Melissa came into care as mental illness and substance abuse rendered her biological parents unable to care for her properly. She was in 3 foster homes in 2 years until she was adopted at four years old. She recalls what it was like to be in care and how being adopted has impacted her life.
She tells the complicated story of trying to build a relationship with her biological father and the heartbreaking story of finally finding her biological mother.
Melisa lives in a suburb of Atlanta, with her husband and two children. She is an infertility nurse, which she also talks about. It was interesting for her to see people spend tens of thousands of dollars on infertility when she knew kids like her were available.
We also talk about the struggles of motherhood in general and how difficult the journey can be when we try to live up to the "social media" standard.
Why Kids with Developmental Trauma Steal
Big Ts and Little Ts - It's all trauma
Understanding ACES: Building Resilience through Mentorship
#76: 4 Ways Mentorship is Therapeutic for Children with Complex Trauma Needs
#75: Dealing with Lying: Why Children with Complex Trauma Lie
#74: Become a Child Advocate with Joan Ulsher
#73: We Don't Fix Kids
#72 Replay: Navigating Sticky Situations
#71: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Life Hacks for Busy Families with Laura Hernandez
#70: Building Objectivity and Open Mindedness
#69 Triggered Response Intervention WONDERâ„¢ Method
#68: Helping Kids Plan for the Future
#67: Trauma Informed Holidays
#66 Structured BUT Flexible
#65 My Response to Hate Mail: We're all good enough
#64: Healed People Heal People
#63: Black Foster Youth Handbook with Angela Quijada-Banks
Becoming a CASA with Marla Higginbotham
Garbage Bag Suitcase Part 2 with Shenandoah Chefalo
Garbage Bag Suitcase Part 1 with Shenandoah Chefalo
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