DAWTA The Podcast

Dionne Draper is the the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA, a semi-autobiographical one woman musical; the roots of this podcast series, and Dionne lives with the complex transracial adoptee experience. Self-regulation or put simply, the ability to manage behaviour and impulses, is a particular challenge for transracial adoptee and fostered adults. So, Season 2 is full of interviews with members of the community about wellbeing activities that support self-regulation. From Djing to climbing to weightlifting and more join Dionne for this wellbeing series, as transracial adoptee and fostered adults share struggles and superpowers alike.

DJ Elley Phunk - Identifying Through Music 10/16/2024

DJ Elley Phunk - Identifying Through Music Hello, my name is Dionne Draper and I am the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA a semi-autobiographical one woman musical, the roots of this podcast series, and I live with the complex transracial adoptee experience. Self regulation, or put simply the ability to manage our emotions and impulses is a particular challenge for transracial adoptee and fostered people. Season 2 is full of interviews with members of the community about wellbeing activities that support our self-regulation. From Djing to climbing to weightlifting (that’s me), and more. Join me for this wellbeing series as we share our struggles,and super powers alike. In this episode I have a colorful conversation with DJ Elley Phunk about her work as a Therapeutic Mentor, being a mixed-race transracial adoptee with Zambian roots, dysregulation, early memories of being forced to read-out the ‘N word’, and her early introduction to Black Music and resistance. Wait!t She raps too! DJ Elley Phunk Bio DJ Elley Phunk has 28 Years of experience behind the turntables. She's been involved in the dance scene since the early 90’s. Elley, originally a vinyl DJ, started mixing in 1995. She swiftly became a well-known house and Breakbeat DJ around the Southwest. Elley quickly picked up a tight and original style as she cuts with confidence. Elley went on to join an all women hip-hop collective named Dutty Girl, which is Bristol, based, playing old-school Hip-hop, getting the chance to support DJ Jazzy Jeff. She runs DJ workshops supporting hard-to-reach youth and students, and works as a Therapeutic Mentor/ Student Support Worker. Her most recent achievement involved her writing an MA dissertation on the benefits of DJing on mental health, community, and self-empowerment. Her style is original and ranges through many inspirational genres that are fundamentally MOBO (Music of Black Origin) DJ Elley Phunk also plays festivals, including: Boomtown, Glastonbury Festival.She has a residency at The Plough Inn, Easton, Bristol Show references: (The song mentioned at the top of the show) Burning Spear / Columbus The Boy Who was Raised As a Dog - Bruce Perry Elley's contact details: IG: Website: You can also check out Elley Phunk's latest sounds on Mixcloud Dionne Draper's info: This year DAWTA has partnered with Black led mental health charity Nilaari funded by Quartet donors the Celtic Connection Fund. With this funding DAWTA is delivering activities and workshops for transracial adoptee and fostered adults (in-person and online). For more information about how you can get involved email me at [email protected] or message me on insta at soullife05. Website: IG: FB: Finally, I have one small ask…if you enjoyed this episode please rate it with 5 stars, wherever you get your podcasts, and even a comment too - I love reading them! Ratings are essential to raise the profile of the podcast, get it heard, and recognised. I hope this podcast offers you comfort, knowledge and support, however, it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained counselor or therapist. Thanks for listening, be well, and see you soon! /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/32747222

