TW: While Joan does not go into specific details, this episode does contain mentions of her experiences of abuse, and we wanted you to be aware of that before listening.
Our guests often share the traumatic memories their experiences in life have left them with. But today’s guest shares what it’s like for there to be pieces missing when she tries to recall her past.
Joan Ulsher is a writer, philanthropist, retired U.S. Army Major, and an award-winning child advocate. During her own childhood, Joan survived abuse and experienced the foster care system firsthand. Today, she says many of her formative years feel like “Swiss cheese” because of all the holes in her memory.
Joan tells her story in a memoir entitled Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy.
In this conversation, you’ll hear how Joan has navigated her mind blocking out childhood memories, how her advocacy efforts have changed her inner narrative from that of a victim to that of a survivor, how finding Christ has given her life new purpose, and so much more.
Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/joan-ulsher-227/
Free Video Resource: Foster Care & the Church -- www.fostercare.church
Episode 161: Discovering Hope When Life Felt Hopeless (w/ Brittany Marler)
Episode 160: Why Adoption Doesn’t End the Healing Journey (w/ Mia Arrington)
Episode 159: Raising Awareness: People Need to See It Before They Can Be It (w/ Jessica Hurlbut)
BONUS: Trauma & Real Life: When Diagnoses are Stacked Against You
Episode 158: Prioritizing Learning & Growth in Fostering (w/ Joey & Sadie Dodson)
Episode 157: Learning to Celebrate Reunification (w/ Amanda Irby)
Episode 156: Breaking the Cycle of Trauma (w/ DJ Johnson)
Episode 155: The Call of the Church: Seeing & Serving the Orphan (w/ Sean Myers)
Episode 154: Naming Your Family's Unique Values (w/ Beau Johnson)
Episode 153: Walking an Unexpected Path of Family & Foster Care
Episode 152: Acknowledging a Child's Unique Life Journey
Episode 151: Forming Habits for Your Family and Yourself (w/ Justin Whitmel Earley)
BONUS: Our Favorite Moments From Season 12
Episode 150: Entering Into Flexible Fatherhood
Episode 149: The Gospel of Place (w/ Paul Tripp)
Episode 148: When You Have to Do Something: How TFI Fits Into the Foster Care Community
Episode 147: God’s Faithful Pursuit: From the Perspective of a Former Foster Child
Episode 146: When Hope Feels Dangerous: From the Perspective of a Biological Parent
Episode 145: A Lasting Impact: From the Perspective of a Foster Parent
Episode 144: Moment by Moment: From the Perspective of an Agency Worker
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