PODCAST · education
Adoption Unfiltered™
by Adoption Unfiltered™
Adoption Unfiltered™ is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring more than 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. We understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation, and discuss sensitive and timely issues through the lens of our lived experiences of adoption, and dialogue with others from within the adoption constellation.
Episodes
-
Ethics in Adoption Tour: Salt Lake City
This episode finds Adoption Unfiltered™ on the road for its "Ethics in Adoption" tour. Our first stop on this three-city tour could be none other than Salt Lake City, Utah. As attorney and panelist Wes Hutchins said, "Utah has legalized fraud in the context of adoption." Calling out exploitative...
-
Bucking Societal Pressure and Deciding NOT to Adopt with Guest, Jess Tennant
“There’s so much out there about the people who are ‘successful’ at adopting, but there’s nothing about people who have walked away from the process.” — Jess Tennant, a woman who decided NOT to adopt, due, in part, to predatory adoption agency practices, in ep 31. Jess, is an ally in unfiltering...
-
Dr. Patrice Martin
“Let’s start talking about mothers in crisis.” — Patrice Martin, DBA, on the many failures of baby boxes, in ep 30. Patrice Martin is uniquely qualified to speak on the topic of baby boxes, which is a phenomenon that takes existing Safe Haven laws an unnecessary step too far. Patrice herself was...
-
Jessica Davis and Maureen McCauley
“Our decision and application to adopt literally caused what happened to the very child we wanted to help.” —Jessica Davis, Founder and Executive Director of Kugatta, in ep 29. What if you discovered that the child you adopted was not actually an orphan, but someone who had been trafficked away...
-
April Dinwoodie
“So many parents are showing up and listening. I’m going to keep showing up with them.” —April Dinwoodie, episode 28. After decades in this space as a transracial adoptee, activist, executive director, podcaster, mentor, and many other roles, what still surprises April? How might people do this...
-
Betsie Norris of Adoption Network Cleveland
“You’re dealing with a lot of external politics, but there are a lot of internal politics, too.” —Betsie Norris, Founder and Executive Director of Adoption Network, in ep 27. How did original birth certificates become available to adult adoptees in Ohio? What were the arguments of the those...
-
Greg Luce of Adoptees United and Adoptee Rights Law Center
“When I found out the name of my birth mother, it was the first time I felt tethered to the earth … in many respects, I was then able to walk on the earth.” —Greg Luce, Executive Director of Adoptees United and Attorney and Founder, Adoptee Rights Law Center Why does Greg work so passionately to...
-
Haley Radke of Adoptees On
“One of the most surprising things is the feedback I’ve gotten from people who find Adoptees On: ‘OMG, I literally thought I was the only who had these internal, tumultuous feelings.’ ” —Haley Radke, host and creator of the podcast Adoptees On. Is there such a thing as an ethical adoption? What…
more -
Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy of AFFCNY
“Looking at adoption in all its many facets is extremely difficult for any of us. The narrative is rainbows and butterflies and we all learn too late. It tells each of us what we want to hear.” — Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy, “information purveyor and data hoarder,” in ep 24. What do two birth mother...
-
Lynelle Long of InterCountry Adoptee Voices
“When we shared our stories, found our voices, started to speak and connect, there was so much in common, regardless of our birth countries.” — Lynelle Long in Ep 23. Lynelle Long founded InterCountry Adoptee Voices in 1998 to educate, support, connect, collaborate, galvanise and give voice to...
-
Pamela Karanova of Adoptees Connect
This season we are shining a light on the work done by Adoption Advocates and Activists! “If I was allowed to grieve from the minute I found out I was adopted, my whole life trajectory would have been different. If only I had been allowed to feel sad.” — Pamela Karanova in ep22 Pamela is a beacon...
-
Adoption Constellation Round Table Fall 2023
“What is the hard part about adoption? ADOPTION is the hard part of adoption.” —A guest in Episode 21 Several adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and allies gather around the table to suss out the question, “What is hard about adoption?” Is it relinquishment vs adoption? Abandonment vs...
-
Attachment, Adoption, and the Connection Between Food and Caring
What are the deeper layers of the connection between attachment and food? This is a fascinating conversation with Deborah MacNamara, PhD, author of Nourished: Connection, Food, and Caring for Our Kids (and everyone else we love), for anyone dealing with digestive or attachment issues—which is,...
-
Book Discussion of Lois Lowry's The Giver
What would it be like to live in a community that protects you from pain, grief, loss, and other difficult feelings? How would it be to have so much sameness among community members that envy was eradicated? What if individuals were prevented from making bad choices? What would happen in a...
-
The Past, Present, and Future of Adoption as Seen Through Sage Eyes
Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao has been living adoption for more than 75 years as an adoptee—and professionally connected to adoption for 55 years in various roles, including as a psychologist and lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of The Family of Adoption, and we three...
-
Late Discovery and Transracial Adoptee Perspectives on Adoption
“Adoption seems simple from the outside. But when you’re in the thick of it, you see things in ways you never expected.” Author Melissa Guida-Richards (What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption) joins us to talk about discovering at age 19 that she had been adopted, and that her...
-
Problematic Adoption Narratives
Adoption tropes make for blockbuster films and viral news stories, but, as we do here on Adoption Unfiltered, let's dive deeper. Why do such tropes exist and perpetuate? Why do we harbor cultural biases such as: adoptive parents being unquestioningly unselfish and amazing; birth parents being...