Music Therapy - 'Feeling Comfortable Being Vulnerable' 09/18/2024

Music Therapy - 'Feeling Comfortable Being Vulnerable' TRIGGER WARNING: Self Harm is discussed in this episode. Hello, my name is Dionne Draper and I am the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA a semi-autobiographical one woman musical, the roots of this podcast series, and I live with the complex transracial adoptee experience. Self regulation, or put simply the ability to manage our emotions and impulses is a particular challenge for transracial adoptee and fostered people. Season 2 is full of interviews with members of the community about wellbeing activities that support our self-regulation. From Djing to climbing to weightlifting (that’s me), and more. Join me for this wellbeing series as we share our struggles,and super powers alike. In this episode I have an in-depth conversation with Music Pyschotherapist Alexis Wreathall about his work. We talk about the primary trauma of separation from the mother, to music therapists's practices to create a safe environment through routine, and predictable behaviours for clients. To facing anxiety and identity crisis head-on, seeing it as a cross cultural issue not simply a transracial adoptee or looked-after children experience, but also something many people suffer. It is hoped that this episode is one that everyone can relate to, providing knowledge and interest in the benefits of music therapy. Alexis Wreathall Bio Alexis Wreathall is a music psychotherapist who qualified in 2018 from the University of the West of England, and he practices in Bristol, Avon, Gloucester and North Somerset. Alexis has worked in a variety of different settings with different people, and his most recent clinical experience has been with young people who are within the adoption process, or who are looked after. Contact details: Email: or Advice - signposting British Association of Music Therapists - This year DAWTA has partnered with Black led mental health charity Nilaari funded by Quartet donors the Celtic Connection Fund. With this funding DAWTA is delivering activities and workshops for transracial adoptee and fostered adults (in-person and online). For more information about how you can get involved email me at or message me on insta at soullife05. Website: Finally, I have one small ask…if you enjoyed this episode please rate it with 5 stars, wherever you get your podcasts, and even a comment too - I love reading them! Ratings are essential to raise the profile of the podcast, get it heard, and recognised. I hope this podcast offers you comfort, knowledge and support, however, it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained counselor or therapist. Thanks for listening, be well, and see you soon! /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/32739957

When Women Lift 07/17/2024

When Women Lift DAWTA The Podcast Season 2 Episode 2 - Pat Tru Fitness ‘When Women Lift’ Main Intro Hello, my name is Dionne Draper and I am the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA a semi-autobiographical one woman musical, the roots of this podcast series, and I live with the complex transracial adoptee experience. Self regulation, or put simply the ability to manage our emotions and impulses is a particular challenge for transracial adoptee and fostered adults. So, Season 2 is full of interviews with members of the community about wellbeing activities that support our self-regulation. From Djing to climbing to weightlifting (that’s me), and more. Join me for this wellbeing series as we share our struggles,and super powers alike. I hope this podcast offers you comfort, knowledge and support, however, it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained counselor or therapist. Pat Tru Fitness Bio Pat Tru Fitness is a personal trainer and coach resident in Bristol, UK where she hosts women’s weightlifting small groups, and one to one coaching in person and online. In this episode we talk about women, strength, confidence in the gym, the weights area and making sure we take up our space. We talk about how Pat got into fitness, my fitness journey, lashes, nails and much more. References: British Menopause Society, Paper - Menopause in Ethnic Minority Women 2023 Distinctive characteristics of the major UK ethnic minority groups Women of Afro-Caribbean origin • The mean age of natural menopause is 49.6 years. • Women experience a longer duration of menopause transition. • These women have the highest prevalence and longest duration of vasomotor symptoms, and they are also more severe. • They are more likely to experience shorter sleep duration, more frequent awakenings and less efficient sleep. • Weight gain and mental health issues may be prominent. • They display a smaller decline in sexual function and report a greater importance of sex Social prescribing - Grounding - 30 Grounding Techniques to Quiet Distressing Thoughts, 2024 Pat info: Pat Tru Fitness Socials Pat Tru Fitness website https://www.trufitnessbristol.co.uk/ Email: This year DAWTA has partnered with Black led mental health charity Nilaari funded by Quartet donors the Celtic Connection Fund. With this funding DAWTA is delivering activities and workshops for transracial adoptee and fostered adults (in-person and online). For more information about how you can get involved email me at or message me on insta at soullife05. Website: Finally, I have one small ask…if you enjoyed this episode please rate it with 5 stars, wherever you get your podcasts, and even a comment too - I love reading them! Ratings are essential to raise the profile of the podcast, get it heard, and recognised. Thanks for listening, be well, and see you soon! /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/32128452

