Once Upon A Time...In Adopteeland

Erica Livingston is a postpartum-centric full-spectrum doula, maternal health strategist, and founder of Birdsong Doulas. As an adoptee and a parent, she works at the intersections of birth justice, storytelling, and liberation, supporting families and care workers across the thresholds of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond.Website: https://www.birdsongdoulas.comMusic by Corey Quinn

Roxan Chen, is a Late Discovery Adoptee, born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in New York, living out her creative life in New Jersey when not discovering/tour leading in various destinations throughout the world.Music by Corey Quinn

Jaciara is a transracial/international adoptee. She was adopted from Brazil in 1985 when she was 11 months old and raised in Northern California by a Jewish single parent mother, in a small and very minimally diverse town. Jaciara has obtained her Master’s degree in Social Work and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She currently works as a medical social worker in a hospital and has been in this field for many years. Jaciara has also worked in the field of adoption/foster care at various capacities for 10 years, and recently has begun a new part-time role as a Court Appointed Family Engagement Specialist. She has been a panelist on numerous adult adoptee panels, has co-developed and presented training curriculum utilizing both her lived and professional experience on the multi-layered experiences and nuances in transracial placement/adoption. She has also created educational curriculum for adoptee youth teaching mindfulness practices, as well as sharing learned life lessons and hardships from her lived experience in effort to provide the support and knowledge she so greatly wished to have had when she was younger. Jaciara has also independently provided 1:1 mentorship primarily to teenage adoptees including extending support/guidance to their adoptive parent(s). Jaciara is a member of the Board of Directors for S.P.A.C.E. (School of Performing Arts and Cultural Education) a well-known organization in her hometown that she actively participated in as a youth; she holds the position as the Chair of the board’s Cultural Education Committee. Outside of her professional work, her most cherished and beloved hobby is Samba dance; and she is a principal dancer on a award winning Samba team. For Jaciara, Samba has been her most steady connection to her Afro-Brazilian roots.Resources/References: https://youtu.be/dmfxulaeMZI?si=exMTT3VX9SZkqXuB http://www.radiocurious.org/2015/03/31/bayer-jaciara-jaciara-bayer-transracial-adoptions-and-white-privilege/ https://www.patreon.com/c/adopteelandMusic by Corey Quinn

Julian Mack is a transracial adoptee in reunion/contact with his family of origin. He is a Black American music artist living in Atlanta. Julian continues to move through questions of identity and societal issues with a thoughtful, grey-lens perspective.Music by Corey Quinn

Sonia Morgan is a late discovery adoptee born in Pennsylvania. She searched for her biological family and is currently appreciating reunion/contact with them.Music by Corey Quinn

Anna Bryant is a transracial adoptee from Iowa. She grew up in a multiracial household with White parents and international adoptee sisters from South Korea. She has been in reunion with her family of origin for 8 years which has brought both joys and heartbreaks. She is currently working on her memoir Cultural Fraud which explores her reunion journey and her search for Black identity. She currently resides in the Black Mecca of Atlanta with her husband and loves to travel, spend time with friends, and occasionally review new snacks.Music by Corey Quinn

Koko is a same-race Black adoptee with 15 years of experience in community behavioral health. She holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a Professional Clinical Counselor. A mother and a healer, Koko brings a trauma-informed, liberation-focused lens to her work with individuals and communities impacted by adoption. Her insights have made her a frequent guest on podcasts, and she has spoken at major gatherings, including the BIPOC Adoptee Conference.She is the founder and CEO of BADAN, the Black African Diaspora Adoptee Network—a global community committed to connection, care, and collective truth-telling for Black adoptees across the diaspora. Through community organizing, mental health advocacy, and storytelling. She creates space for Black adoptees to name grief, reclaim identity, and move toward embodied belonging. Her work centers the lived experiences of same-race adoptees while pushing for accountability and change within adoption and mental health systems. As stated, she can be found spilling adoption truths on Instagram @theblackadoptea.  https://www.instagram.com/badancommunity/References: https://untanglingourroots.org/schedule/Music by Corey Quinn

