTransitioning from Safe Home Podcast to Unraveling Adoption - Ep 74In this very special episode, Beth Syverson, host of Safe Home Podcast, explains her pivot to Unraveling Adoption. This is the last episode of Safe Home, and the first episode of Unraveling Adoption. She explains what the new title means, what the future plans are, and she provides ways for everyone to help get the new podcast launched. =============== 💌 Sign up for our email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Beth's information: Email Beth at Beth@UnravelingAdoption.com Become a Patreon supporter at Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption APtitude Support Group Mem...
2023-01-0221 min
Unraveling AdoptionPartnership Parenting with Lainie Liberti & Her Son Miro Siegel - Ep 73In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Lainie Liberti and her 23yo son Miro Siegel. Lainie Liberti is a best selling author, international speaker, teen mentor, worldschooler, partnership parenting paradigm advocate and mother. In 2012 Lainie co-founded Project World School with her son and has lived in community with over a 100 teens in over 20 international locations. Lainie founded Transformative Mentoring for Teens in 2020 in response to the growing need to support teen's mental health. Lainie just released her first book, Seen, Heard & Understood, Parenting and Partnering with Teens for Greater Mental Health, the number 1 best seller o...
2022-12-2645 min
Unraveling AdoptionConnective Parenting with Bonnie Harris - Ep 69In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Bonnie Harris, a New Hampshire-area director of Connective Parenting, where she is a parent educator, counselor, coach, and speaker. She wrote two parenting books: When Your Kids Push Your Buttons and Confident Parents, Remarkable Kids: 8 Principles for Raising Kids You'll Love to Live With. AND she has her own podcast Tell Me About Your Kids where anyone can listen in on her parent coaching sessions. Bonnie has a master's degree in Early Childhood Education And is the proud mother of two adult children raised with her connective approach. I...
2022-11-2846 min
Unraveling AdoptionCoping with OCD's Intrusive Thoughts with Katherine Osborne - Ep 68In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with a family friend of hers from church - Katherine Osborne. Katherine shared with the church that she was recently diagnosed with OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I thought it might be good for our audience to learn from an eloquent teen how OCD feels. Nowadays people joke that they have OCD when they're bothered when something doesn't quite line up, or if one tile is a different color. You see memes about OCD all the time. But that's a very simplistic view of OCD that doesn't honor the lived experience...
2022-11-2132 min
Unraveling AdoptionGrandparents Raising Grandkids with Catherine Becker - Ep 67In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Catherine Becker, founder of the support group called Joys and Challenges of Relative Caregivers. She's a grandma who is raising her three young grandkids while her daughter struggles with addiction. When she tried to find a tribe of other relatives in her same situation, she didn't find a group that went deep enough or that was small enough to create personal connections. So she made her own group. Her organization is raising money to provide financial assistance to grandparents and other relatives who are caring for or who have adopted t...
2022-11-1452 min
Unraveling AdoptionChronic Suicidality with Frank King - Ep 66**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode will be talking directly about suicide, so this might not be for everyone to listen to right now. But we at Safe Home believe this is a very important topic so we hope you'll listen when it's safe for you to do so. In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Frank King, a comedian who wrote for The Tonight Show for over 20 years and who performs standup worldwide. Along the way, he focused his creative attention on the topic of mental health, and specifically suicidality. Now known as the Mental Health...
2022-11-0740 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Recovery Journey with Veronica SilvaIn this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Rev. Veronica Silva, a New Thought minister and a nurse who has struggled with alcoholism since she was young, but who has been in recovery for 26 years. Veronica has been on a spiritual journey since June 24th, 1996, when she got sober from alcohol and drugs. She has had a passion for spirituality as a result of attending AA meetings and finding a God of her understanding. She is SO passionate about God that she recently became a Minister in 2020 - right in the middle of the pandemic. She...