Mum, we've got the same nose! 06/14/2024

Mum, we've got the same nose! Hello, my name is Dionne Draper and I am the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA a semi-autobiographical one woman musical, the roots of this podcast series, and I live with the complex transracial adoptee experience. Self regulation, or put simply the ability to manage our emotions and impulses is a particular challenge for transracial adoptee and fostered adults. So, Season 2 is full of interviews with members of the community about wellbeing activities that support our self-regulation. From Djing to climbing to weightlifting (that’s me), and more. Join me for this wellbeing series as we share our struggles,and super powers alike. I hope this podcast offers you comfort, knowledge and support, however, it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained counselor or therapist. Liz Mytton Bio Liz Mytton is many things including a dear friend of mine, a fellow CIC director of DAWTA, and a Black adoptive parent. In this episode I sit down and talk to Liz about how she’s doing, what it’s like being 50 and her wellbeing. Liz speaks bravely and generously about being an adoptive parent of her dual heritage son, her husband’s whiteness (and tallness!) and their love for their son, storytelling for all, and the importance of play. Theatre in Flow Book: The Nap Ministry / Rest is resistance This year DAWTA has partnered with Black led mental health charity Nilaari funded by Quartet donors the Celtic Connection Fund. With this funding DAWTA is delivering activities and workshops for transracial adoptee and fostered adults (in-person and online). For more information about how you can get involved email me at or message me on insta at soullife05. Website: Finally, I have one small ask…if you enjoyed this episode please rate it with 5 stars, wherever you get your podcasts, and even a comment too - I love reading them! Ratings are essential to raise the profile of the podcast, get it heard, and recognised. Thanks for listening, be well, and see you soon! Dionne x /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/31748562

Solo, but not alone! 06/14/2024

DAWTA @ The Mount Without Live (Black Identity Part II) 11/03/2023

Live @ The Mount Without (Black Identity Part 1) 10/23/2023

TRA's and Birth Fathers 08/17/2023

TRA's and Religion 07/14/2023

TRA Sons 06/14/2023

TRA Sons Show notes: Dionne Draper and Lisa Marie-Simmons bring you DAWTA The Podcast, Episode 3 with a special focus on the Black, Male TRA (Transracial Adoptee) experience and a wider focus on Black, Male Mental Health. Robert Lewtas is a transracial adoptee living in London and works as an accountant for a large theatre producer. He is a proud father who identifies as Black English..though others might disagree! Michael Earle is an award winning wellbeing consultant, international speaker, mental health practitioner and certified Nordic Walking instructor. He lives in Bristol with his wife Joanne. Michael is a great advocate of self-care, and his mission is to inspire people to make their well-being a non-negotiable priority. SPECIAL OFFER!! Michael is offering the first three people that email him after listening to the episode a free thirty minute wellbeing check-up call. Research - Journal of social distress and the homeless, Vol. 0 No. 0, Month, 2015, 1–16 The emotional labor of playing cool: How Black male transracial adoptees find ways to cope within predominantly White settings. Darron T. Smith:The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, USA Ghost Kingdom - Coined by Betty Jean Lipton, an influential psychologist who specializes in adoption therapy and fought for adoption reform, the Ghost Kingdom refers to the hypothetical world adoptees enter when imagining their birth relatives. Different Strokes: Info found at Please remember to SHARE, comment, like and give 5 stars. 5 star ratings are essential to raise the profile of the podcast, get it heard and recognised. 🙏🏾 Your episode hosts are and and produced by Dionne Draper and Kate Daggett. Thanks Kate, you did a great job! Follow the links to find out more about: Michael Earle website Michael Earle email: Lisa Marie Simmons: Dionne Draper: DISCLAIMER: We hope this episode offers you knowledge, comfort and support, however it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained and licensed counselor or therapist. /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/27152415

