We’re so excited to share our guest’s story this week on Adoptees On. We’ve been following Lisa Olivera’s journey of healing for a while—inspired by the honesty and compassion she shares on her insanely popular Instagram account. Lisa is both a therapist and an adoptee, and anyone who follows this show on a regular basis knows that those two hats are not easy to swap. But she finds a way—through active and ongoing processing and a healthy portion of mindfulness.

When Lisa was only a few hours old, she was abandoned in a field by her biological mother and was adopted shortly after. During her conversation with Haley, Lisa shares her journey—of motherhood, her adoption, her healing, and her identity as an adoptee. She walks us through her path to personal growth, which relies heavily on the acceptance of the fact that she is and will always be an adopted person.

But what does that mean? As adoptees, how are we to reconcile with the gravity of that truth and eventually realize our own identities? And how do we speak our truths knowing that they may be uncomfortable (or painful) for others to hear?

One of our favourite things about Lisa (and there are a lot of them!) is her raw, deliberate honesty when it comes to adoptee grief. It’s simply a fact—adoption, relinquishment, and abandonment are life-long losses that need nurturing and understanding, not fixing. Adoptees need support, not saving.

Lisa’s book, Already Enough: a Path to Self Acceptance, explores how our stories affect our lives, and how reframing those stories can be life-changing. Listen to this week’s show to hear more of Lisa’s story, experience, and perspective as an adoptee.

Show Notes

Recommended Resources

Already Enough: A Path to Self Acceptance by Lisa Olivera, MFT
Make sure to followLisa’s encouraging Instagram account
No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard C. Schwartz, PHD

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Lisa Olivera, MFT: Instagram | lisaolivera.com
Haley Radke: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.