The Empowered Adoptee Podcast

In this vulnerable episode, Laurie and Claire dive deep into the complex topic of self-sabotage, particularly among adoptees. We explore the subconscious strategies that lead us to undermine our own relationships and goals, often driven by fear and core wounds. Join us as we uncover the common triggers, patterns of behavior, and the beliefs that perpetuate self-sabotaging actions. More importantly, we discuss practical steps to change these behavior patterns and foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

What you will learn about self-sabotage:

In this powerful episode, we’re joined by Kari Rudd, a Korean adoptee based in Santa Barbara, California. Kari shares her transformative journey of searching for identity and belonging after her challenging experiences with adoption.

Kari was adopted at around six months old into a family that faced significant struggles. After being removed from her adoptive family as a teenager, she has lived a life marked by resilience and quest for understanding. Now serving alongside her husband, Eric, as ministers and administrators of a transitional living center and church, Kari offers a unique perspective on...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we honor Mental Health Awareness Month by sharing personal stories from our own journeys with mental health as adoptees. We speak honestly about the challenges we’ve faced—grief, anxiety, depression, isolation—and the tools, practices, and moments of connection that helped us keep going.

We explore:

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Julie Duvall, a Korean aged-out orphan who was adopted later in life. Julie’s unique perspective sheds light on the complexities of growing up in an orphanage in Korea and her journey through finding her way in life without any support from a family of her own. With heartfelt honesty, she shares her experiences, the challenges she faced, and how she transformed her life from struggles and sadness to one of hope and joy. Through Julie's stories, we aim to bring insights and awareness to adoptees and orphans, emphasizing the me...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we explore a tender and complex question:
“What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to Asian American adoptees?”

For many of us, this month brings up a mix of celebration and sorrow — pride in our cultural roots, grief for what was lost, and sometimes uncertainty about where we belong. Together, we unpack these emotions and share how adoptees are finding ways to reclaim identity, reconnect to heritage, and show up authentically in AAPI spaces.

We also reflect on some of the meaningful moments from our re...

Get ready for an incredibly validating and eye-opening discussion for adoptees preparing for (or processing) a visit to Korea. Laurie and Claire share vulnerably about their experiences visiting Korea and all the feelings, emotions, and awarenesses around their journey back to their homeland as an adoptee.

What to Expect in This Episode:

Join Laurie and Claire as they explore their personal motivations for this episode, expressing the hopes and fears that accompanied their journeys. They reflect on the surprises and emotional revelations they encountered, shedding light on aspects they...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we explore attachment theory—a powerful psychological framework that helps us understand how we connect, love, and feel safe in relationships.

We take a closer look at the four core attachment styles—secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized—and how these show up in the lives of adoptees. From early separation to inconsistent caregiving or the deep longing for connection, adoptees often experience unique challenges in bonding and trust. But there's also so much hope.

We talk about:

In this episode, we delve into how adoptees can find their path back to calm and connection by tapping into the power of the vagus nerve. This crucial nerve helps regulate your nervous system and supports feelings of safety and belonging.

Practicing these tools for just 10 minutes or less each day can significantly help improve your body's ability to regulate it's nervous system and become healthier and more calm.

Understanding the Vagus Nerve:

In this episode, we dive into the shocking findings of South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has exposed systemic fraud and human rights violations in the country’s international adoption program. With over 140,000 Korean adoptees sent overseas, many under falsified circumstances, this revelation forces us to reexamine the ethical failures of adoption policies and the profound impact on adoptees worldwide.

We explore the emotional toll of these findings, the urgent need for policy reform, and the steps adoptees can take to reclaim their agency. We also discuss advocacy efforts, legal actions, and the...

In this special panel discussion, we sit down with fellow Korean adoptees Nate Choi and Kirsten Mathis to explore the complexities of the adoptee experience—from finding strength in community to navigating deeply personal emotions. Together, we reflect on the importance of taking pauses, honoring our individual journeys, and creating safe spaces for open expression.

Nate Choi is a Korean adoptee who overcame open heart surgery as a baby and on a previous episode (#19, season 1), he shared his inspiring journey of healing and resilience.

Nate describes himself as a "like able asshole, KA...

Finding Safety in Uncertain Times: A Guided Meditation for Adoptees

In this special episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, Laurie offers a gentle, grounding guided meditation to help adoptees regulate their nervous systems and cultivate a sense of safety amidst uncertainty.

With so much unknown in the world, especially for Korean American adoptees facing the fear of deportation, it is essential to have tools that help us feel anchored and supported. This meditation is an invitation to reconnect with your breath, your body, and the deep knowing that you are safe, held, and...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we explore how befriending our anxiety can help us navigate the adoptee journey with more ease and self-compassion. Instead of seeing anxiety as something to fix or get rid of, we discuss how it can actually be a protector, a messenger, and even a guide to deeper self-awareness.

We dive into how anxiety often shows up in the adoptee experience—whether through hypervigilance, perfectionism, or fear of rejection—and how we can shift our relationship with it. By learning to listen to our anxiety with curiosity rather than fear, we c...

