Australian Adoption Pod - My Unknown Truth

Jo is a late discovery adoptee who discovered at the age of 46 that everything that she had known to be true about her identity and family was no longer, it was like a sudden and tragic death. The information that blew her world apart was a diary kept by her recently deceased maternal grandmother “Nanny” that spanned the years 1960-1965. Jo immediately filed for her paperwork with DoCS to obtain her original birth certificate and find her birth mother.The story that unfolded was nothing like the hopes she had of hearing about a forbidden teenage love affair. Today Jo touches on her journey and how kinesiology and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) gave insight around her conception which at the time of hearing did not make sense, but everything fell into place when knowing of her adoption. Here is her story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

When Brendan was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he found out the identity of his birth mother – but she wanted nothing to do with him. For thirty years there was only limited communication with his birth mother, and he knew nothing about his birth father. It wasn’t until 2018, a DNA test led him to the truth: 'After decades of searching, Brendan discovered that his birth parents were a Catholic priest and a nun.His ‘Memoir which was released in August 2023  titled “Tell No One' explores the questions, anxieties and reflections arising from this hidden past..Brendan is the son of a missionary priest. His father had studied in a Trappist monastery in Ireland, had a career as a house builder, was a Bondi Lifesaver, a trophy-winning ballroom dancer, was a landscape painter, met Mother Teresa and toured the world. Take a listen to this interview I did with Brendan in November last year. . Brendans memoir is an astounding story full of scandal, deception and coercion which had been uncovered over decades, it was a truth that must be told. If you would like to know more about Brendan and access his book head to brendanwatkins.com.au Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Jo is an adopted person, born in Adelaide in 1969. She lives with her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Creativity has been a constant in her life and she worked in advertising, marketing and design for many years, but is now quietly forging a new path as a yoga teacher after feeling its transformative effects in her own life. I first met Jo at a yoga training retreat in Bali earlier this year. Jo was forcibly removed from her mother immediately after her birth at Queen Victoria Hospital in SA whose adoption agency enforced a policy based on the ‘clean break theory’ where no contact or attachment was permitted between mother and child. Jo says that for many adoptees the affect of this inhumane practice is a profound loss of self and a lifetime of trauma. Today she is an advocate for truth telling around forced adoptions and for redress schemes.   There were about 150,000 adoptions in Australia from the 1950s to the early 1980s when unmarried women were routinely shamed and coerced into surrendering their babies. Ten years on from the historic apology made by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard to those affected by the forced adoptions era, survivors like Jo are still pushing for support. “Little has been done to help us overcome the significant challenges we face.” In addition to redress schemes she also believes there should be appropriate memorials in locations where forced adoptions occurred to commemorate and acknowledge the injustices. “No good will come of sweeping this under the carpet,” she says.Here is Jo's story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life. Rowan attributes his successes in business and sport to the fundamental values that were given to him by his adopted mother and uncle. This is a story of love, sacrifice, and loyalty that has impacted the current generation and will likely impact generations to come. Here is Rowan's story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah.Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jonah felt disconnected from his Papua New Guinea heritage and culture. In 2020, at the age of 22, Jonah embarked on a journey to reunite with his birth family, to reconnect with his heritage and unearth his self-identity. He launched an award-winning podcast, Led By A Heartstring, to invite the world to follow his journey and delve into the world of adoption.For Jonah, his adoption has played a huge part in shaping who he is. “Being adopted, you don’t really lack that part of self-identity because you find it wherever you are, and whoever you’re exposed to and whoever you live with” he says. Jonah is still searching for his biological family, it’s taking longer than he first thought, but this hasn’t stopped him from speaking out on adoption and collecting bits and pieces of information everyday to help his own journey of self-identity. In this interview I also share parts of my story of adoption as well as talking about podcasting, pathways of self-discovery and healing. I wish jonah all the best of luck in finding his birth family in Papua New Guinea which gets him one step closer, one layer added in forming his identity. We shared this conversation on Yugambeh region, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, i pay my respects to their elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This special chat with Jonah was simply beautiful I can’t wait for you all to listen to this episode. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience of grief built up her strength and resilience, which she has carried with her throughout her life.Tammy learned to be resourceful and curious from a young age, and these qualities has served her well as she has become the influential leader she is today. As an international motivational speaker and senior team leader for Tony Robbins she has become an expert at overcoming obstacles, trusting the process, and channeling her energy towards desired outcomes. Her ability to navigate challenges has shaped her into a trailblazer, fearlessly pushing boundaries and leaving legacies.One of Tammy's greatest strengths is her authenticity, relatability, and her heartfelt approach to life. She loves sharing the lessons she learns on her journey in an effort to help others avoid unnecessary suffering. By being genuine and compassionate, Tammy can inspire and stir the souls of others, showing them what is possible in their own lives.Tammy's unique blend of intuition, guidance, fearlessness, and creativity allows her to create visions and then surrender and trust in the process. She opens herself up to synchronicities and attracts what she needs to take massive action and bring her visions to life. Her journey is remarkable, and she shares inspiring stories of transformation, reminding others to make their lives count.In summary, Tammy Richie has triumphed over massive adversity and uses her experiences to empower and uplift others. She shows others what is possible through her authenticity and heartfelt approach. Tammy's remarkable journey and inspiring stories of transformation leave a lasting impact on all those who encounter her.Remember, "Live the life you desire & deserve & if I can.. Yucan2!” Find out more about Tammy at www.firstaidyucan2.com www.yucan2.com.au www.zenarah.com www.theavtarcollective.com www.Avtarcoin.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammy.richie https://www.facebook.com/ zenarahmarketplace/ https://www.facebook.com/yucan2/ https:// www.facebook.com/FirstAidYUCAN2/ Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Hey everyone, Today I am speaking  with Monique from the Sunshine Coast. I had a perfect opportunity on my travel around Australia  and in January this year I visited her in her home. We comfortably sat on the floor of her upstairs office surround by a large sand tray full of sand, water and figurines. Not long after getting set up did I then notice the two story bookshelf with about 1000 figurines all neatly on display. I was intrigued; but more about this later. Monique is an adopted person, born in Australia in 1972 at the height of the ‘Forced Adoption Era’.  Relinquished at birth and adopted at 6 weeks, she grew up in a family with two older adopted siblings.  As a result of this complex experience, along with the rollercoaster of four ‘search and reunion’ journey’s, early pregnancy and parenting, and now estranged from multiple family members, early on Monique was driven to study psychology and psychotherapy. She has spent her career studying and teaching others about the significance of relational attachment, the impacts of pre-verbal trauma and the dynamics of families where relational attachment disruption has occurred.After two decades in clinical practice, Monique founded 'The School of Integrative Somatic Psychotherapy' in 2020 where she offers post-graduate training and clinical supervision for professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists. Monique is also passionate about providing appropriate therapeutic support for adult adoptees by promoting an understanding of the specialised nature of post-adoption counselling.  In 2024, Monique intends to create and deliver online resources to support adult adoptees throughout their journey of self-discovery.‘Adoptees Connect’, is a free monthly meeting for adult adoptees, is hosted and facilitated by Monique and her partner (also adopted), on the Sunshine Coast, Qld. For more information about Monique’s work, you can check out her website here:  www.moniquepangari.com For more information on Adoptees Connect, you can email Monique at adopteesconnectsc@gmail.com You don’t want to miss this interview - tune in and listen to her story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

