Videos and podcasts
PODCASTS
There are a plethora of podcasts out there that cover stranger adoption, intercountry adoption, surrogacy, donor conceived people and more. They provide spaces for people to share their experiences, ask questions, interview people impacted by adoption, or discuss adoption trauma and healing.
There are also a plethora of views on adoption between and within the different adoption communities - this is reflected across the many different podcasts out there. When searching for a podcast that resonates with what you’re looking for, the ‘box of chocolates’ metaphor comes to mind - you might bite into something that is unpalatable, or alternatively, find the exact texture and taste you need at that time.
Please tell us about the podcasts you’ve found interesting or helpful and why, so we can share them here. Contact us at adoption@xtra.co.nz (Your contributions will be anonymous unless you specifically request we include you name) 🙂
Podcast: Pulled By The Roots - Amplifying Adoption Issues hosted by Heidi Marble - Alysa Zalma MD - Stephanie Pipes - Sean Farley
… including these interviews with adopted people from Aotearoa New Zealand
Julia Field 15 May 2023
Lance 17 September 2021
Barbara Sumner 21 September 2021
Podcast: Thriving Adoptees is a series of interviews held by an adopted person Simon Benn. Simon was adopted in the UK and found out at 40 that his birth mother had left him the teddy bear he had as a child. This ‘unleashed an eruption of anger, feeling rejected and unloved’ which then led him on ‘a quest to heal, healing and a desire to help others.’
Lemn Sissay - an award-winning poet and playwright, and an adopted fostered person, Reporting Back
Lemn explores the place of family for the child not in the care of their family ‘Family is a collection of disputed memories between one group of people, over a lifetime.’
Lemn’s TED talk … ‘It seems that writers now that the child outside of family reflects on what family truly is more than it promotes itself to be. That is, they also use extraordinary skills to deal with extraordinary situations on a daily basis. How have we not made the connection?’
Relinquishment and adoption: Understanding the impact of an early psychological wound
“Paul Sunderland presenting at iCAAD London 2019. There is a high incidence of addiction and other mental health disorders amongst adoptees, with a disproportionate number presenting for treatment and recovery programs. As early separation is a relational trauma it manifests later in life as problems in relationships. The impact of trauma on functioning is both physical and psychological. iCAAD is a platform dedicated to expanding knowledge, exchanging ideas and advancing well-being.”
New Zealand voices on adoption law reform and a formal apology
Numerous interviews relating to adoption have been aired on Radio New Zealand over the recent years. What is astounding is the number and diversity of voices asking for legislative change and an apology to people impacted by past adoption practices in Aotearoa New Zealand. Equally astounding is the lack of acknowledgement by any government that forced adoptions occurred here, and that no government has actually placed a Bill reforming the 1955 Adoption Act on consecutive Legislative Programmes.
Why is it that so many voices over so many years have been ignored?
Here are some of those voices recorded by Radio New Zealand:
Adoption law reform "long overdue" From Nine to Noon 2 August 2022
The country's outdated adoption legislation is set for an overhaul by the Ministry of Justice, which admits the law hasn't kept up with modern life and families. Improving access to birth families, cultural heritage and putting the child's interests at its heart are among the proposed reforms. The Ministry of Justice will provide advice to the Government on final adoption law reform proposals by the end of the year. Mark Henaghan is a professor of law at the University of Auckland, specialising in Family Law. He tells Susie that the 67-year-old legislation has failed to meet the needs of a changing society, and does not acknowledge the importance of whakapapa, culture, and identity to a child's wellbeing.
Forced adoption in New Zealand 22 July 2013
Interview with Anne Else, with adopted people and birth mothers. It touches on the Adoption Amendment Bill that Kevin Hague put in the ‘biscuit tin’ in 2013.
Lynelle was asked by OT to give her thoughts on who is best situated to support the community (adopted people) and from what angle …” Lynelle responds ……”the more you (OT) build in lived experience expertise the better your supports will actually support the community that its being designed for [and] …try to move away from relying on adopted-parent-led organisations, especially as your adopted population gets older …We (adopted people) are more than skilled and have the wisdom to know what we need, how we need it …. It’s really important that you (OT) tap into the wise knowledge and expertise that sits within the adopted people community… ” Lynelle challenges the OT staff to consider if intercountry adoption should continue.
If you’ve not got time to listen to the whole presentation, listen to Lynelle’s closing from 1:25:00.
The Adoptees On podcasts are ‘…a gathering of incredible adopted people willing to share their intimately personal stories with you about the impact adoption has had on our lives. Listen in and you will discover that you are not alone on this journey.’
Jo Willis’s interview with Lance and Sandy on their podcast Two Lucky B*#%*@ds
Jo discusses her experience as an adopted person, her book, her work as a counsellor and her time as an adoption social worker in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Listen to Anne Heffron’s interview with Oleg Lougheed on Overcomingodds podcast titled Finding Courage to Tell Your Story. Anne is an adopted person, writer and coach. Anne’s book called You Don’t Look Adopted published in 2016. Oleg was adopted at the age of 12 from Russia and went to live in the United States with his adopting family.
Mind your own karma podcast by Melissa Brunetti who states ….The word adoption can have many meanings, but to many adoptees, it can mean trauma, confusion, anxiety, anger, grief, the primal wound... and the list goes on. This podcast's mission is to educate the world on what adoption really looks like by telling our adoption stories. Every adoption journey is different, and by telling our experiences it gives others permission to do the same.