Racism

  1. The Single Item that Made Me Understand Racism

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    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 had viewed racism shifted. It was no longer individual, overt interactions. It was about the million little ways I was taught that I don’t belong. My first class addressing multicultural issues was during my doctoral program. It was a six-day cours…Read More

  2. The Most Empowering Book I’ve Ever Read to My Child

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    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 happy endings have to mean everyone gets along. In fact, for kids of color and many other types of minoriti…Read More

  3. The Ultimate Adoption Resource List

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    The Ultimate Adoption Resource List (UPDATED 7/10/19) - check out the all-ages list below for books, websites, blogs, podcasts, documentaries, educational videos & more! FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Adoption Therapy: Perspectives from Clients & Clinicians on Processing & Healing Post-Adoption Issues Laura Dennis RESEARCH & RESOURCES Donaldson Adoption Institute: https://www.ad…Read More

  4. 2nd Annual 25 Days of Giving

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    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 money to one cause that I believe is working to make our world a safer and more compassionate place. I have chosen to donate to organizations both local and global, those that are large-scale and those that are close to my heart. I hope that you will j…Read More

  5. The One Thing You Cannot Ask Your Child’s Therapist To Do

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    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 in knowing their loved ones will do everything in their power to return. If they worry about being hurt by caregivers, I can help them work through the impact of negative experiences to feel safe in the present. If they struggle wi…Read More

  6. The Ultimate Question for Adoptive Parents

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    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 attention. A small, intact plane floats up onto the shore, and you are incredibly relieved that you finally have the resource necessary to get help for your child. There is no one on the plane, and only three people will fit inside. E…Read More

  7. A common (& avoidable) mistake transracially adoptive parents make…

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    Have you ever said something like this to your transracially adoptive children after learning that they were teased or judged because of their appearance? "Your differences are what make you special!" "I love that your skin/hair is different, it's so beautiful!" "It's okay to be different!" "They just don't understand anyone who's different, that's why they were being mean." You mean well. You …Read More

  8. #MarchMiniLessonsOnRace

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    Did you miss out on #MarchMiniLessonsOnRace? Read through all 31 days of lessons that were posted on Facebook here! Race Education – Day 1: Colorblindness is a myth. We all see skin color. Seeing skin color is not the problem - the biases we associate with certain skin colors are the problem. We all have biases, which develop from our upbringing, proximity and personal relationships (or lack the…Read More

  9. THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE…Part 3

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    Only 10 minutes between sessions. I need to make a quick run to the restroom. As I walk to the sink, another therapist who works in the building walks in with a big smile. After a few seconds of the usual pleasantries, she asks, “Are you Indian?” Here we go… “Yes, I am.” “Oh, I just returned from a trip there! I visited...........” and on and on she goes, describing multiple cities, …Read More

  10. THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE…Part 2

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    As a child and teen, I intentionally avoided becoming friends with others who had brown skin. I didn’t want to be labeled as “one of them” – a foreigner, someone who speaks with an accent, someone who smells different, someone who wears strange clothing, someone who eats gross food. I just wanted to be White, because almost everyone around me was White. I just wanted to fit in and feel nor…Read More