Engagement Journalism to Elevate Voices of Adoption with Amanda Kari McHugh - Ep 81
Release Date: 02/20/2023
"The Mulatto Child the Strubes Adopted" with Janell Strube - Ep 122
Unraveling Adoption
I think for my mother, she didn't always really see me quite as a person of equal value. - Janell Strube A biracial adoptee, Janell Strube, shares her powerful journey of navigating racial identity and the impact of racism behind closed doors. Did she ever find the acceptance and understanding she sought? In this episode, you will be able to: Realize the complexities of biracial identity. Begin to understand the impact of racism on identity formation. Navigate the unique challenges of biracial identity. Learn how to create a supportive environment for biracial or transracial adopted...
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REPLAY: Adoptee Remembrance Day Virtual Candlelight Vigil - Ep 121
Unraveling Adoption
While I'm away this Thanksgiving week, I wanted to make the recording of our recent Adoptee Remembrance Day vigil available to you all. The live Zoom event was on October 30, 2023. Hear powerful personal stories, emotional poetry, and calls for greater awareness of adoptee suicide, murder, and deportation. TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE EVENT, click here: TO ACCESS THE WRITTEN PROGRAM FOR THE EVENT, click here: =============== 📆 Community Calendar: ✨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: 💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: =============== SUICIDE PREVENTION...
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Ayahuasca for Transforming Trauma and Pain with Mee Ok Icaro - Ep 120
Unraveling Adoption
Reserve your FREE ticket to the Sacred Plant Medicine for Healing the Adoption Constellation webinar featuring Mee Ok as one of the panelists, December 3 at 1pm PST: When you're in the margins and outside of the dominant narrative, you're very aware of what is just taken for granted. - Mee Ok Icaro A transformative journey unfolds as Mee Ok, a Korean transnational adoptee, embraces the healing power of Ayahuasca, finding dramatic physical healing, challenging her beliefs, and finding spiritual growth amidst the risks and rewards of this sacred plant medicine. In this episode, you will...
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Preventing Adoptee Suicide through Compassionate Community Support with Moses Farrow - Ep 119
Unraveling Adoption
"Being commodified, treated as an object, as a thing that can be returned or exchanged, deeply affects us. I am not a thing." - Moses Farrow Did you know that adoptees are at least four times as likely to attempt suicide as their non-adopted peers? In this episode, Moses Farrow will shed light on the truth behind high suicide rates among adopted people, and will provide resources to help prevent adoptee suicide. In this episode, you will be able to: Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by adoptees and how to provide meaningful support throughout their journey. ...
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Happy Enough Holidays - November 14, 2023
Unraveling Adoption
Register at or at 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 situation...
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An Inside Look at Adoption as Both an Adoptee and a Birth Parent with Dr. Abby Hasberry - Ep 118
Unraveling Adoption
"Supporting a birth mother doesn't mean just offering empty words, but actively showing her what support looks like and helping her make informed decisions." - Abby Hasberry Have you ever experienced a life-changing twist that completely altered your life view? Abby Hasberry's story of being raised in a transracial adoptive family takes an unexpected turn at age 16, revealing the complexities and challenges faced by both transracial adoptees and birth parents. =============== 📆 Community Calendar: 💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: =============== In this episode, you...
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The Roller Coaster Ride of Reunion with Brian Stanton and Rick Wertz - Ep 117
Unraveling Adoption
"You can't make this up. It's a beautiful journey of discovery and connection." - Rick Wertz Adoptees searching for their birth family are often met with dead-ends and heartache, which can be overwhelming. But Brian and Rick's story will give you hope. They demonstrate the grace and determination required to HANG ON when riding the complex roller coaster ride of reunion. In this episode, you will be able to: Discover the complexities and emotional challenges of adoption, providing insight and understanding into the adoptee's and the birth parent's journey. Learn effective strategies for...