2022-10-3133 min
Unraveling AdoptionMore Than Sex Ed with Emmalinda MacLean - Ep 64In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Emmalinda MacLean, co-founder of More Than Sex-Ed, a Los Angeles-based non-profit whose mission is to nourish healthy development through honest conversation about sex. She is the Director of Curriculum & Instruction at More Than Sex-Ed plus she wrote a children's book around the topic of consent called "Everybody, Every Body!" In case you couldn't guess, this episode will talk openly about sexual topics, so this episode might not be safe for work. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX
2022-10-2549 min
Unraveling AdoptionOpen-Hearted Adoption with Lori Holden, AKA Lavender Luz - Ep 63In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Lori Holden, an adoptive mom of 2 teens, author of the book The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, written with her daughter's birth mom and featured on required reading lists with adoption agencies across the country. She's also a blogger at LavenderLuz.com, and host of the podcast Adoption: The Long View. Lori is an influential voice in the adoption world, advocating for openness in all kinds of adoption relationships. She often keynotes at adoption conferences and speaks to new and prospective adoptive families, helping...
2022-10-1047 min
Unraveling AdoptionWriting Poetry to Process Depression with Colin Parrott - Ep 61In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Colin Parrott, a 16-year-old from Huntington Beach who has been struggling with depression. He has gotten help with his mental illness from his awesome mom Debbi and from modern medicine. But perhaps the best tool he's found has been poetry. He's written a whole book of poetry about his depression called Shards. The process of writing poetry has not only helped him make sense of his mental health, but his poems help others understand what he and others with depression go through. Near the end of the episode, Colin will...
2022-09-2626 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Transracial Adoption Story with Darcy Mittelstaedt - Ep 60In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Darcy Mittelstaedt, an adult adoptee originally from Korea, and adopted into a dysfunctional family in Nebraska at age 2. Once she came out of the fog, as they say in adoption-land, and came to terms with her relinquishment trauma and chaotic adoptive family life, she turned toward her adoption agency. She now helps inform the adoption agency's families about relinquishment trauma and the struggles that interculturally adopted people have. Hers is a story of resilience and hope that I'm sure everyone, whether or not you are affected by adoption personally, will...
2022-09-1948 min
Unraveling AdoptionBeing on the Receiving End of the CRAFT Method with Joey and Heather Ross - Ep 59This week's episode is very special because #1 Joey is with us for this one. And #2: It's going to be a 3-way conversation with me, Joey, and our life coach Heather Ross. If you've listened to any of our episodes, you've probably heard me mention her, or you might have heard one of her 2 episodes we've already published - #10 and #34. In this Safe Home episode, we will be talking about how the CRAFT method has helped our family, and you'll hear from both sides - the parents' side and the teen's side. CRAFT is an acronym that stands fo...
2022-09-1249 min
Unraveling AdoptionMarriage Under the Influence of Alcohol with Dayna Del Val and Mazz Marry - Ep 57Movies & Conversations with Alex Kaplan from Of Substance Saturday, September 10, 2022, 10am PST OfSubstance.Eventbrite.com =============== In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Dayna Del Val and Mazz Marry, a married couple from North Dakota who are bringing alcoholism out into the light with their podcast, Daily Dose of Dr Marry & DD. They are here on Safe Home Podcast to talk about how addiction affects everyone, not just the person struggling with addiction. They, like our family, believe that the opposite of addiction is connection, and they are aiming to...
2022-08-2944 min
Unraveling AdoptionDisordered Eating with Sue Bowles - Ep 56Movies & Conversations with Alex Kaplan from Of Substance Saturday, September 10, 2022, 10am PST OfSubstance.Eventbrite.com =============== In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Sue Bowles, an Ohio-based master certified life coach, memoirist, and public speaker focusing on the topics of disordered eating, anxiety, depression, and sexual assault survival and recovery. Her company is called My Step Ahead, whose motto is "you only have to be a step ahead to help the person behind you." That is certainly how we operate at Safe Home, too. =============== 💌 Sign up for...
