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The truth behind an industry built on family separation.

This podcast presents reporting, interviews, and analysis on matters of public interest and is not intended as legal or other professional advice.

Credits

On Adoption is an original documentary podcast series from Haley Radke Media Inc., created, hosted, and executive produced by Haley Radke. The series is produced by Haneul Projects & Kirya Traber. Dennis Funk of Written In Air is our supervising producer and story editor. Original Music and Sound Engineering by Alex Lewis. Research by Carl Niedzielski, MA.

Support this work

Financial support for On Adoption comes from Adoptees for Family Preservation, a registered 501(c)(3) committed to adoptee and first/birth parent centered storytelling. You can support the continued success of On Adoption and endeavors like it by donating here.

Thank you to Adoptees for Family Preservation, Seraphina Kirsch, and our community of donors who helped bring On Adoption to life.

333 | [Healing Series] Intensive with Dr. Julie Lopez

This is a special episode in our healing series where I interview therapists who are also adoptees themselves, so they know from personal experience what it feels like to be an adoptee. Today I'm so pleased to welcome back Dr. Julie Lopez, author of Live Empowered. Dr. Julie returns for a very personal conversation about my experience working with her in a therapy intensive. We talk about what those hours together actually looked like, and I share some unexpected changes I've noticed since, including feeling more connected with my kids and having more capacity to navigate a stressful season. You'll also hear snippets from our conversation shortly after the intensive, along with reflections from other adoptees who have worked with Dr. Julie.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

332 | Danna Schmidt

Today's guest is Danna Schmidt, a writer and celebrant. At eighteen, Danna found herself working in a courthouse with her own sealed adoption file within reach and began plotting how to read it. She shares her story of searching, reunion, and estrangement, and how she's making room for the grief that runs through those experiences. We also explore what it means to reclaim a story that's been told about us by other people, and how writing, meaningful objects, and personal rituals can help us honour our losses and ourselves.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

331 | Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello

Today's guest is poet Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello. Marci shares about growing up in a deeply religious adoptive family. We talk about finding room in her writing for questions about her origins that may never have answers, how translation can echo the adoptee experience, and why creating spaces for adoptee writers matters. There is a mention of abuse in this episode so please take care when listening.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

330 | Deanna Shrodes, D.Min.

Today, Deanna Shrodes returns to share the remarkable story behind her new book, Finding Mr. Greek, about searching for, finding, and reuniting with her biological father, Gus, when he was 91 years old. We talk about the precious time they spent together, the peace she found in finally learning the truth, and why she felt called to return to writing and adoptee advocacy.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

329 | Alex Blum

 Today's guest is Alex Blum, author of An Accident of Birth. Alex shares his story of how he reconnected with his three full biological brothers through DNA testing. We also talk about seeing yourself reflected in biological family for the first time, nature versus nurture, and what Alex has come to believe about adoption in recent years.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

328 | 10 Years of Adoptees On with Haley Radke, Sullivan Summer, and Kristal Parke

I'm the creator and host of this show, which aired it's first episode on July 1, 2016, a full decade ago! When I started Adoptees On all those years ago, my teens were a toddler and a preschooler and I podcasted in a corner of my basement with a laundry rack behind me that I'd toss a quilt overtop of for better sound quality. I had met a few adoptees on twitter and I wanted to have more in depth conversations about reunion, grief, mental health, identity and healing. I just didn't know that thousands of you wanted that too. Thank you for building this show with me. This milestone moment is for every single guest who trusted me with their stories, every listener who felt seen while listening, and all the folks who have supported the show via Patreon, sharing episodes with a friend, or leaving me comments or reviews. I am so honoured to be in community with all of you. Thank you!

Today I've invited a couple of friends to turn the microphone on me, and we run the gauntlet of tears to laughter in a very short time, I hope you enjoy! Sullivan Summer and Kristal Parke of Adoption Pop! are here to celebrate ten incredible years with us today!

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

327 | Beth Yu Simpson, MSW, LICSW

On today's episode I'm in conversation with Beth Yu Simpson: a therapist, educator, and founder of AIRE Roots. Beth shares how mentorship, community-building, and her own lived experience as a Korean adoptee have shaped her work, including her focus on ancestral healing and adoptee-centered care. We also dig into the gaps in social work education around adoption and what meaningful change could look like.

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.