Garrett Lee is a same race domestic adoptee residing in Orlando, FL. He is in reunion with DNA family members and the journey continues putting the pieces together about his relinquishment/adoption story.Website: https://www.oldskoolcakes.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Janeen Jackson is an adoptee, children's book author, and powerful advocate for adult adoptees—especially those who discover the truth about their adoption later in life. Through her blog Mixed Up Diary and her book Hello, Sweet Baby!, Janeen creates space for honest conversations about identity, race, and healing. Her mission is to provide comfort and understanding to others facing similar revelations and to help families navigate the emotional complexities of adoption with empathy and truth.In 2017, Janeen took a DNA test out of curiosity. What followed was a life-altering discovery: she was adopted, had been in foster care, and was biracial. She uncovered this truth in her 40s, a revelation that completely redefined her sense of self and understanding of her past. This experience launched her into a journey of emotional excavation, family redefinition, and self-empowerment. Janeen’s late discovery of her adoption brought with it many emotional and psychological challenges, including grief, anger, confusion, and a profound identity crisis. She wrestled with issues of trust, colorism, belonging, and depression. Learning how to set healthy boundaries, confront painful family secrets, and process her biracial identity has been central to her personal transformation.Websites: https://mixedupdiary.com/ https://janeenjackson.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Eric Shaw in Southern California is an educator (Elementary School PE and High School basketball coach), adopted at birth by same race and adopted siblings with Koko, @TheBlackAdoptea on IG.Resource: https://adoptionmosaic.com/adoptee-beaconMusic by Corey Quinn 

Kevin Hodge-Niblack Barnett Sr. is a retired Army veteran and a product of the foster care/adoption system. He is the author of two books: Living My Shadows: Dreams Do Come True and Shadows of Emotion: Life After the Dream, which outline his experiences as an adoptee and person who lived in foster care.Website: https://www.livingmyshadows.org/Resources: https://www.adoptionknowledge.org/registration-2025.htmlMusic by Corey Quinn

Jasmin, a New York adoptee, host of the Once an Orphan podcast kept the story of her adoption to herself until she was in her 30’s. Today, she’ll talk about why the silence for so long and what finally brought about the change. https://www.youtube.com/@OnceanOrphanhttps://www.blackadopteesmeetup.org/Recommended Resource: https://events.adoptionmosaic.com/launch-landMusic by Corey Quinn

Katie is an adoptee who has always known she was adopted. Abuse and neglect by adoptive parents growing up led her to feeling unloved or unwanted by them. As a younger person, Katie felt so broken and joined Al-Anon and (ACA) Adult Children of Alcoholics for healing. She still felt like something was missing in her recovery. A friend gave Katie the book, The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier, and she then sought out podcasts about adoptees which all proved to be great resources.Katie never had the desire to look for her birth parents, but an acquaintance insisted, and found maternal and paternal birth parents within days in 1996. She has met both birth families and have different relationships with them today.Music by Corey Quinn

Jennifer Hiltebeitel (HILL-ta-bite-el) is a returning guest.Jennifer is an adopted person on a lifelong healing journey. As an Enneagram Coach, she loves talking with other adoptees about how this tool for growth builds understanding and compassion for our whole selves. She believes healing happens in community and through the telling of our stories. You can connect with Jennifer on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/throughyourlensenneagram/, through email: jhiltebeitel@outlook.com or set up a free 30-minute Enneagram Coaching consultation with her at https://calendly.com/jhiltebeitelMusic by Corey Quinn

Original air date: October 25, 2022During times in this episode, there is sensitive content that may be traumatizing to some audiences. Listener discretion advised.Katie is an adoptee who has always known she was adopted. Abuse and neglect by adoptive parents growing up led her to feeling unloved or unwanted by them. As a younger person, Katie felt so broken and joined Al-Anon and (ACA) Adult Children of Alcoholics for healing. She still felt like something was missing in her recovery. A friend gave Katie the book, The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier, and she then sought out podcasts about adoptees which all proved to be great resources.Katie never had the desire to look for her birth parents, but an acquaintance insisted, and found maternal and paternal birth parents within days in 1996. She has met both birth families and have different relationships with them today.Music by Corey Quinn