2022-08-2243 min
Unraveling AdoptionMindset Shifting with Tiffany Gay - Ep 54In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Tiffany Gay, a Philadelphia entrepreneur, mindset coach, and public speaker. Several years ago she experienced severe depression and anxiety, but through prayer, a shift in her mindset, and identifying her "Why" she was able to survive through her mental health breakdown. She regained everything back that she lost, including her mind, and now she helps others shift their mindset and find the root cause of their struggles. Her mission is to serve, support, coach, and mentor individuals with shifting their self-defeating, unfulfilling, unproductive, and unhealthy patterns of thinking. ===============
2022-08-0831 min
Unraveling AdoptionSelf-Care for Moms with Yvette Harpootian - Ep 53Movies & Conversations with Alex Kaplan from Of Substance Saturday, September 10, 10am PST OfSubstance.Eventbrite.com =============== In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Yvette Harpootian, a certified life coach from Rhode Island who is passionate about helping women get out of overwhelm, get more done, and release anxiety and self-sacrifice in order to feel better. I thought her message would be welcome here on Safe Home Podcast since many in our audience are parents of adolescents. I know when Joey was in crisis mode, I almost completely lost myself for a...
2022-08-0138 min
Unraveling AdoptionCreating Wellness with Leela Davis - Ep 52OfSubstance.Eventbrite.com In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Leela Davis. She is a neurodivergent who combines her lived experience self-healing her Bipolar 1 and CPTSD symptoms and managing ADHD symptoms with training in the healing modalities that she found the most powerful in her own healing journey. She is certified: as a Holistic Health Coach, in Somatic Attachment Therapy, as a Yoga of Sound and Vinyasa Instructor, in Astrology and Human Design, and has spent decades as a multi-passionate creative finding healing in the process of art-making-performing. Her mission is to mentor and support f...
2022-07-2539 min
Unraveling AdoptionTransformation and Healing with Jude Gorini - Ep 51In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Jude Gorini, a Brazilian who lives in Northern Italy. He identifies as gender queer, and works as an author, podcaster, intuitive coach, and creative artist. He has struggled with Bipolar, addiction, and gender identity issues and shares his life story openly in order to help others. I met Jude recently when I recorded on the podcast that he co-hosts with Leela Davis, What I Didn't Tell My Therapist. He really resonated with our family's story, which intersects in many ways with his own. You will love his warmth and honesty...
2022-07-1843 min
Unraveling AdoptionYoga for Healing Trauma with Lorah Gerald - Ep 50In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Lorah Gerald, an adoptee, an intuitive, a Kundalini Yoga Instructor, and writer. Lorah hopes to help others heal their trauma, adopted or not, by sharing her lived experiences as an adoptee as well as her education in breath work, energy healing and natural intuitive abilities. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Lorah's information: Lorah's Website & yoga class schedule: http://lorahgerald.com/ Other resources mentioned in this episode: Emma Stevens' Saf...
2022-07-1149 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Courageous Spiritual Journey with Bobbi Becker - Ep 49In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Rev. Bobbi Becker, the Senior Minister and Spiritual Director at Namasté Center for Spiritual Living in Long Beach, California. In this episode, Bobbi tells her story of being a gay New Thought minister who grew up in the Mormon church and whose whole family was touched by addiction and mental health issues. You will be inspired by her commitment to her own spiritual growth which included the acceptance of her sexual orientation. She is not afraid to speak out and take action within social structures about women's rights and LGBTQ+ ri...
2022-07-0449 min
Unraveling AdoptionTrauma and Resilience with Cheyanne Alsop - Ep 48In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with one of Joey's friends, 19yo Cheyanne Alsop. Like Joey, Cheyanne was adopted, her adoptive parents later got divorced, and she struggled with mental health issues throughout her adolescence. Cheyanne's harrowing childhood would leave most people completely paralyzed emotionally. But because of her willingness to get help and to work on her own emotional toolbox, Cheyanne has graduated high school, she's got a job, and she's on her healing path. Her story gives us all hope for our struggling kids, and she and Joey give some great advice to teens and...
2022-06-2750 min
Unraveling AdoptionAnxiety Toolbox with Jeanette Matthew - Ep 47In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Jeanette Matthew. She lives in North Yorkshire in the UK, and she is a coaching psychologist who helps individuals and organizations transform their uncertainty, overwhelm, and lack of clarity into goals, action plans, and confidence. Her specialty is helping people deal with anxiety. Jeanette has delivered workshops around the world offering psychological hacks to managing and preventing anxiety, and teaching people the mindset tools we can adopt preventatively to see every day triggers through a different lens. In this episode, Jeanette gives plenty of practical tools to help o...
2022-06-2055 min
Unraveling AdoptionRecovery Coaching with Tracy Struckman - Ep 46In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Tracy Struckman, an Indiana-based recovery coach who has 8 years of recovery from a destructive heroin addiction. She now helps others who are struggling with addiction to find long-term recovery. She is just completing her licensure to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and she does online consulting and workshops for people who struggle with addiction as well as their families. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Tracy's information: Website: https://www.tracy...
2022-06-1339 min
Unraveling AdoptionHolding Space with Tamara Gabbard - Ep 45In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Tamara Gabbard. She lives in the jungles of Costa Rica with her toddler Rubi-Jean. Tamara is a Copywriter and Content Marketing Strategist, and she also identifies as a Soul Consultant and Clairvoyant. She combines her skills in both the practical and spiritual realms to help people who are struggling to break through the overwhelm that life can bring when trying to make an impact on the world. Like our son Joey, Tamara has done extensive personal research with psychedelics and other substances. She's 5 years sober now, but she u...
2022-06-0645 min
Unraveling AdoptionThe Tough Post-High School Transition with Taylor Cox - Ep 44In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with her long-time piano student, 19-year-old Taylor Cox. Taylor graduated from high school in 2021, and has had a year of pivoting, personal growth, and some common teenage challenges since then. She talks openly about her struggles in the hopes that her story will help other families with struggling teens at this tricky post-high school juncture. Listen through to the end and you'll be rewarded with an original song performed by Taylor. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== R...
2022-05-3044 min
Unraveling AdoptionCannabis Science and Side Effects with Jason Wilson - Ep 43In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Joey joins Beth to talk with Jason Wilson about the science and side effects of cannabis. Jason is a botanist, educator, author, and podcaster whose primary interest right now is cannabis. He studies the chemistry and microbiology of cannabis, and has unique expertise in quality management systems and regulatory compliance in the burgeoning cannabis growing industry. He published a science textbook "Curious About Cannabis" and has a podcast with the same name. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RES...
2022-05-2357 min
Unraveling AdoptionSafe Home Families Update with Jan & Beth - Ep 42In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth and Jan, Joey's moms, give a State of the Family update. They talk about what's been happening with all 3 family members, and share their vision for Safe Home Families as well. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Safe Home Families information: Website: https://SafeHomeFamilies.com Safe Home Bookclub: https://bookclubs.com/clubs/5964570/join/d6adea/ Compassionate Boundaries Workshop - May 28, 2022: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/compassionate-boundaries-an-interactive-workshop-tickets-331282202987 Patreon page: https://Patreon.com/SafeHome Email: Hell...
2022-05-1643 min
Unraveling AdoptionCreating Short Films to Conquer Shame with Alex Kaplan - Ep 41THIS PODCAST EPISODE CAN BE SEEN IN VIDEO FORMAT ON YOUTUBE AT: https://youtu.be/cQeNVrW0v2U In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Alex Kaplan, co-founding Executive Director & Chief Vision Officer of "Of Substance," an innovative nonprofit that makes premium, entertaining short films to help us all overcome the shame, blame, and stigma we experience in our struggles. Having overcome his own challenges with substances, Alex has been through the wringer, but he has turned his life around and is now helping other struggling people to find connection, a sense of belonging, and...
2022-05-0959 min
Unraveling AdoptionNever Give Up Hope! with Erik, Beth, & Laurie - Ep 40In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Erik, who spent three decades living under the dark cloud of active addiction, but who is now whole and walking on the recovery path. It's a dramatic transformation story that testifies to the power of love and hope in our addicted loved one's recovery. Erik misused meth for over 30 years, and he alternated between living under a bridge, in jail, prison, rehabs, and halfway houses during that time. Joining in the conversation in the second half of the episode are his sister Beth and their 89-year-old mom Laurie, who realized...
2022-05-021h 02
Unraveling AdoptionThe Belonging Blueprint with Ross Leppala - Ep 39In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Ross Leppala, professional powerlifter, coach, host of the Project UnchainED podcast, and creator of The Belonging Blueprint course. He suffered from bullying and suicidal ideation when he was young, but sports, especially football, turned his life around. He became a powerlifter and powerlifting coach, and he has expanded his skills to help his athletes and others with their personal growth as well. He helps his clients create a sense of belonging within themselves. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX...
2022-04-2548 min
Unraveling AdoptionEMDR for Healing Trauma with Emma Stevens - Ep 38In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Emma Stevens, whose new memoir The Gathering Place: An Adoptee's Story was written during her treatment with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR has helped her deal with her adoption trauma and other developmental trauma from her troubled childhood. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Emma's information: Emma's book The Gathering Place: An Adoptee's Story: https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Place-Adoptees-Story/dp/B09HH8PDGL Other resources mentioned in this epi...
2022-04-1835 min
Unraveling AdoptionNon-Binary Musician Spencer LaJoye - Ep 37In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Boston musician Spencer LaJoye, who identifies their gender as non-binary. They came out as bisexual in college and years later came out as non-binary, all within Christian communities. Beth became aware of Spencer when she heard their song "Plowshare Prayer," a unique prayer for all those against whom prayer has been used as a sword. The song has gone viral around the world, and you will hear Spencer's back story plus the entire song toward the end of the episode. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Fam...
2022-04-1152 min
Unraveling AdoptionSound Healing with Ellen Newhouse - Ep 36In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with transformational healer Ellen Newhouse, who uses Acupuncture, Sound Healing, and Energy Medicine in her private practice. This episode focuses on sound healing as a way to transform negative emotions, open up the heart, connect with our loved ones, and create more compassion in the world. Ellen leads Beth in several sound healing exercises in the episode and also shares about her personal journey of healing and growth. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: El...
2022-04-0454 min
Unraveling AdoptionDissociative Identity Disorder (DID) with Kaitlyn Vosburg - Ep 35In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with Kaitlyn Vosburg who is an advocate for people with DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. She has a TikTok account called "apartofeight" where she shares real life scenes from her own journey with DID. Kaitlyn sheds light on a topic that isn't discussed much, but which affects 1% of the population. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Kaitlyn's information: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apartofeight Facebook: https://www...
2022-03-2842 min
Unraveling AdoptionLosing a Child to Addiction with Heather Ross - Ep 34In this week's episode, Beth interviews her parent coach, Heather Ross, who recently lost her daughter to fentanyl poisoning. Clips of Heather's previous podcast episodes with her daughter are heard throughout this episode. RESOURCES: How to find Heather: Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https://heatherrosscoaching.com/ Heather's Living With Addiction podcast: https://anchor.fm/heather-ross9 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherrosscoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherrosscoaching/ Other Resources: Other Parents Like Me - https://www.facebook.com/other.parents.like.me Find a Tele-Therapist: https://www.p...
2022-03-211h 02
Unraveling AdoptionTapping (EFT) with Andy Bryce - Ep 33In this week's episode we will dive into a wonderfully effective and low-tech healing modality called EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - or it's sometimes just called Tapping. Beth's guest is Andy Bryce, one of 26 remaining Founding EFT Masters in the world. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques, which combines psychology and acupuncture. Andy takes Beth through a mini EFT session as part of this episode. THIS EPISODE IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE because of the visual content of the tapping session. Find the video of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/U...
2022-03-1454 min
Unraveling AdoptionA Family's Recovery Journey with Dawn McCord - Ep 32In this week's episode you will hear another family's story of adolescent addiction and recovery. Dawn McCord's son Carson had a tumultuous adolescence but he found recovery through wilderness therapy. Dawn's new memoir "Chasing Carson: A Family's Journey through Adolescence, Addiction and Recovery," provides an honest account of their whole family's healing process. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: How to find Dawn McCord and her book: Dawn's Chasing Carson book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-carson-dawn-mccord/1140795845 Dawn's website: https://ado...
2022-03-0747 min
Unraveling AdoptionNeurodiversity and Gender Diversity with Lyric Holmans - Ep 31This week's episode is about All The Diversities. Beth interviews Lyric Holmans, a non-binary, autistic self-advocate who runs the blog and Facebook page "The Neurodivergent Rebel" plus their company Neurodivergent Consulting. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: How to find Lyric: Website: https://neurodivergentrebel.com/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NeurodivergentRebel Other Resources: Other Parents Like Me - https://www.facebook.com/other.parents.like.me Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https://heat...
