509: Supporting Your Adoptee Through the Adoptee Consciousness Model

When our adoptees are young, we cannot anticipate how and when they will process their adoptedness someday as adults. Such processing may not even be on our radar.

For adoptees, figuring out their identity with the added layer of adoption, requires extra thought, attention,and integration. An adoptee has underlying currents in their life story that may – or may not – bubble to the surface -- but exist, nonetheless. If our adoptee does one day dip their toes in that current, oh, how we hope it will be a gentle and smooth journey for them! Some things we parents can’t control, but some we can, at least, influence.

What might we do to support such processing early in their lives, when everything involving separation and attachment is out-sized in the scheme of things?

This episode features Dr JaeRan Kim, an adoptee and a creator of the Adoption Consciousness Model. Many adoptees have related to it, including Patrick Armstrong, also interviewed, an adoptee and podcaster/content creator. Patrick unfurled on social media how the Adoptee Consciousness Model was playing out for him in his own lead-up to becoming a parent recently.

Just like you may already be thinking of ways to support your child in the future, like saving for college, you are going to want to better understand what is in store for adoptees who embark on this journey because right NOW you are helping to set a foundation for their future integration and processing. What will you wish you’d known about setting that foundation today?

Show Notes

Dr JaeRan Kim

• Adoptee Consciousness Model on Harlow’s Monkey: https://harlows-monkey.com/2022/06/23/coming-to-consciousness/
• Websites: Harlow’s Monkey and https://jaerankim.com/
• Instagram: @harlows_monkey
• LinkedIn: @jaerankimphd/

Patrick Armstrong

• Conversation Piece
  • Website: www.conversationpiecepod.com
  • Instagram: @conversationpiecepod
• Janchi Show
  • Website: www.janchishow.com
  • Instagram: @janchishow
• Personal
  • Website: www.patrickintheworld.me
  • Instagram: @patrickintheworld

Inclusive Family Support Model (mentioned): https://www.angelatucker.com/openness

About this Podcast

Lori Holden (The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole) brings to you an array of articulate and thought-provoking guests with lived experience in adoption, each with valuable insights to share about the all-encompassing journey of parenting an adopted person from babyhood to toddlerhood to school age to teenage -- and ultimately to adulthood. Join us as we explore Adoption: The Long View.

Named a Top 25 Adoption Podcast