In this episode I speak with Karin. Karin is a mother to two boys adopted from the Philippines and President of the Adoptive, Kinship and Fostering Families Association of the ACT known as AKKFFA. Karin believes it is important to find your community of people when it comes to adoption, fostering and kinship care. Karin was previously a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and uses her experience to work towards a better system for all families involved. She is passionately learning the impacts of early life trauma and the effects on neurobiology and she shares that information with families through AKFFA and the adoption, fostering, kinship space. Karin recently held a Trust Based Relational Intervention workshop known as TBRI at AKFFA and talks through various tools used to bring healing and well-being to children who come from hard places. TBRI is an attachment based trauma informed intervention designed by the Karyn Purvis Institute of child development focussing on 3 principles - Connecting, Correcting and Empowering.I loved chatting with Karin on this one so let’s get into it!Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Hey everyone, I am excited to be sharing with you all today an interview I did recently with another fellow adoptee. This is my first international interview from our neighbouring country New Zealand. I will be speaking with Jan, Jan is a 69 Yr old wife, mother and step mother. So she has 6 children and 11 grandchildren and lives in a quiet seaside village. Her adoption experience with her adoptive family has been very positive however she has always been curious about her birth family. She had always thought that she was part of a big family and it wasn’t until she searched for her birth family did Jan  find out she was the eldest of 10. Her journey of meeting and getting to know all the family has taken years but she has found the experience very rewarding and is not over for Jan as she has yet to reconnect with one of her brothers. Tune in to listen to this incredible story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

In this episode I chat with Elizabeth. Liz is a mother to children through both adoption and foster care. Her background is in social work and training where Liz has trained and assessed foster carers in preparation for children joining their families through ACT child and Youth protection services. She has also taught and assessed students when studying to become youth, mental health and drug alcohol workers. A former Vice President of the Canberra based Adoptive Families Association and contributed to establishing an annual teen camp for young adoptees, where she has facilitated support groups for parents of adopted teenagers. Liz is currently working in the adoption, out of home care, therapeutic parenting space. Lets get into it. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

