Welcome to our latest episode of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast! In this thought-provoking discussion, I delve into the complexities surrounding the decisions made by birth mothers and pregnant individuals to place children for adoption in the United States with Gretchen Sisson, PhD.    She is a sociologist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, and the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, a critical, ten-year examination of domestic adoption. Centering the stories of reli ..read more

On Season 3, Episode 5 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Scott McCreary, Leigh Ann Baglin, Katie Ares, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss the siblings reunion journey, including the ups and downs.    About the Adoptees:   Scott McCreary is a 39-year old adoptee from South Korea. He grew up in Oklahoma and presently lives in Missouri with his wife. Currently working at a local hospital and extremely happy to experience life with my siblings and catch up on all the time passed by.   Leigh Ann Baglin is a 37 year-old South Korean adoptee residing in New Jersey with h ..read more

On Season 3, Episode 3 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Lynn Woo Mykytyn, MA LPCC LADC, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss Paige's experience as an adoptee and her role as a therapist. They dig into the nuance of this work, how it felt to grow up in a white majority family, and how she advocates for adoptees and birth parents.    About Lynn Woo Mykytyn, MA LPCC LADC: Lynn Woo Mykytyn, MA LPCC LADC, is the founder of Sando Wellness & Counseling in Minnesota and works as a counselor supporting teens, adults, parents, and couples. Lynn built her practice on the conce ..read more

On Season 2, Episode 2 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Christine Heimann, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss their experience as international adoptees and the complexities of searching for birth family. Christine discusses why she created Adoptee Bridge and a little about her work with adoptees and adoptive families.    Christine's Bio:   Christine Heimann 정주빈 is a Korean American, transracial adoptee who has volunteered or worked with adoptees and adoptive families for over 15 years. In 2017, Christine founded AdopteeBridge, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, providing po ..read more

On Season 2, Episode 1 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Nicole Chung, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss their experience with losing a loved one as an adoptee, as well as their writing process. Nicole shares some of her story as an adoptee, and advice for adoptees looking to get into writing.   Nicole’s Bio:   Nicole Chung is the author of the nationally bestselling memoir All You Can Ever Know (Catapult, US; Pushkin Press, UK). Named a Best Book of the Year by two dozen publications, All You Can Ever Know was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a semifinali ..read more

On Episode 11 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Louise, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss the unique experience as an international adoptee who grew up in an open adoption, coming out of the fog, and more.   Louise's Bio: Louise Shepherd was born as “Fenny” on the island of Java, in Indonesia in 1982. At 6 months old she was adopted by a white Australian family. It was then her name was changed to Louise.   The family consisted of mum, dad, two biological sons, and then Louise. Two and half years later the family adopted her sister from Seoul, South Korea. Louise grew up in Ade ..read more

On Episode 10 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Shelley, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss the intricacies of being an international adoptee, the benefits of having an adopted sibling, and the experience of being raised by a single mom.   Shelley's Bio: My name is Shelley Rottenberg and I'm a Chinese adoptee. I was adopted from Zhejiang province when I was 8 months old and I now live in Southern Ontario. I have a Masters in Human Geography and am really interested in exploring the connections between people and places. I conducted research on the Lived Experiences of Chinese Adoptee ..read more

On Episode 9 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Maria, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss how they handled finding birth family during a pandemic, the nuances of sharing the journey with adoptive parents, and how being adopted has impacted their parenting.   My name is Maria Fernanda. I am a Transracial Adoptee. I was born in Quito, Ecuador, South America. I was adopted at age 2 and brought to the United States where I have lived ever since. I have always known I was adopted, but it was not really until I was pregnant with my first child that I began to feel that I wanted to search fo ..read more

On Episode 8 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Aliyah, and host, Melissa Guida-Richards discuss her experience growing up in a predominantly white community, racism, and her experience working in foster care after seeing the flaws in the system.     Aliyah Santos is a TRA, writer, podcaster, and single mother of 4. After finally leaving the fog at the age of 30, Aliyah set out to heal the trauma of growing up adopted in an abusive home through world travel with her kids. Now she's made a temporary home for herself and her family in Morocco and podcasts about traveling and breaking cyc ..read more

Episode 7: An Interview with Lauren Sharkey, adoptee & author of 'Inconvenient Daughter'   In Episode 7 of the Adoptee Thoughts Podcast, Lauren and host, Melissa Guida-Richards have a chat about her debut book that reflects some of her experiences as an adoptee, how being an adoptee impacts other relationships in our lives, and her thoughts on the industry of adoption.   Lauren J. Sharkey is a writer, teacher, and transracial adoptee. After her birth in South Korea, she was adopted by Irish Catholic parents and raised on Long Island. Sharkey’s creative nonfiction has appeared in ..read more