2022-02-2650 min
Unraveling AdoptionEmpowering Adoptees with Rebecca Autumn Sansom - Ep 30In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with an adult adoptee, Rebecca Autumn Sansom, who recently created an adoption documentary called Reckoning with the Primal Wound, a film that juxtaposes her own powerful adoption story with the wisdom of Nancy Verrier, who wrote The Primal Wound, the book that is considered to be the adoptee's bible. RESOURCES: Information about Reckoning with the Primal Wound: Website + Tickets: https://reckoningwiththeprimalwound.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reckoningwiththeprimalwound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reckoning_with_theprimalwound/?hl=en Other resources mentioned in...
2022-02-1951 min
Unraveling AdoptionRecovery and Authenticity with Lona (LC) Currie - Ep 29In this week's Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with podcaster, motivational speaker, and writer Lona (LC) Currie. LC has recovered from long-term drug and alcohol misuse, and after he became stable as a sober person, he transitioned to his true gender. He was considered a "lost cause" by many, but now he is openly sharing his addiction experience to give others hope that recovery is always possible. His story will encourage everyone to come back home to their authentic selves. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX ===============...
2022-02-1345 min
Unraveling AdoptionBeth as guest on The Whinypaluza Podcast - Ep 28In this week's episode, we're sharing an interview Beth had on another mom's podcast recently: Rebecca Greene's The Whinypaluza Podcast. Here are some of the topics we cover: - Why being a reactive parent isn't helpful during times of stress. - How teens can easily hide their drug use from their parents. - What kinds of signs you should be looking for in your teenage children. - How excessive drug use can lead to disregard for things they once loved. - How relapse is a very real reality when...
2022-02-0537 min
Unraveling AdoptionHypnotherapy with Pamela Topjian - Ep 27In this episode, Beth learns about hypnotherapy with Pamela Topjian from Breakthrough Hypnotherapy. She talks about her own healing path from childhood trauma, how she got into hypnotherapy, and how hypnotherapy can help create more peace and heal trauma for teens and parents. Joey checks in at the end of this episode, too. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Pamela Topjian's information: Pamela's website: https://hypnobreakthrough.com/ Pamela's memoir I Didn't Come This Far to Only Come THIS Far: https://www...
2022-01-2935 min
Unraveling AdoptionLearning Disabilities with Jill Stowell - Ep 26In this episode, Beth talks with learning disabilities specialist Jill Stowell from Stowell Learning Center. She talks about how early childhood affects a person's ability to learn, and she gives great ideas to parents that will help them advocate for their child and find solutions for their learning challenges. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Jill Stowell's information: Stowell Learning Center: https://stowellcenter.com/ - schedule a free consultation LDXpertLive: https://stowellcenter.com/ldexpert/ - free weekly broadcasts Jill's book At...
2022-01-2244 min
Unraveling AdoptionSomatic Experiencing (SE) with Emily Jaworski Koriath - Ep 25Emily Jaworski Koriath talks with Beth about the intersection between her career as a singer and voice teacher, her own trauma, and Somatic Experiencing, a body-centered method of healing trauma that she has found to be extremely effective for herself and others. =============== Emily Jaworski Koriath's Information: Emily's Website: https://www.emilyjaworskikoriath.com/ Other things mentioned in this episode: Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com/ Steven Porges' Polyvagal Theory: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/ and his book The Polyvagal Theory: The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The T...
2022-01-151h 02
Unraveling AdoptionLGBTQ+ Issues with Elena Joy Thurston - Ep 23In this episode, Beth talks with the founder of Pride & Joy Foundation, Elena Joy Thurston, about her personal story as a lesbian mom, and about how our LGBTQ+ youth are doing. She gives practical advice for parents to help their LGBTQ+ kids. Her foundation offers quarterly parent workshops, a queer writing project, diversity consulting, and a book about LGBTQ+ people in business. Elena Joy is a powerhouse and is making positive change in the world. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is crea...
