EPISODE · Mar 15, 2025 · 1H 27M
#18: Ridghaus Follows the Golden Threads - A Story of Adoption, Grief and Meaning.
from Developing Meaning · host Dirk Winter
Send us Fan MailCan you imagine learning at 35 that you were adopted? In this episode Ridghaus, my friend and Level I IFS Program Assistant, shares how this discovery transformed his sense of identity and led him to advocate for adoptee rights and communities.We also explore the profound loss of his 18-year-old son and how he has grieved. Through our conversation, Ridghaus reflects on the "golden threads" that have guided him—moments of insight, connection, and healing. We discuss how Internal Family Systems (IFS) has played a role in his process, helping him hold space for his parts and for others in their own healing journeys.This episode is part of a series on my Level I IFS training experience, in which I introduce the IFS model (#16), introduce my Lead Trainer Jory Agate (#17). Upcoming episodes will introduce another trainer Margaret Conley (#19), who is an expert in complex trauma and legacy burdens, and then an audiodiary (#20) will follow. My intention in this series is to share this exciting new model of healing with classically trained therapists and anyone else curious about mental health and meaning. Timestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction to Developing Meaning and Ridgehouse00:05:42 - Early Life: A Misfit in Kansas00:17:28 - Discovering Adoption at Age 3500:30:49 - Facing Unimaginable Loss and Grief00:43:02 - First Encounter with Internal Family Systems01:00:34 - Becoming a Healer: IFS and Identity Work01:11:27 - Plateaus and Valleys of Meaning01:15:33 - Final Reflections on Intention and Starting OverDeveloping Meaning is NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY INSTITUTIONS, and is NOT MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE.Theme Music by The Thrashing Skumz.This episode was produced by Dirk Winter, Fariha Fawziah and Caroline Hinton and is brought to you by Consilient Mind LLC.
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Send us Fan Mail Can you imagine learning at 35 that you were adopted? In this episode Ridghaus, my friend and Level I IFS Program Assistant, shares how this discovery transformed his sense of identity and led him to advocate for adoptee rights and communities. We also explore the profound loss of his 18-year-old son and how he has grieved. Through our conversation, Ridghaus reflects on the "golden threads" that have guided him—moments of insight, connection, and healing. We discuss how...
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#18: Ridghaus Follows the Golden Threads - A Story of Adoption, Grief and Meaning.
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