Debbie Nahid is a transracial intercountry adoptee born in 1968 in the UK. She was raised in foster care in a white English community and was adopted as a teenager by her foster mother. It was at this time that she also discovered the truth about her parents and heritage. Debbie has spent her life searching for birth relatives and cultural connections and is the founder of Transracial Adult Adoptee Network (TAAN), a community of peers. She has created and facilitates two in-person support groups for adult adoptees in London and is also the co-founder of the Adult Adoptee Movement UK.Debbie uses her lived experience to help others heal and inform of the dislocation, alienation and isolation that occurs from being raised in a white foster or adoptive home without a biological identity or same race role model. Paul Sunderland Talks to Adoptees About HealingFrom Relinquishment Trauma and Complex PPTSD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8njTJVfsVAMusic by Corey Quinn

Linda Pevac (aka Emma Stevens) is a returning guest.Linda is a U.S. domestic adoptee from birth and has survived layers of trauma that have put her on multiple journeys. She developed the inner strength and courage to surmount the many struggles she faced. Her traumas were born from being an adoptee who struggled with being forced to wear an impossible mask of playing the part of the “good adopted child.” Because being relinquished and adopted has colored her life, it’s Linda’s desire to be part of the movement that is dedicated to helping bring forth change to the way our world views the needs and support of adopted individuals. She believes strongly in adoptees finding their voice and discovering their truth to have a solid sense of self and to reclaim their identities. Through telling her story, Linda is dedicated to help redefine the narrative of adoption to include the entire complex truth.This memoir is Linda Pavac (aka Emma Stevens’) third book. She has an undergraduate degree in journalism and has completed Master’s level course work in psychology, specializing in Marriage, Family, and Child counseling. She has two adult children and two cat children who she adores.https://emmastevenswriter.com/https://www.adopteetherapy.com/Music by Corey Quinn

This solo episode embodies the anticipation of Autumn.https://adoptee-voices.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Original air date: April 5, 2022Emma Stevens is a U.S. domestic adoptee from birth and has survived layers of trauma that have put her on multiple journeys. She developed the inner strength and courage to surmount the many struggles she faced. Her traumas were born from being an adoptee who struggled with being forced to wear an impossible mask of playing the part of the “good adopted child.” Because being relinquished and adopted has colored her life, it’s Emma’s desire to be part of the movement that is dedicated to helping bring forth change to the way our world views the needs and support of adopted individuals. She believes strongly in adoptees finding their voice and discovering their truth to have a solid sense of self and to reclaim their identities. Through telling her story, Emma is dedicated to help redefine the narrative of adoption to include the entire complex truth.This memoir is Emma Stevens’ first book. She has an undergraduate degree in journalism and has completed Master’s level course work in psychology, specializing in Marriage, Family, and Child counseling. She has two adult children and two cat children who she adores. "The Gathering Place, An Adoptee's Story" by Emma Stevens is available on Amazon.https://emmastevenswriter.com/Music by Corey Quinn

Astrid Castro, founder and CEO of Adoption Mosaic—an adoptee-led, BIPOC woman-founded nonprofit—has dedicated over three decades to serving the adoption constellation through innovative, adoptee-centered programs, events, courses, and consultations. Adopted from Colombia at the age of four (along with her older sister), Astrid’s life's work and interest in adoption shifted dramatically after reuniting with her birth/first mother in 2011, when she discovered she had been kidnapped and sold through the black market of adoption. Everything changed from that moment, reshaping not only her personal journey but also her professional commitment. Prior to creating Adoption Mosaic, Astrid worked in both the private and public sectors of adoption, including at the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), Holt International, and the Rocky Mountain Adoption Exchange. Her work continues to highlight the adoptee experience and expand access to essential post-adoption services for individuals and families.https://adoptionmosaic.com/Nomi Kaie is a Black same race domestic adoptee who enjoys connecting with others, daydreaming, delicious meals, the arts, and running fast, to name a few interests. https://www.onceuponatimeinadopteeland.com/episode/31-nomi-an-adoptee-and-writer-who-is-new-to-the-adoption-communityMusic by Corey Quinn