When TRA's Become Parents 05/24/2023

When TRA's Become Parents Dionne Draper and Lisa Marie-Simmons are both black, transracial adoptees and the hosts of 'DAWTA' The Podcast. Dionne Draper is the writer, actor and producer of DAWTA a semi-autobiographical multi-media work that centres the esxperiences of Sarah, a transracial adoptee. DAWTA, a one woman musical was the first live iteration (2019), then DAWTA Digital and immersive online version (2021) and now DAWTA the Podcast (2023), with support from Arts Council England. Lisa is a multi-disciplinary storyteller bon in the US, adopted by a white family, subsequently re-homed to a white adoptive mother and her black husband, and raised in Boulder, Co. Lisa's work as a singer/songwriter, poet and essayist uses intimate details of her life to speak to a larger narrative. DAWTA The Podcast centres on themes in Sarah's transracial adoption, with special guests and a 'Therapists' View'. Each episode covers complex, challenging and always heart-warming stories of the transracial adoptee experience, and the powerful path to self-actualisation. SHOW NOTES DISCLAIMER: We hope this episode offers you knowledge, comfort and support - perhaps some laughs too - however it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained and licensed counselor or therapist. Study 'From Being Adopted to Becoming a Parent' June 2018 - December 2021 Research team: Professor Beth Neil (Principle Investigator), Dr Julia Rimmer and Dr Irina Sirbu at the Centre for Research and Families at UEA Paper 'Indigenous Adoptees' Experiences of Racism in Transracial Adoption in Saskatachewan: Discovering Truth and Being Authentic (Copyright 2019:CJ McCloy) Books 'Surviving the White Gaze' Rebecca Carroll, 'Eyes On The Proze (Black Civil Rights Movement), 'Negroverse' (Pocket Poets), 'The Primal Wound - In Search Of the Missing Piece' Nancy Verrier TRA Networks - ICAV UK, Monarch Connections, Adoptee Thoughts Today's Guest Vik Fielder was born in London in 1971, adopted and moved to Somerset ata week old she now lives nestled in the Quantock Hills with her children. Vik really got into adoption advocacy during covid and has been running an adoptees only zoom chat since May 2020. Vik is also a founder member of the Adult Adoptee Movement. Links More info about: Dionne and DAWTA at Lisa Marie-Simmons at Lana Lynn Mareno at Journey to Wellness at /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/26943204

The Fog 05/01/2023

The Fog Dionne Draper and Lisa Marie-Simmons are both black, transracial adoptees and the hosts of 'DAWTA' The Podcast. Dionne Draper is the writer, actor and producer of 'DAWTA' a semi-autobiographical multi-media work that centres the experiences of Sarah, a transracial adoptee. DAWTA, a one woman musical was the first live iteration (2019), then came DAWTA Digital an immersive online version (2021) and now DAWTA the Podcast has arrived (2023). Lisa is a multi-disciplinary storyteller born in the US, adopted by a white family, subsequently re-homed to a white adoptive mother and her black husband, and raised in Boulder, Co. Lisa's work as a singer/songwriter, poet and essayist uses intimate details of her life to speak to a larger narrative. DAWTA The Podcast centres on themes in Sarah's transracial adoption, with special guests and a 'Therapists View'. Each episode covers complex, challenging and always heart-warming stories of the transracial adoptee experience, and the powerful path to self-actualisation. Show notes: Kuligowski, M (2019) 'Coming Out of the fog'. Angela Tucker The Primal Wound - Nancy Verrier 'Out of the Fog and into Consciousness' A model adoptee - Grace Newton Astrid Castro - Adoption Mosaic The Artists Way - Julia Cameron The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk Top tips Find your community (ICAV, Adult Adoptee Movement, etc) Find voices that validate your transracial adoptee experience Self expression and creativity Explore self-care techniques that work for you i.e. meditation, yoga DISCLAIMER: We hope this episode offers you knowledge, comfort and support, however it is not meant to serve as a substitute for a relationship with a trained and licensed counselor or therapist. More info about Dionne and DAWTA info at Lisa Marie-Simmons at Lana Lynn Mareno - Journey to Wellness at /episode/index/show/026c53bd-6c7c-4ab9-bfa1-81fbe40fab00/id/26708655

DAWTA The Podcast

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