Survivors Guilt in Adoption: How Can I Overcome It?

Survivors Guilt in Adoption: How Can I Overcome It?

It is Friday night and I am relaxing on the couch with my children and husband watching another episode of Family Matters. Dinner has already been served, and we are well on our way to warm chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. My heart is full and...
Ridding Yourself of Shame About Being A Birth Mother

Ridding Yourself of Shame About Being A Birth Mother

“Shame hates when we reach out tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it – it can’t survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.” – Brene Brown   When I think of shame, I think of: Secrecy Desperation...
What’s Behind the Metaphorical Mask of an Adoptee?

What’s Behind the Metaphorical Mask of an Adoptee?

Behind the Mask   I am not enough I am too much I am not smart enough I am a know it all I am too loud I am too soft I am pushover I am a bulldozer I care too much about what people think of me I am too honest I am not honest enough I am bad mother I am a bad...
Why Adoptive Parents Need to Lose the Mask of Perfection

Why Adoptive Parents Need to Lose the Mask of Perfection

One of the most impactful books I’ve ever read is John Lynch’s book, The Cure. In it, he shares the importance of authenticity and taking off the mask of who we portray ourselves to be our true self. You see, we all are guilty in some way of wearing a mask in our...
What Do We Need To Address With Masking And Birth Mothers

What Do We Need To Address With Masking And Birth Mothers

In psychology, masking is the process by which an individual camouflages their natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, abuse, or harassment. Masking can be a behavior individuals adopt subconsciously as coping mechanisms or a trauma response....
The Importance of Adoptee Identity

The Importance of Adoptee Identity

Our own Ieisha Burrows from Abiding Love Adoption Agency shares her observations about what it was like to be an adoptee from foster care and what she would like prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents to know about adoptee identity and how important it was...