Cate is back with D.A. (@difficult.adoptee) to continue the exploration of trauma, systemic failure, and survival. DA shares her journey of growing up in a controlling, highly restrictive kinship adoption and the moment she realized her family was built on performance and lies. From navigating a volatile reunion with her biological mother and a dangerous encounter with her biological father, DA reflects on the systemic lack of regulation in kinship placements. She also shares the layering grief of losing her infant son in the second trimester, drawing powerful parallels to her own mother’s unacknowledged postpartum grief.

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In this deeply personal episode of Break It Down, guest D.A. (@difficult.adoptee) joins the show to deconstruct her experience growing up within a kinship adoption. She shares her journey of discovering at age seven that the woman she thought was her cousin was actually her biological mother. She discusses navigating preverbal trauma, surviving a toxic and narcissistic home environment, and the challenges of advocating for her own mental health as a teenager in a system that often preferred silence over real healing.

This is PART 1 of a two-part discussion!

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Mercury is in retrograde and out to get us. Cate & Ty are back from their camping trip and share how they plan to keep up with the kids this summer. They share their thoughts on the double standards between young girls and boys when it comes to dressing "appropriate"

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Let's revisit an episode from 2025

Cate & Ty sit down with psychotherapist and adoptee Amy Silvia (@psychotherapist.amy_) , who shares her personal journey through the Baby Scoop Era and the complex process of reconnecting with her birth family. Drawing on decades of clinical experience working with thousands of adoptees and birth parents, Amy unpacks the profound impact of genetic mirroring, attachment trauma, and the crucial need for "adoptee-focused" therapy. Amy sheds light on the crucial difference between "adoption competence" and truly "adoptee-focused" care, highlighting the mental health struggles faced by adoptees and birth parents, including the shockingly high rates of suicidal ideation. Discover how normalizing difficult adoption conversations can lead to profound healing for the entire adoption triad.

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Let us go back into the vault and listen to an episode from 2025 when Cate & Ty sat down with Dr. Abby, a transracial adoptee, birth mother, and adoption-informed therapist.

Dr. Abby breaks down the true meaning of informed consent in adoption, revealing the systemic issues and personal traumas often hidden beneath the surface. She also shares her personal journey, from her coerced relinquishment as a teenage birth mother to her own experience as an adoptee navigating identity and reunion.

For more information visit https://adoptingprivilege.com/

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Summer is officially here, and Nova is back on the mic to break it all down! Fresh out of the fifth grade, Nova sits down with Mom to tackle a lightning round of fun and thought-provoking questions from the "Children Are Human" card deck. From her current obsession with The Sims and the mind-bending physics of colliding black holes, to a blunt critique of the middle school dress code and what it really means to stand up to school bullies, Nova pulls no punches.

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Bri shares her incredible journey from childhood abuse and foster care to becoming a mother at 14. She opens up about being groomed by an adult predator, navigating the foster system, resisting adoption pressure, and fighting to keep her child against overwhelming odds. In this candid conversation, she reflects on the experiences and turning points that shaped her life and led her to where she is today.

https://www.tiktok.com/@briinthemaking

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Cate, Ty, and Elle dive into the latest shocking updates surrounding Unexpected, including Hunter and Bella’s breakup, custody developments, and the ongoing court drama involving their families. The conversation then shifts into a deeper discussion about reality TV ethics, child exploitation, addiction, and the pressures that come with growing up in the public eye. They also react to the recent Amanda arrest news, relapse concerns, and the emotional impact addiction has on families, recovery, and children caught in the middle.

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