Racism
Names, Mispronunciations, and the Burden of Other People’s Discomfort: The Difference Between Asking and Making It Awkward
“I am going to butcher your name.” “I’m not even going to attempt that.” “I knew I was going to get it wrong!” “I had no idea how to pronounce…
Read MoreTo International Adoptees and the People Who Love Them: You Are Not Alone
I hate that I am writing this. I hate how our country is treating brown and Black people and immigrants right now (and trans people, and poor people, and disabled…
Read MoreNice Doesn’t Always Mean Safe: Why Adoptees Need More Than Kindness to Thrive
Are you surrounding yourself with people who are nice—or people who are safe? It’s a question that often stops people in their tracks. For adoptees, especially those in transracial families,…
Read MoreSeven Hidden Harms in Performative Racial Allyship
If you are white, it may be easy to view performative racial allyship as benign. It’s short-lived and superficial nature does not look much different from other trends – a…
Read MoreWhy “I’m Ready to Listen” is Not the Beginning of Your Allyship
It’s inevitable. Every time there is a major headline involving the murder of an unarmed Black person at the hands of a law enforcement officer, I see the same pattern…
Read MoreThe Single Item that Made Me Understand Racism
It was a Band-Aid. Well, not actually a Band-Aid – just the image of a Band-Aid. So small, yet so damaging. It changed my life – the entire way I…
Read MoreThe Most Empowering Book I’ve Ever Read to My Child
So, you know how most children’s books have that “happily-ever-after-suddenly-everyone-is-best-friends-even-though-the-entire-book-was-about-someone-treating-someone-else-like-crap” kind of vibe? I’ve never been a fan. Sure, I’m all for books with happy endings. But I don’t think…
Read More2nd Annual 25 Days of Giving
It’s time for my 2nd Annual 25 Days of Giving. On Thanksgiving, and for 24 days following, I am going to take 5 minutes out of each day to donate…
Read MoreThe One Thing You Cannot Ask Your Child’s Therapist To Do
As an adoption-competent therapist, there are a number of areas in which I can offer support to your child. If they have separation anxiety, I can help them feel secure…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Question for Adoptive Parents
You and your child are stranded on a deserted island with four other people. You are getting worried, because your child is starting to run a fever and needs medical…
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