In this episode, we dive into the complex emotions tied to feelings of unworthiness experienced by many adoptees and explore paths to healing and empowerment. By understanding primal wound theory, societal influences, and cultural displacement, we aim to uncover why these feelings emerge and how adoptees can reclaim their sense of self-worth.

Laurie and Claire sit down for a super vulnerable and honest conversation about what led them to confront and begin to heal their feelings of not being enough. Listen in to hear them share their tools for healing feelings of unworthiness and...

In this episode of The Empowered Adoptee Podcast we’re amplifying adoptee voices to share what we want adoptive families to understand in order to help us feel truly supported and seen. Transnational and transracial adoptees often have complex, layered experiences that can be difficult to articulate to their adoptive families. While every adoptee’s journey is unique, we see common themes that emerge from adoptee spaces and we hope that we were able to touch on some of the many themes through our voices here.

This episode is an opportunity for adoptive families to l...

In this powerful episode of the Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Hollee A. McGinnis, a Korean adoptee, educator, scholar, and healer with nearly 30 years of experience in adoption and child welfare. Hollee’s work focuses on amplifying adoptee perspectives, advocating for socially just child welfare policies, and supporting individuals raised in alternative care—including adoptees, foster youth, and those from orphanages—so they can thrive across their lifespan.

Hollee shares her personal and professional journey, from being adopted from South Korea to founding Also-Known-As, Inc., a pionee...

In this episode, we dive deep into the journey of self-love from the unique perspective of Korean adoptees. Self-love isn’t just about bubble baths and positive affirmations—it’s about creating safety, trust, and embodiment. Join us as we share our personal experiences and practical tips for cultivating a deep and unconditional love for ourselves.

What you can expect to hear in this Episode:

•Creating Safety & Trust for Embodiment – Feeling safe in our own bodies and experiences is the foundation of self-love.

•Getting to Know Ourselves – How can we love ou...

In this episode of the Empowered Adoptee Podcast, we sit down with Leah Brighton, a Korean Canadian adoptee, passionate advocate, and the founder of the first adoptee-led organization in Canada. As the President of the Asian Adoptees of Canada, Leah has been instrumental in creating spaces where adoptees can connect, learn, and embrace their histories.

Leah shares her personal adoption journey, her experience reuniting with her birth family in 2007, and how that transformative experience fueled her mission to build community and support for adoptees across Canada and beyond. With...

In this episode, we sit down with Rob ‘Loebz,’ a talented Korean Canadian b-boy, to explore his inspiring journey through hip hop culture and dance. Rob shares his experiences growing up as a Korean adoptee (KAD) in Canada, navigating questions of identity, and finding a sense of belonging within the global b-boy and hip hop community.

What you can expect from this episode:

•How Rob discovered b-boying and fell in love with hip hop culture.

•The challenges and triumphs of being a Korean adoptee and how he has found his place in the w...

In this episode, Laurie and Claire are joined by Kaleena Bliss, a KAD who grew up in WA and is now living and working in Chicago as an executive chef. Kaleena shares her experiences navigating racism and identity challenges, how building relationships with other Asians helped to foster a sense of belonging and pride for her heritage, and the impact of adoption on her relationships as well as her journey of empowerment and personal growth. 

Kaleena Bliss developed a passion for the Pacific Northwest's ingredients early on. After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, she built a...

After the incredible response to our first episode on how adoption impacts relationships, we’re diving even deeper into this important topic. In this heartfelt follow-up, Laurie and Claire explore the lasting effects of adoption on attachment styles, emotional intimacy, and relationship dynamics, sharing new insights from their personal journeys.

We discuss how understanding these patterns has helped us empower our connections—with ourselves and others—and offer actionable tools for healing and growth. Whether it’s navigating trust, setting boundaries, or fostering meaningful relationships, this episode provides a safe space to reflect on the challenges and celebrat...

What are you bringing into 2025?

When it comes to manifestation, how do we know we are doing it right? 

Join Laurie and Claire on their very first episode of season 2, kicking off a brand new year!

This just might be the podcast episode that will help you transform your life, re-write your narrative, and manifest that thing you have always wanted in your life.

Laurie and Claire get even more real, more vulnerable, and more committed to diving deep through all the layers of our adoption journeys with you. 

Li...

In this final podcast episode of this Season 1, Laurie and Claire reflect and highlight some of our guests over the year. Join us while we share some of the messages, lessons, and special moments from our beloved guests that we have treasured and taken to heart.


Freeing Your Voice: A Journey with Phoenix Song, Trans Korean Adoptee and Sound Healer (Episode 32)

Phoenix Song is a queer, nonbinary, trans Korean adoptee singer, musician, performer, sound healer, writer, facilitator, dharma teacher, and bad-ass human being who has been helping people free their voices, rhythms...

In this heartfelt episode, Laurie and Claire sit down to reflect on the lessons, challenges, and growth they’ve experienced in 2024. As the year comes to a close, they share what they’re leaving behind and what they’re taking into 2025.

•Laurie on Letting Go of People-Pleasing:

Laurie opens up about how people-pleasing has shaped her life and the steps she’s taking to set boundaries and prioritize her own needs. She shares her personal journey of self-discovery and how learning to say "yes" to herself is helping her embrace authenticity.

•Claire on...