In this second Thriving Conversations panel, Elizabeth Barbour, an adoptee and adoptive parent, Nick Mabey, an adoptee and Terryn, a birth parent, share personal stories to help us understand one another better.
Hear how adoption can feel from different sides and discover perspectives that could change how you see your own family's experiences.
Elizabeth shares why slowing down and communicating clearly can help us build healthier relationships in reunion.
Her experiences offer adoptive parents a compassionate way to understand why a birth parent may find staying in contact painful.
Nick shares his search for answers and how an unexpected relationship helped him piece together his birth mother's story.
His reflections highlight the value of finding someone you trust before taking the emotional step towards reunion.
Terryn offers a birth mother's perspective on trauma, healing and open adoption, challenging stigma through her honesty.
Together, their stories invite us to look beneath silence and secrecy and meet one another with greater compassion.
Whether you are an adoptee, adoptive parent, birth parent or professional, watch for insights that can help you feel less alone and approach adoption conversations with more understanding.