Signals that Taking a Self-Care Break is Needed
Well, here we are - again. To mask or not mask, democracy under fire, and gas prices going in the wrong direction. Decisions, worries, and...
03 March, 2022 / 0 Comments
My $5 Original Birth Certificate
My original birth certificate cost me five dollars. Arizona - state of my birth and adoption - enacted a law that allows adoptees to obtain...
20 February, 2022 / 0 Comments
A different kind of New Year
Happy New Year. I had a dull start to 2022. It felt very ho-hum to me. Normally, the New Year causes me to feel refreshed...
19 January, 2022 / 0 Comments
Family Secrets, Betrayal, and the Holidays: Tips for Self-care
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...
29 November, 2021 / 0 Comments
Set boundaries & survive the holiday season
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...
15 November, 2021 / 0 Comments
Leslie Pate Mackinnon: 3 decades of advocacy for the adoption community and still going
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...
02 September, 2021 / 0 Comments
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....
16 August, 2021 / 0 Comments
Adoption grief: The unacknowledged loss
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...
15 July, 2021 / 0 Comments
A DNA kit and a genetic identity shift: Interview with Alesia Cohen Weiss of Right to Know
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...
17 June, 2021 / 0 Comments
The 6 Stages of Grief & Being Adopted: Back and Forth and Back Again
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...
23 May, 2021 / 0 Comments
Mother’s Day: Celebration, Gratitude, Grief
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...
06 May, 2021 / 0 Comments
Therapy after the Chaos is Quieted
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...
05 April, 2021 / 0 Comments