In this episode I speak with Sandra. Sandra is a baby boomer, born in 1949, grew up with her parents and brother and surrounded by her fathers English family in a small town. Sandra left school at age 15, became a shorthand typist and fell in love. Soon after the relationship blossomed, Sandra  fell pregnant at 15 which was disapproved of by her family. Sandra and Kevin went on to face enormous challenges and struggles, being a young unmarried pregnant teen in a conservative family environment in the 1960’s.During her pregnancy and into the first few months of her son, Tony’s life, Kevin remained a steadfast and supportive partner. Sandra and Kevin became newlyweds after the birth to ensure their commitment to each other, however the odds of remaining together were stacked against them. A few months into their marriage, Sandra and Kevin seperarted, Sandra moved back in with her parents, and when that didn’t work, she made the toughest decision any mother had to face. Tony was adopted at 16 months. This episode focusses on the supportive men for their partners during these pregnancies. Sandra would like to tell the story of her sons’ birthfather in support of birth Dads. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts ( Welfare Studies) and a Certificate of Somatic Psychotherapy. Margaret has worked in community justice, social welfare ,human rights advocacy,  disability and health services, as a Tribunal Member on NSW and Qld disability Tribunals. During the past 10 years, Margaret continues to work as a Counsellor, Advanced Practitioner for Post Adoption Resource Centre in NSW, Australia. Margaret learned for the first time of her adoption at age 40. This was a traumatic life event, leading Margaret to immerse herself in successful searches and reunion with biological family.  Margaret is passionate and committed to working with all parties impacted by adoption , encouraging clients to develop and grow away from the “false self” created by adoption and to understand and educate themselves on the impact of adoption trauma.   Margaret enjoys time in nature, swimming, body surfing, reading, meditation, music, arts , time with family and friends, good food and good Prosecco. Here is her story. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today I will be talking with Kate. A Gestalt and Family Constellations Psychotherapist, Shamanic Bodyworker, Yoga Teacher, Sacred Ceremony Facilitator and has an online learning academy called, The Black Cockatoo School. Gestalt is a non-pathologizing and humanistic modality that pays regard to a person in their wider field. It utilises the body in the present moment to process any unfinished traumas, emotions and narratives that may be hindering one's life.  Her work is about bridging the gaps between research and real life, healing and present moment practice. Lets Get Into It!Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today in episode 11, I will be interviewing Marcus for a Q&A session about his role as team leader for a permanency support program in NSW. Marcus has been working in the social welfare sector for over 12 years and is currently working with the most vulnerable children in out of home care (Oohc). Lets get into it!Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today I speak with Sarah, the Founder of care bags and Chair of the Care Bags - because children in care matter committee. Sarah is a mum of two and been a social worker for over 15 years.Throughout her career, She has seen first-hand the impact of children entering foster care and has always wanted to do something tangible to make this challenging time a little bit easier. Thank you for tuning in to this special episode with Sarah and the care bags mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children in care and at risk within Western Australia. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

In this episode I sit down with Felicity Graham, a 19-year old advocate for children and carers in the foster care system in South Australia. She is an author of the book titled 'Not Held Down' that she wrote at 15,  sharing her perspective and experiences of growing up in state care. Felicity sheds some light on what the foster care system is really like from a child’s perspective, an experience that is often left unspoken or ignored, and hopes to give a voice to all those foster children out there who feel silenced and misunderstood. Please note that in this episode self-harm and suicidality and their contributing factors are discussed and may have a triggering effect. If you experience emotional distress as a result of listening, please reach out to someone you trust and/or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at any time. If life is in danger please call 000.If you would like to reach out to Felicity to access her book or support her further you can find her on Instagram called fostering change Australia or you can order her book online - Not Held Down by Felicity Graham. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today I'm speaking with Dara Read, a lawyer and writer. Dara has worked as a lawyer for children and adults in NSW and the Northern Territory. She has also worked as a policy advisor to the NSW Government, including as a Senior Ministerial Advisor to the Attorney General of NSW and Minister for Family and Community Services. Dara's written a children's picture book, "We love you Hundreds and Thousands", which is a window into the life of Jasmine, who loves birthday parties, and the special bond between a child and their foster or adoptive parents. Like Jasmine, Dara is adopted and is here today to share her story and her thoughts on why stories about adoption in books, on podcasts and in our communities is important. Dara is currently working at the Department of Communities and Justice on close the gap outcomes for Aboriginal adults and young people in the justice system. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Today you will listen to Miguels journey as an adoptive father. Born in South America he then travelled to Australia where he and his wife settled and were ready to start a family. He talks about the comprehensive process of the adoption application, first meetings and visits, the transition period and key indicators in building attachment and developing a bond. He also shares how he had to relearn positive parenting strategies that weren’t necessarily based on his own personal experiences. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

Kat wrote her adoption story in 2020 and shares it with us in this episode. Born in August, 1971, her story begins from age 2 and a half in 1973. Kat incredibly accesses some of her earliest memories, recalling a series of significant events, experiences and emotions that extend into her teenage years and adult life. The world she grew up in was a safe and loving environment however throughout her life she always felt a part of her was fragmented and unknown, and her struggle with identity led her on a prolonged search to find her biological mother and father. Kat’s powerful and detailed recollection of her life explores her biology, health, ancestry and the complex pathway that led her to uncovering some deep emotional truths. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!

In todays episode I speak with Andrea who is a foster care mother to four children.  She talks openly and honestly about her experiences in the foster care program over 10 years. We look closely at her story with their eldest boy that she and husband Paul have cared for since 16 months old. It is a rollercoaster of challenges and emotions and the space is still "inconclusive" in finalising his adoption. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!