E05: Part 1: Adoption Do's and Don'ts from the Adoptee Perspective with Katie Wynen
Too often, conversations about adoption are parent-centered and from the perspective of parents. This can be quite harmful for adoptees and adoptive families. This episode features a transracial adoptee who offers a well rounded perspective of adoption.
Katie Wynen, MSW, is a transracial, international Colombian adoptee, with a Masters in Social Work. Katie has worked with members of the adoption triad since 2006. She studied under Dr. Joyce Pavao in Boston before moving to California and joining the Pact staff where she works in adoption placement, leads groups, works with tweens and teens, and provides adoption education worldwide. She works with families who are looking to adopt, providing education and preparation locally and nationally for families. Katie is an Angels in Adoption 2019 Recipient from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption institute.
In this episode we do a deeper dive into some adoption-related do's and don'ts and how to be better prepared to raise your adopted child.
What you will learn:
Adoption follows adoptees throughout everyday life
Why it is so important to center adoptee voices when you are seeking support as adoptive families
Why you shouldn't tell an adoptee they are lucky
What is Pact -and why you should check them out if you are parenting an adopted child of color
Links:
PACT Adoption Alliance - resources for families raising adopted children of color
https://www.pactadopt.org/app/servlet/HomePage
WISE Up Workbook for adoptees to practice agency when others ask them about adoption
https://store.adoptionsupport.org/product/WISE-PB/wise-up-powerbook
Honestly Adoption - On-line support for adoptive parents
Common Chord Psychology Services Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/drlsanderson
Dr. Laura Anderson's website