2022-01-1450 min
Unraveling AdoptionCannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) with Hugh Daschbach - Ep 22Recently, Joey was diagnosed with CHS, and we thought the world needed to know about this disorder. Hugh Dascbach is a friend's husband who also has CHS, and in this episode, he and I talk about the symptoms, the recovery, and the need to get the word out about it. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by...
2022-01-0128 min
Unraveling AdoptionAdoption Story with Brenda Bash Cooper - Ep 21In this episode of Safe Home Podcast, Beth talks with a childhood friend Brenda Bash Cooper about her own adoption experience and how it informs her work with traumatized crime victims at her job. She and Joey - and countless other adopted people - share that deep-down feeling of unworthiness. In her experience, Brenda attributes that feeling to her relinquishment trauma. Whether your family is touched by adoption or you're just curious, this chat will inspire you to think deeper on the topic. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIA...
2021-12-2549 min
Unraveling AdoptionBullying with Maria Lundstroem Lopez - Ep 20In this Safe Home episode, Beth discusses the tough topic of bullying with a long-time friend of hers, Maria Lundstroem Lopez, who was regularly beaten and treated horribly in elementary school. Beth's son Joey was also bullied with racist microaggressions throughout his whole school journey. Maria talks about how these wounds from being bullied have stuck with her until adulthood and gives some ideas for how to deal with bullying in today's schools and families. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is cre...
2021-12-1849 min
Unraveling AdoptionOther Parents Like Me with Casie Fariello - Ep 19In this episode, Beth talks with Casie Fariello, who is launching a new comprehensive online parent resource on January 10, 2022 called Other Parents Like Me. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at SafeHomePodcast@gmail.com...
2021-12-1132 min
Unraveling AdoptionJoey's New Job - Ep 18In this episode, Joey joins Beth to talk about his NEW JOB! It's his first real job and he's found something he really loves to do. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at SafeHomePodcast@gmai...
2021-12-0415 min
Unraveling AdoptionRecovery with Jane Davis - Ep 17In this episode, Beth hears the story of Rev. Jane Davis, who is in recovery from alcohol addiction. She shares some alternative recovery treatment solutions she found besides the typical 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous model. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Resources that Jane mentions during the podcast: Oxford House - https://www.oxfordhouse.org/ Alcoholics Anonymous - https://www.aa.org/ SMART Recovery - https://www.smartrecovery.org/ Women for Sobriety - https://womenforsobriety.org/community/...
2021-11-2739 min
Unraveling AdoptionPsych Hospitals & Suicidal Ideation - Ep 16Joey returns to the podcast for this episode about his experiences in psych hospitals due to suicidal ideation. Joey and Beth talk about the positive things about being hospitalized, and also some of the not-so-pleasant parts. They are continuing their work of de-stigmatizing mental illness and addiction through this important episode. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art...
2021-11-2040 min
Unraveling AdoptionHealing Trauma with Sharon Loeschen, LCSW - Ep 15In this episode, Beth chats with Sharon Loeschen, LCSW, about her decades of experience as a therapist and community activist. Her compassionate voice encourages us all to find our own healing path, and she gives specific advice about how parents can their kids survive and thrive through adolescence. ======================================= Sharon Loeschen's books: Enriching Your Relationship with Yourself and Others: https://satirglobal.org/product/enriching-your-relationship-with-yourself-and-others/ Choosing Your Life Story: Inspirational Stories of Transformations from the Streets of South Central Los Angeles: https://satirglobal.org/product/choosing-your-life-story/ Virginia Satir's book Sharon recommends in this episode:...
2021-11-1345 min
Unraveling AdoptionAdoption Story with Stan DeWitt - Ep 14Beth hears the story of Stan DeWitt, an adult adoptee who has recently been reunited with his birth family. Stan looks back on his adolescence and talks about how adoption has affected his life. This is a happy story full of love, self-awareness, acceptance, and coincidences that are almost too wild to believe. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Stan DeWitt's website: https://www.standewitt.com/ Stan's blog: https://acustatic.blogspot.com/2021/10/schrodingers-son.html?fbclid=IwAR3yPn0T1lXoZioTaBrWMQ_IlRuFdLeZ3GIB51hDRxyNP8UbG...
