My original birth certificate cost me five dollars. Arizona - state of my birth and adoption - enacted a law that allows adoptees to obtain their original birth certificate. The law was effective on January 1, 2022. I sent in the...
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...
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...
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 curled, fine hair would not last from my...
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....
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...
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an effective therapy modality with a clunky name. I've been offering EMDR therapy for a few years now. I feel so privileged to have witnessed the deep work and change that the EMDR...
Adoption reunion, it's a tricky road. Filled with unexpected twists and turns and some jarring potholes. First, there is no "right" way to do reunion or a search for that matter. There is tons of information out there. I followed a...