Parenting an adopted child comes with unique challenges, and healing starts with you. Here’s how to truly support your adopted child and yourself.

Hi Neighbor,

Navigating the intricate journey of adoptive parenting presents unexpected hurdles, especially when trauma, healing, and family history are involved.

Today’s segment, Don’t Be Afraid to Go to Therapy, comes from Episode 183. As adoptive parents, it’s okay to seek therapy for yourself. Healing starts with us.

When parents seek help for themselves first, it sends a vital message: everyone needs support sometimes. It also prevents children from feeling like they’re “the problem” and shows that healing is a family journey.

I want to encourage you to listen, take notes, and sit with the idea or ideas that speak to you. Facing our own history can open doors for our kids to heal, too.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

Resources mentioned by Jane: • Parenting with Love & Logic • Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

Website: Love and Logic

Unresolved grief isn’t always obvious: Grief in adopted children often goes unrecognized, especially in the early years. Challenging behaviors aren’t always just a phase, they can be signals of deeper emotional pain.

Hi Neighbor,

As adoptive parents, we strive to create safe and loving homes. Yet, sometimes, deeper emotional layers, like unresolved grief, can go unnoticed in our children.

Today’s segment, Manifestations of Unresolved Grief in Adopted Children, comes from Episode 183. We’ll explore how grief manifests itself in adopted children and what parents can do to support healing.

I want to encourage you to listen, take notes, and sit with the idea or ideas that speak to you.

Parenting adopted kids isn’t always what you expect, especially when it comes to the hidden struggles like unresolved grief.

Adoption journeys are complex. Take time to pause, reflect, and apply what you learn. Small shifts in understanding can make a world of difference.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

A lot of times, adopted children find it difficult to open up to their parents about the struggles they face regarding their adoption. Why is that?

Hi Neighbor,

Adoptive parenting isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Understanding the hidden struggles of adopted kids can transform how we support and connect with them. Here are some powerful insights you NEED to hear.

Today’s segment, Understanding the Hidden Struggles of Adopted Children, comes from Episode 183. I want to encourage you to listen, take notes, and sit with the idea or ideas that speak to you.

Adoptive parents, this is hard! If you weren’t adopted, you might not “get it,” and that’s okay. The key isn’t having all the answers; it’s keeping the door open.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

You can’t heal your child’s pain for them! What can adoptive parents do?

Hi Neighbor,

In this episode, I want to introduce a new format derived from the more information-packed episodes— short, digestible segments, each centering around a single key concept to support you on your parenting journey.

Today’s segment, Adoption is Like a Car Accident, comes from Episode 183. I want to encourage you to listen, take notes, and sit with the idea or ideas that speak to you.

Whether your child is okay or not, YOU have to be okay, and you can!

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

It’s not uncommon for me to start getting them at about 11 or 12 because parents have noticed a big shift. When we start getting into it... a lot of it connects back to sadness, grieving, and loss about why didn’t they keep me? What’s wrong with me?

Hi Neighbor,

Adoption is built on loss. It’s a journey of processing this loss, especially during the preteen and teen years. Parents can’t heal these wounds for their children, but they can create a safe environment for them to do so.

Joining me today is my neighbor from Alabama, Jane Baker. Jane is a friend of the show, and she’s a friend of adoptive families. Jane is a priceless resource of information.

Conversations like the one you are about to hear contain things I wish we had known before we faced the challenges in our parenting journey.

I want to encourage you to grab a pen and paper. There are lots of wise nuggets that will help you navigate the struggles that adoption can present.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Contact Jane: • Phone Number: (256) 353-8528 • Email: jbaker@adoption-associates.com • Website: Adoption Associates

Resources mentioned by Jane: • Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew • Parenting with Love & Logic • Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

Website: Love and Logic

Would he hate us for loving him this much? We didn’t know. Would he see this as the ultimate act of betrayal? We didn’t know. Would he embrace the help we had finally found for him? We didn’t know. What we did know was our son needed help, help our love couldn't give him.

Hi Neighbor,

Can you imagine the heartbreak of watching your child struggle with emotions so raw and unfamiliar, you don’t even know what they mean, let alone how to help? That’s the reality for many adoptive parents.

In this episode, I allow myself to go back and feel my feelings from the day my wife and I took our son Jonny to residential.

I do so I can remember what it feels like to be in the struggle, so I can help other adoptive parents who are struggling in their parenting journey.

I’ll also share the one tool that benefited me the most as I navigated the complexities of adoption trauma.

This is my journey!

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

To some extent, the adoption journey will take a personal toll on you. You might find it difficult to keep yourself regulated. There could be times when you’re easily triggered. You could experience physical and emotional abuse.

There might be times when you feel overwhelmed. You can’t breathe. You’re out of control. You feel like you’re drowning. What do you do? May I suggest you practice respite?

Hi Neighbor,

Feeling overwhelmed in your adoption journey? Remember, it's okay to take a break.

As adoptive parents, maintaining emotional regulation can sometimes seem impossible, and you might feel like you’re drowning under pressure.

In this episode, we’ll discuss how adoptive parents can practice the respite principle to navigate difficult moments in their adoption journey.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

In Episode 103, I interviewed adoptee Simon Benn—his story and how a teddy bear triggered him many years later is compelling.

When I work with parents, they ask me, have I done it right? Did I do something wrong? How could I have done it better? There is a lot of self-reflection, which is really healthy. But I’m also mindful of the emotional burden that adoptive parents carry all the time. ~Crystal Luk-Worrall

Hi Neighbor,

EMDR therapy for kids? Yes! Initially, for soldiers with PTSD, this therapy helps children process memories, especially those who can't verbalize trauma.

Today, I want to welcome my neighbor from London, Crystal Luk-Worrall. Crystal is a music therapist, EMDR practitioner, and clinical supervisor specializing in helping children and families heal from early trauma.

Understanding trauma is crucial. Crystal shares how EMDR therapy, eye movement desensitization, and reprocessing, can help adoptive children and their families process these memories for a brighter future.

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. You’re not alone in this journey. If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Listen to today’s episode and share it with fellow adoptive parents. These conversations foster strength and understanding in our community. Be the anchor others may need right now.

Connect with Crystal: Website: https://www.clapandtoot.com/ Email: crystal@clapandtoot.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-luk/

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider with your health questions and concerns.

As is the case with anyone that I bring on the show to talk to you, I encourage take notes and listen to the information. Then do your due diligence and use what you can in your adoption journey to parent your child the best way you can.