Podcast | #11 Reccia Jobe on Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Reccia is an expert equine professional in the Natural Lifemanship model. She is dedicated to helping individuals and families end destructive relational patterns that create generational trauma in families and societies. My conversation with her was inspiring and challenging and so relevant to everything I feel like God is trying to teach me. We use […]

Podcast | #10 Erin Gaeng on Infertility and Loss

As a mama who know nothing firsthand about infertility or pregnancy loss, I am in awe of stories like Erin tells on this week’s episode. She is one strong, brave mama. I just know you’ll connect with her authenticity and honesty about all the emotions she felt during her journey. We also talk about the […]

Podcast | #05 Kris Kittle, PhD (Part 2)

As promised, here is the second part* of my conversation with Dr. Kris Kittle on her upcoming book on older child adoption. We chat about how her daughter is doing, love languages, and her thoughts on her next project. *If you missed last week, check that out first by clicking here. If you need a […]

Podcast | #04 Kris Kittle, PhD (Part 1)

I’m so excited to welcome Dr. Kris Kittle to the show this week. After adopting an older child (age 13), she realized there were no comprehensive, practical books to guide families who had brought home kids older than 10. So what did she do? Gather up a research partners and 40+ adoptive families and wrote […]

Podcast | #03 Nicole Pritchard

This week’s guest is adoptive mama extraordinaire, Nicole Pritchard. We chat about creative ways to meet the needs of kids from hard places and how to increase their tolerance over time. You’ll love her sacrifice and courage. After you listen check out her blog at www.coffeecoloredsofa.com and meet up with her on Twitter @plainlyamess.

adoption qualifications

Why our social worker should not have approved us for adoption

If you had asked me a decade ago what would make an ideal adoptive family, I would’ve responded something about a family who had open hearts and was willing. I thought love was all you needed. Five years ago, I would’ve told you that you also needed to understand trauma, want Dr. Purvis to live […]

Transracial Adoption and Charlottesville

Of the 14 people that have lived in our house over the last decade, only 3 are White. The rest are Black or Asian or some combination. I’ve experienced forms of racism and discrimination for as long as I can remember, and I’m Asian living near a fairly diverse metropolitan area. I know that the […]

how UNCONDITIONAL should LOVE be?

I’m currently in a mental battle that has been going on for the better part of a year. “How unconditional should love really be?” Or maybe the better question, “Does unconditional love equal unconditional relationship on the other person’s terms?” I’m hoping not. What if that person is a child of yours? Still hoping not. […]