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Art as a Tool for Empowerment for Adoptees and Former Foster Youth with Nicole Rademacher - Ep 116
Unraveling Adoption
"I spend a lot of my life, and even through my art, just looking for belonging." - Nicole Rademacher Join us as we delve into the world of art therapy and adoption with guest Nicole Rademacher. Discover how Nicole uses art to heal on her own journey as an adoptee, and explore her upcoming project, "We Are Not Our Cruxes," that aims to empower adoptees and former foster youth. In this episode, you will be able to: Discover the healing power of art therapy and how it can help adoptees do deeper work on their adoption trauma. Explore the complexities of transracial adoption...
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Belonging and Racial Identity for Late Discovery Adoptee Peter Capomolla Moore - Ep 115
Unraveling Adoption
Belonging and Racial Identity for Late Discovery Adoptee Peter Capomolla Moore Access a written transcript here, in case you have trouble understanding Peter's lovely Australian accent: "It's important for adoptees to understand and embrace their racial identity and sense of belonging. We must challenge the labels we are given and create our own narratives." - Peter Capomolla Moore Have you ever heard these myths about the significance of racial identity and belonging for adoptees? Myth #1: Adoptees don't need to worry about race because love is all that matters. Myth #2: Adopting a child...
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Unlocking Adoptees' Genetic Blueprint for Optimal Mental Health with Dr. Evelyn Higgins and Joey Nakao - Ep 114
Unraveling Adoption
"Don't let shame and stigma add to the struggles of being adopted. Personalized genetic testing can provide valuable insights and guidance for addiction treatment. Let's break the cycle and empower individuals to heal." - Dr. Evelyn Higgins Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless trial and error of finding the right treatment for your mental health and/or addiction issues? Are you trying various medications and therapies that don't seem to alleviate your pain or provide lasting relief? I think many adoptees (and others!) can relate! It can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to...
info_outlineIn 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 resource to help other adoptees and also to help other journalists find good adoption data.
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💌 Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX
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RESOURCES:
Amanda’s information:
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Voices of Adoption on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@voicesofadoption
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Voices of Adoption on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_voicesofadoption/
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Voices of Adoption on Substack: https://voicesofadoption.substack.com/
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Abortion/Adoption video collage that Amanda created: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdtUQEfj5dl/
Other resources mentioned in this episode:
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Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/
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Boolean Search Terms: https://www.lifewire.com/boolean-search-terms-google-1616810
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Desiree Stevens and Access Connecticut: https://www.facebook.com/AccessConnecticut/
Other Resources:
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Other Parents Like Me - https://www.facebook.com/other.parents.like.me
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Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https://heatherrosscoaching.com/
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Find a Tele-Therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/online-counseling
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Unraveling Adoption is produced and hosted by Beth Syverson
Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao
Email questions or comments to [email protected]
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Support Unraveling Adoption on Patreon: Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption
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TIME STAMPS:
1:25 Amanda’s adoption story and childhood
4:25 Kudos to Amanda’s school counselor for knowing about adoption-competent therapists
5:50 Amanda’s attachment style is complicated
7:09 How lack of family medical history impacts adoptees
10:00 Advocating for adoption reform and dealing with pushback
12:00 Blasting apart adoption myths, getting people angry at her
14:35 Pushback has improved Amanda’s reporting
15:20 Where does Amanda find adoption data? Who keeps track of “goods transferred?”
18:50 Privacy laws - are they a farce?
20:00 The Yelp of adoption agency databases idea
20:44 Voices of Adoption on TikTok and Instagram
22:38 Objectivity is a myth but we can try to understand the other points of view
24:11 What exactly is engagement journalism?
25:00 “Domestic supply of infants” necessitated discussion about adoption and abortion
27:12 Amanda’s TikTok video (audio only)
29:25 The aftermath of the viral video
32:37 How the Voices of Adoption on Substack will create community-sourced resources
35:50 Amanda’s dream for collective members to get paid for their emotional labor
39:09 How to participate in Amanda’s projects and join the Voices of Adoption community
41:04 The importance of moderators in social media
44:11 How we can share our stories safely and authentically to help people coming out of the fog