2021-11-0640 min
Unraveling AdoptionRelapse from Joey's Perspective - Ep 13Joey rejoins the podcast for this special episode about his relapse. In his chat with Beth, he offers a boots-on-the-ground perspective about what caused his relapse, how things are going for him, and what he sees his future holding for him. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design hel...
2021-10-3018 min
Unraveling AdoptionRelapse from the Parents' Perspective - Ep 12It's been 6 weeks since Joey relapsed and moved back to his dad's house. In this episode, Jan and Beth talk about how they're dealing with his downward spiral. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at...
2021-10-2336 min
Unraveling AdoptionDepression - Ep 11Beth and Joey compare notes about the way depression feels for each of them. (This episode was recorded several weeks ago, before Joey's relapse.) =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at SafeHomePodcast@gmail.com
2021-10-1632 min
Unraveling AdoptionParent Coaching - with Heather Ross - Ep 10Two moms talk about how they've managed their own lives while trying to support their kids struggling with substances. Beth chats with Heather Ross, who was her and Jan's parenting life coach last year, and who has an amazing podcast called Living With Addiction. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syv...
2021-10-1039 min
Unraveling AdoptionStimulants - with Jan Mabie - Ep 9In this episode, Jan talks with Beth about her experience with speed in her 20s, plus other stimulants she's used (and continues to use). =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at SafeHomePodcast@gmail.com
2021-10-0236 min
Unraveling AdoptionOpiates - with Emma Roberts from National Harm Reduction Coalition - Ep 8In this episode, Beth talks with special guest Emma Roberts from National Harm Reduction Coalition about what her organization is doing to help mitigate harm from opiates and other substances. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Hom...
2021-09-251h 03
Unraveling AdoptionAlcohol - Ep 7In this episode, Joey talks to Beth about the ways he's used alcohol, the alcohol culture among high schoolers, the dangers of alcohol use, and alternative ways that kids get ahold of alcohol. (This episode was recorded before Joey's relapse.) =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Ni...
2021-09-181h 01
Unraveling AdoptionRelapse (Special Episode) - Ep 6This is a raw debriefing by Jan and Beth about Joey's relapse that happened earlier that day. Joey moved back to his dad's house in order to use substances again. He gave Jan and Beth his blessing (before his relapse) to continue the podcast and to talk about how relapse is a very common part of recovery. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Jo...
2021-09-1223 min
Unraveling AdoptionPsychedelics - Ep 5In this episode, Joey talks with Beth about his extensive experience with psychedelics, especially LSD and DMT. He talks about why he likes to use them, how psychedelics can be unsafe - and how they can be used in a therapeutic manner under specific circumstances. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth S...
2021-09-0857 min
Unraveling AdoptionNicotine - with Jan Mabie - Ep 4in this episode, the whole family - Jan, Beth, and Joey - talk about nicotine. Jan used nicotine (among other things) and tells Joey it was the hardest drug to quit. Joey talks about the prevalence of nicotine and vaping in schools and suggests ways that parents can help their kids if they get into vaping. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Josep...
2021-09-0153 min
Unraveling AdoptionCannabis & Vaping - Ep 3In this episode, Joey and Beth talk about cannabis and vaping. Joey helps parents and other adults understand how kids are using cannabis today, why it's more harmful than when they were kids, and how to help kids who are using cannabis. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design...
2021-08-2555 min
Unraveling AdoptionIntroduction - Ep 1In this inaugural episode, meet 17yo Joey and his mom Beth as they explain the premise of this podcast and share their background. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syverson, with design help from Nina Smith Email questions or comments to Safe Home at SafeHomePodcast@gmail.com Find u...
2021-08-1812 min
Unraveling AdoptionCough Medicine and other OTC Drugs - Ep 2In this episode, Joey talks with Beth about his addiction to Coricidin and Benadryl in high doses. These over the counter medicines are extremely dangerous in high doses, yet they're very available to teens. Many adults aren't aware that kids are using these substances. =============== 💌 Sign up for our Safe Home Families email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX =============== Safe Home is created by Joseph Nakao and his moms Beth Syverson and Jan Mabie Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Cover art by Joseph Nakao, photo by Beth Syvers...
2021-08-1836 min