Interview with Dr. Kristy Howell

Dr. Kristy Howell is an adult adoptee in reunion. She was born and adopted in the sealed state of Mississippi. She is a Sustainability expert and trained historian. Kristy can be found at @kwittman on twitter and on instagram. Mentioned in the show: Mississippi adoption laws: adopteerightslaw.com ISRR: International Soundex Reunion Registry: International Soundex Reunion Registry - ISRR  This used to be one of the few resources available to adoptees hoping to find family. Today, DNA testing has largely made reunion registries unnecessary.  Adoptee Rights Law: Attorney and adoptee Greg Luce maintains an up to date easily accessed list of the laws regulating adoptee access to records for every state. He includes links to the legislation which makes further research easier.  Search Angels: Search angels are individuals with trainig and experience in conducting searches for adoptees. Search angels are FREE. Groups like the Search Squad on FB receive training in genetic genealogy, and have been vetted for reliability. Please do some research prior to sharing your personal information with anyone offering to be your search angel. DNA detectives on Facebook is a good group to join and ask for references. Search Squad is affiliated with them.  The Adoptee Community, aka Adopteeland: there are a number of free, online resources for adoptees. Not every group will align with every adoptees needs, but groups exist for many different situations: Late Discovery, Anti adoption, Reunion support, Trauma support, LGBTQ adoptees, adoptee writers, artists, inter-country adoptees, transracial adoptees, etc. You may have to try a few before you find some that fit, but, for the most part, finding these groups can be a tremendous relief. Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter are good places to look for groups.  Adoptee-informed therapy: finding an adoptee-informed therapist can be a huge boon. The search can be lengthy. for a list of questions that can help you find a good fit in a therapist, please see the article linked here.  https://theadoptionfilescom.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/healing-the-wounds/ Adoptee-informed therapy: finding an adoptee-informed therapist can be a huge boon. The search can be lengthy. For a list of questions that can help you find a good fit in a therapist, please see the article linked here. https://theadoptionfilescom.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/healing-the-wounds/ Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Opinions voiced on the podcast by the host and their guests are our opinions.  If you happen to recognize the book referenced by Dr Howell at the beginning of the podcast, please contact the host and let them know the title.  If you woulld like to be a guest on the podcast, please let the host know. I am invested in amplifying the voices of adoptees, adoptee allies and others impacted by adoption law. Thank you for listening!