The big holiday month is here. If you have discovered a family secret that impacts you, the holiday season presents an extra challenge. Will you be able to fake happiness or act polite with people close to you that have...
The holidays are upon us. This year, as opposed to last year, the landscape has changed. Vaccinations are more accessible, travel options have expanded, and more event spaces are open. There will be more freedom of movement. We can get...
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW is a seasoned and well-respected therapist in both the adoption community, third party reproduction, and MPE (misattributed parentage event) communities. She is a nationally known trainer who travels across the country training therapists, agencies and child...
The Fog. Are you in or are you out? In the fog. A statement that used to mean waking up and not being able to see out my window. I grew up in California. A foggy morning meant that my carefully...
I've been thinking about adoption loss and grief. Specifically - ambiguous loss, disenfranchised grief, and uncertainty. Whew - quite a mouthful! In my mind's eye, I keep seeing stages of grief as clothing hangers that adoption loss hangs on like a...
Home DNA testing has become a pretty common practice as people explore family genetics. According to a study at MIT, the DNA market is projected to double in 2021—for the 5th year in a row - which could mean over...
The 3rd Friday of each month, I meet with 3 amazing EMDR therapists for the purpose of case consultation. This Friday, the talk turned to adopted people and grief. One of my peers was reviewing a case about an adopted client....
My family celebrated Mother's Day with cards, flowers, and brunch at a pretty place. Growing up in California, this generally meant at the beach. We were a brunch family for most holidays. Nowadays, I send flowers and call my mom...
I recently shared a meme from Nicole Arzt, LMFT's hilarious and irreverent Instagram feed psychotherapymemes. It said, "Friendly reminder that therapy is still effective even when everything in life is going well. Y'all ever run a Roomba on a 'clean'...
There are approximately 7 million people in the US that were adopted. A lot of people, but a minority in a country of over 320 million people. The reality of being adopted isn't talked about much so it's hard to...