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 87: Beyond Exhaustion: Creating Breathing Room as a Foster Parent
BONUS: Expecting the Unexpected: Finding Purpose in the Long Wait or Failed Adoption
Episode 86: Life in Foster Care: What It’s Really Like
Episode 85: Good Grief: Navigating Loss in Foster Care
Episode 84: More than Coffee: Using Business for Kingdom Purposes
Episode 83: Messy Redemption: A Story of Healing from a Child in Foster Care, now Adoptive Mom
Episode 82: Navigating Court: Understanding Your Role as a Foster Parent
Episode 81: When Trauma and Puberty Meet: How to Help Your Child
Episode 80: Single+Foster Parenting: You are Needed
Episode 79: Managing It All: Family, Marriage, and Work
Episode 78: Honest Questions about Foster Care and Adoption and Answers You Need To Hear
Episode 77: Advocating for The Foster Care Community with The Forgotten Initiative
Episode 76: Fostering Teens: 3 Ways To Build Trust In The Early Days
Episode 75: The Surprising Thing About Foster Care
BONUS: Navigating Birth Parent Relationships
ENCORE: Traditional Parenting Vs. Trauma-Informed Parenting: Pursuing Connection with Your Child
Episode 74: Never Give Up Hope
Episode 73: The Birth Parent Perspective: What It’s Like Having Your Child Taken From You
Episode 72: Fighting Fear and Walking in Faith as a Foster Parent
Episode 71: A Pastor's Persistence, God's Provision
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