-
How to Engage with Other Constellation Members
There’s a difference between listening to and taking from. People enjoy being heard but not being depleted. What are the unspoken rules of engagement in adoption spaces? On the one hand, it’s great to have our safe spaces for adoptees only, birth parents only, adoptive parents only. Yet we also...
-
National Adoption Awareness Month
It’s November, which means National Adoption Awareness Month. Adoption talk, adoption talk, everywhere you go! We’ve described it as overwhelming, emotional laboring, and metamorphosing. What was the original intent of NAAM? In what ways has the original intent expanded and shifted? Who has...
-
Adoption Constellation Round Table
Sara Easterly (adoptee), Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (birth mom) and Lori Holden (adoptive mom) kick of Season 2 with a special Adoption Constellation Round Table, for which we invited adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and others who have something to say about adoption to talk together...
-
Adoption and the Abortion Debate
What will happen when the Supreme Court officially rules on Roe v Wade? Sara Easterly (adoptee), Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (birth mom) and Lori Holden (adoptive mom) talk about the overlap between abortion and adoption. Not an easy conversation! Adoption and abortion are so often pitted against...
-
Separation, Trauma, and Healing in Adoption
Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. joins Sara (adoptee), Kelsey(birth mom), and Lori (adoptive mom) to talk about attachment and healing that can come—or not—after trauma. He provides validation for adoptees that separation is, in fact, a wound that needs tending. He provides wisdom for birth parents on how…
more -
Problematic Behaviors of Birth Parents
As the companion discussion to Problematic Behaviors of Adoptive Parents, Adoptee Tony Hynes of C.A.S.E. (the Center for Adoption Support and Education) joins Adoptee Sara Easterly, Birth Mom Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Adoptive Mom Lori Holden to cover some of the problematic behaviors of...
-
Ukrainian Crisis & Adoption Industry Corruption
What happens when tragedy strikes and children need help? Where is that very fine line between helping via adoption and hurting via trafficking? How can we best avoid crossing it? Kathryn Joyce, who researched and wrote Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption, joins…
more -
Adoption Terminology: Words Matter
Sara (adoptee), Kelsey (birth mom) and Lori (adoptive mom) offer their perspectives on various words people in the triad are called, like “ungrateful adoptee,” “first mom,” and “adoptoraptor.” Plus, other phrases like “put up” vs “placed for” adoption, “Real Mom,” “Gotcha Day,” “Tummy Mummy,”...
-
Birth Fathers and Adoption
There aren’t too many spaces in which men are marginalized, but Adoption Land is one of them. Birth Father Ridghaus joins Adoptee Sara Easterly, Birth Mom Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Adoptive Mom Lori Holden to reveal the viewpoint of a lesser-heard voice—that of a birth father. Talk about...
-
Adoptee-Centered Relationships Between Adoptive Parents and Birth Parents
A viewer asked: how can adoptive parents and birth parents best navigate adoption relationships and center the adoptee? Great question! Sara reveals the main thing an adoptee needs from adoptive parents, no matter if in an open/closed or international/foster adoption. Kelsey shares insights about...
-
Money in Adoption
Money in adoption affects all of us. But it affects each of us differently. Adoptee Sara Easterly, Birth Mom Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Adoptive Mom Lori Holden talk about why domestic infant adoption is so expensive, what goes into the fees, and what happens when people in desperate...
-
Problematic Behaviors of Adoptive Parents
Adoptee Astrid Castro of Adoption Mosaic, joins Adoptee Sara Easterly, Birth Mom Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Adoptive Mom Lori Holden to discuss some of the problematic behaviors of adoptive parents. Listen in to understand the unintended effects adoptive parents sometimes have on others in...
-
Adoption & Mental Health
An adoptee (Sara Easterly) a birth mom (Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard), and an adoptive mom (Lori Holden) talk together about the important topic of adoption and mental health as it affects each side of what has traditionally been considered the “adoption triad.” They talk about the need for a…
more -
Why Talk to Each Other?
An adoptee (Sara Easterly) a birth mom (Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard), and an adoptive mom (Lori Holden) address an elephant in the room that appeared from our last talk on naming newborns: why SHOULD adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents talk and listen to each other? Adoption…
more -
Considerations Around Naming Newborns
An adoptee (Sara Easterly) a birth mom (Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard), and an adoptive mom (Lori Holden) help each other better understand the issue and impact of naming a baby born into an adoption situation. Be a fly on the wall and discover something you didn’t already know. Adoption Unfiltered...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Adoption Unfiltered™ is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring more than 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. We understand the history, challenges, and trends experienced by people living in adoption and the broader adoption constellation, and discuss sensitive and timely issues through the lens of our lived experiences of adoption, and dialogue with others from within the adoption constellation.
HOSTED BY
Adoption Unfiltered™
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Adoption Unfiltered™ have?
Adoption Unfiltered™ currently has 32 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Adoption Unfiltered™ about?
Adoption Unfiltered™ is presented by adoptee Sara Easterly, birth parent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and adoptive parent Lori Holden. Collectively, we bring more than 75 years of lived experience relating to adoption, and we span the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations. We understand...
How often does Adoption Unfiltered™ release new episodes?
Adoption Unfiltered™ has 32 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Adoption Unfiltered™?
You can listen to Adoption Unfiltered™ on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Adoption Unfiltered™?
Adoption Unfiltered™ is created and hosted by Adoption Unfiltered™.
URL copied to clipboard!