• Episode 9: Oh, The Masks That We Wear! with Special Guest, Anne Heffron
    Oct 16 2024

    Special guest, adoptee, adoptee activist, and author, Anne Heffron, joins co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (a birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (an adoptee) and Sally Ankerfelt (an adoptive parent) for an engaging discussion of the "masks" we might be wearing as members of the adoption triad and within our adoptive families. How do the masks we don protect our feelings and the feelings of those around us? If we were brave enough to let the masks down, what would we gain, how would we feel, and how would we be different? Are we even brave enough to share what is behind the mask? Drawing on a tri-spective point of view and lived experience, explore the "unmasking."

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    36 mins
  • Episode 8: Adoption in the Classroom
    Sep 19 2024

    Join co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (a birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (an adoptee) and Sally Ankerfelt (an adoptive parent) for an important back-to-school discussion of adoption in the classroom. Once again, they bring to the conversatin their unique experience and world view as an adoption triad member to inform the conversation. Today, they explore with 6th grade teacher, Michelle Soggs, how she creates a learning environment that is sensitive to adoptive families, adoptees, and birth families.

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    19 mins
  • Episode 7: Creating Relationship with the First Family
    Aug 22 2024

    Join co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (a birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (an adoptee) and Sally Ankerfelt (an adoptive parent) for another lively and upbeat discussion with Brian, an adoptive father of two, now-adult children. Learn how he navigated an open adoption with not one but two different bio families!

    Using their Tri-spective point of view, Kim, Sharon, and Sally explore with Brian how others can create an experience that works for their families.

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    22 mins
  • Episode 6: The Adoptive Family on Vacation
    Jul 17 2024

    Join co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (a birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (an adoptee) and Sally Ankerfelt (an adoptive parent) for another lively discussion: the adoptive family on vacation. Using their tri-spective point of view, they explore how to create an experience that works for adoptive families, adoptees, and birth families.

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    18 mins
  • Episode 5: Get Real About Father's Day
    Jun 19 2024

    Join co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (a birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (an adoptee,) and Sally Ankerfelt (an adoptive parent) for another lively discussion about Father's Day. Being a dad in adoption can be complicated. Tune in to hear three dads -- an adoptee, birth dad, and adoptive father -- get real about the challenges and the joys of being a father in adoption.

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    48 mins
  • Episode 3. Adoption Can Make Mother's Day Complicated!
    May 15 2024

    Welcome to Adoption Matters, a podcast with real people sharing real stories and getting real about adoption from all three perspectives of the adoption triad. As we just celebrated Mother's Day, we hope you embraced and recognized your value as a mother, whether you placed or parented a child.

    Join co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (adoptee) & Sally Ankerfelt (adoptive parent) as they explore some of the complexities surrounding mothers and mothering in connection to adoption. Listen to this lively conversation and how this holiday -- Mother's Day or Birth Mother's Day, awakens different responses and insights for each of the coaches ... and moms.

    Join us for each episode of ADOPTION MATTERS. Whether you are an adoptee, a birth or adoptive parent, or a member of the adoption constellation, we are excited to share our stories, insights and support.

    Visit our website: giftfamilyservices.com

    Listen to our podcasts: https://giftfamilyservices.com/podcasts

    Read our blogs: https://giftfamilyservices.com/blog-articles/

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    21 mins
  • Ep. 4 SPECIAL EDITION: Triad Voices Reflect on Mother's Day
    May 11 2024

    ADOPTION MATTERS' hosts a compilation of triad voices reflecting on mothers. Listen to some special memories, sweet yet at times painful thoughts about being a mother, and poignant tributes to moms.

    Several birth mothers, adoptees, and an adoptive dad share their heartfelt thoughts on Mother's Day. It can be a complicated topic. For example, many people have not heard about Birth Mother's Day, celebrated on the Saturday before Mother's Day. People's feelings change over time as they continue to understand the complex ramifications of adoption and how it both creates and separates families.

    Listen! https://giftfamilyservices.com/podcasts

    Read! https://giftfamilyservices.com/blog-articles/

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    21 mins
  • Episode 2. ADOPTION MATTERS: Real People, Real Life, Real Talk
    Apr 17 2024

    Welcome to Adoption Matters, a podcast with real people sharing real stories and getting real about adoption from all three perspectives of the adoption triad.

    In this episode, adoption coaches Susan David and Gayle Swift join our regular co-hosts and adoption coaches, Kim Noeth (birth mother), Sharon Butler-Obazee (adoptee) & Sally Ankerfelt (adoptive parent) for a discussion of Isaac Etter's work focusing on identity and transracial adoption. His interview from our first episode touched each of the coaches differently. Listen to this lively conversation discussing Isaac's contribution and thoughts and how it awakens different responses and insights for each of the coaches.

    Join us for each episode of ADOPTION MATTERS. Whether you are an adoptee, a birth or adoptive parent, or a member of the adoption constellation, we are excited to share our stories, insights and support.

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    21 mins