Jun 19 2024
Adoptee Centered Approaches: Walking with Those Impacted by Adoption with Cameron Lee Small
Are you ready for the unexpected? Dive into the world of adoptee-centered approaches with Cameron Lee Small, a licensed clinical counselor and transracial adoptee. Get ready to be moved as we unravel the layers of grief, loss, and empowerment in the adoptee journey. But that's not all—there's an exclusive deeper conversation waiting for you. Join us in the Difference Maker community to explore how you can be part of making a difference. It's a special place, and we'd love to have you there. So, get ready to join the conversation and make a difference together. Are you in?
In this episode, you will be able to:
Embracing Grief and Loss: Discover ways to navigate the complex emotions of grief and loss in adoption, fostering empathy and understanding for your child's experience.
Impact of Transracial Adoption: Explore the profound impact of transracial adoption on an individual's identity, gaining insights to support your child's unique journey.
Mental Health Support: Learn how to provide crucial mental health support for adoptees, fostering a nurturing environment for their emotional well-being.
Adoptee-Centered Approaches: Delve into adoptee-centered approaches that prioritize your child's needs and experiences, nurturing a deeper connection within your family.
Building Empathy: Gain valuable insights into building empathy within your adoptive family, creating a supportive and understanding environment for your child's identity exploration.
My special guest is Cameron Lee Small
Meet Cameron Lee Small, a licensed clinical counselor, transracial adoptee, and mental health advocate based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Having been born in South Korea and adopted into a family in the United States, Cameron brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to the adoption landscape. With a background in psychology and counseling psychology, he has channeled his insights into authoring a memoir, "This is Why I Was Adopted," which serves as an interactive workbook for adoptees and families. Cameron's expertise extends to delivering adoption-informed essays, public speaking, and training sessions on adoptee-centered approaches. His work delves deep into the mental health needs of adoptees and their families, offering a compassionate and informed perspective that resonates with those navigating the complexities of adoption. His private practice, Therapy Redeemed, specializes in the mental health needs of adoptees and their families wherever they may be in their own adoption journey.
His newly released book is The Adoptee's Journey: From Loss and Trauma to Healing and Empowerment.
The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:02 - Introduction and Sponsorship by Betterhelp (10% off your first month of therapy)
00:01:42 - Cameron's Personal Journey as an Adoptee
00:02:32 - Cameron's Newly-Releasing Book
00:09:41 - Navigating Difficult Conversations About Adoption and Race
00:14:47 - Supporting Adoptees in Navigating Identity and Attachment
00:16:10 - The Impact of Adoption on Identity Development
00:18:09 - Challenges of International Adoption Narratives
00:21:25 - Connecting with Birth Culture
00:25:54 - Support and Empowerment in Adoption
00:27:41 - Understanding the Impact of Adoption
00:31:31 - Exploring Identity and Ambiguous Loss
00:33:13 - Reconnecting with Birth Family
00:36:40 - Ongoing Journey of Reunion and Adoption
00:38:41 - Unresolved Grief and Parenting Strategies
00:46:19 - Supporting Adoptees Throughout Life
00:47:09 - Gratitude for the Guest
00:47:56 - Understanding Grief in Adoption
00:48:54 - Centering the Adoptee's Experience
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Lori Adams-Brown
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