Open Adoption Project

Lanette & Shaun Nelson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED TWICE MONTHLY
Open Adoption Project

This podcast is about connecting. It's about growing. It's about stretching. In society nowadays, it's easy to fall into echo chambers. This is not an echo chamber. Open Adoption Project is a community dedicated to listening and learning, and building relationships based on healthy respect and communication. The Open Adoption Project focuses on improving adoptee experiences by encouraging open communication between all members of the adoption constellation, nurturing ongoing open adoption relationships and promoting ethical adoption practices. Follow us on Instagram @OpenAdoptionProject and at our website, openadoptionproject.org (http://openadoptionproject.org). Everyone is welcome here. Considering adopting? Adoptive parents tune in as we listen and learn from adoptees first and foremost. Adopted individuals share a wide spectrum of experiences, including search and reunion. This podcast is a safe space for any perspectives and experiences adoptees and first parents share, while adopters and those wanting to adopt listen and learn. Academics and others also share with us. This podcast is a passion project. No one here is connected to any adoption agencies. We do not profit from this podcast. It is a volunteer project we embrace to better enable adoptees and birth parents / biological parents to share their stories.

  1. An Adoption Triad Interview

    16 DEC

    An Adoption Triad Interview

    Birth mom, Sara Jane, returns to the podcast with her daughter, Courtney, who she placed for adoption, and Courtney's adoptive mom, Jeanette. We get to hear thoughts from these three women who are from different parts of the adoption triad, and who have all become family. They share what open adoption looks like for them and how their relationships and understandings of openness have evolved over time. We wish you all a peaceful holiday season, and will return with more episodes after the new year.

    38 min
  2. Book Club: Selling Transracial Adoption

    25 NOV

    Book Club: Selling Transracial Adoption

    Anna Lehnardt, a Chinese-born adoptee, shares her experience and thoughts after reading "Selling Transracial Adoption" by Elizabeth Raleigh. She shares some of her own experiences as a transracial adoptee and thoughts on how policy and practice can be improved to focus more on adoptees rather than adoptive parents.

    32 min
  3. Book Club: Orphan Train

    18 NOV

    Book Club: Orphan Train

    Sharolyn Swenson, an adoptee, joins our special NAM book club episode to discuss Christina Baker Kline’s book “Orphan Train.” If you haven’t read the book yet, please skip this episode to avoid potential spoilers. Sharolyn shares her thoughts and insights after reading the novel. Lanette and Sharolyn delve into the book’s portrayal of adoption and foster care, as well as the historical context of the orphan train movement. They also explore the characters of Vivian and Molly and their struggles with identity, as well as the complexities of adoption and the mother-daughter relationship. Sharolyn shares her personal experience of discovering her Jewish heritage, and Lanette recommends “Orphan Train Rider” by Andrea Warren as a more historically accurate account of the orphan train phenomenon. If you’d like to join the conversation about this book, head over to our social media pages. We welcome your thoughts and discussions.

    29 min
  4. Book Club: The Girls Who Went Away

    11 NOV

    Book Club: The Girls Who Went Away

    An adoptee shares her personal journey of adoption and the impact of the book, "The Girls Who Went Away," by Ann Fessler, also an adoptee, in this special NAM book club episode. "The Girls Who Went Away" is a memoir/biography about mothers who relinquished their children for adoption before Roe v. Wade on her perspective towards his birth mother, leading him to search for her. The adoptee discussion leader in this episode discussed the evolution of adoption practices, the challenges faced by birth mothers in the past, and the importance of open adoption and transparency.

    49 min
  5. Book Club: Far From the Tree

    4 NOV

    Book Club: Far From the Tree

    Adoptee Devanie Roberts discusses the book "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway in this special National Adoption Month book club episode. Please do not listen to these episodes if you have not read these books and do not want to potentially hear spoilers. "Far From the Tree" is discussed through lenses of adoption, and Devanie shares her thoughts after reading it. If you would like to join the conversation about this book, head over to our social media pages. We welcome your thoughts.

    57 min
  6. Establishing Psychological Safety with Dr. Jeff Thompson

    28 OCT

    Establishing Psychological Safety with Dr. Jeff Thompson

    Dr. Jeff Thompson discusses how we can establish and maintain psychological safety within relationships. He shares how active listening can enhance connections. We also discuss how to address conflict and find resolutions. This episode offers incredibly valuable insights for anyone looking to improve important relationships, both within the adoption community and beyond.

    44 min
  7. Improving Family Communication Patterns

    21 OCT

    Improving Family Communication Patterns

    In our last episode, we discussed Family Communication Patterns Theory (FCPT), which describes how families communicate and create a shared social reality. The theory was developed by Koerner and Fitzpatrick in 2002. In this episode, we discuss how FCPT and how families can improve and enrich communication, applying Dr. Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, and discussing additional thoughts on how families can evaluate and improve communication patterns.

    29 min

  8. 16 SEPT

    Identifying Family Communication Patterns

    In this episode, Shaun and Lanette discuss the Family Communication Pattern Theory, by McLeod and Chaffee, and its adoption application. focusing on conformity and conversation orientation, and how these patterns can impact families, particularly in the context of adoption. They analyzed various family dynamics portrayed in movies and TV shows, identifying different communication patterns and their implications. Family Communication Patterns help us understand how childhood family structure impacts adulthood. The model suggests that families fall into four patterns, which vary in degrees of conformity and conversation. The importance of balance in family communication patterns and the need for open dialogue, and the potential influence of parenting styles on children is discussed.

    36 min
See All (122)

Trailer

About

This podcast is about connecting. It's about growing. It's about stretching. In society nowadays, it's easy to fall into echo chambers. This is not an echo chamber. Open Adoption Project is a community dedicated to listening and learning, and building relationships based on healthy respect and communication. The Open Adoption Project focuses on improving adoptee experiences by encouraging open communication between all members of the adoption constellation, nurturing ongoing open adoption relationships and promoting ethical adoption practices. Follow us on Instagram @OpenAdoptionProject and at our website, openadoptionproject.org (http://openadoptionproject.org). Everyone is welcome here. Considering adopting? Adoptive parents tune in as we listen and learn from adoptees first and foremost. Adopted individuals share a wide spectrum of experiences, including search and reunion. This podcast is a safe space for any perspectives and experiences adoptees and first parents share, while adopters and those wanting to adopt listen and learn. Academics and others also share with us. This podcast is a passion project. No one here is connected to any adoption agencies. We do not profit from this podcast. It is a volunteer project we embrace to better enable adoptees and birth parents / biological parents to share their stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Lanette & Shaun Nelson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © March 2021
  • Show Website
    Open Adoption Project

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign-in or sign-up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada