Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Rising To Challenges With Ella Smith

04 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Adoption can present us with many challenges. But how do we rise to those challenges? Listen in as Ella shares insights on dealing with the unexpected...

Wisdom In The Moment With Susan Silverman

03 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Being told to just raise your kids doesn't sound like a great piece of advice. But it landed profoundly for Susan. She heard it as a pointer to stop t...

Nurturing Our Kids With Jenny Fridge

02 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We want our kids to grow. We know we have to nurture them to make that happen. So how do we do that? Listen in as Jenny who has 4 kids including her y...

God Loves Me With Isaac Melber

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our most profound learnings often come from the toughest moments. Born in Ethiopia, adopted by an American family at 5, Isaac shares his most transfor...

Fundamentally Whole Despite Trauma

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if it's true. That we're fundamentally whole despite trauma. No, really. Listen in as previous guest and friend Marcy puts me on the spot. Make u...

Healing Is An Inside Job With Aysha E. Schomburg

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does healing mean to you? It means something different to everyone. Getting clear on what it means to you is profoundly helpful. Knowing how we h...

Change & Thrive With Lisa Dominguez

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We humans have a funny relationship with change. What if change was for the better? A change in how we think, how we feel, how we see ourselves? Liste...

Living From Love With Carmen Durfey

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Where are you living from? So many of us spend so much of our living from fear, worry and anxiety. How does this change? Listen in as adoptee Carmen s...

Control With Tina Miller

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How much control do we have? How does humility help us see control more clearly? Adoptive mother and adoption professional Tina shares what she'd have...

Connection With Lenette Serlo

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Connection. We all want don't we? And we want our kids to feel connected to. How well are parents connected with us can influence how we connect with ...

Nothing Wrong With Me With Sheila Jaffe

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

So many of us adoptees start believing there's something wrong with us it's embedded deep in our psyche. Until it comes to the surface and starts to d...

Epiphanies With Neb Cross

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is unprocessed grief eating you up? It did for Neb. But how on earth can a 2 year old  handle the death of their mother? Neb's challenges continued.....

Grounded With Jami Kaeb

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel grounded? All the time? Some of the time? Life tests our grounding daily. So what helps us hold our ground more often and find it more qui...

Advocating For Adoptees With Rachael Maskell, MP

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What can we learn about from someone who advocates for us from within the system? What life is really like for today's young adoptees?  Listen in as ...

Connection & Fundamental Wholeness With Anna Jinja & Donna Pope

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if we are whole despite all that's happened to us? How does connection help us heal? Listen in as Anna, Donna and I dive deep into two profound q...

Unconditional Love With Jay Barbanel

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Unconditional Love. We only crave it because we don't feel it. Trauma gets in the way. Listen in as Jay, adopted from Costa Rica at 3 shares his journ...

Fundamental Wholeness - Jude interviews Simon

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is Fundamental Wholeness? How does seeing it transform our lives for the better? Listen in as my friend and past guest Jude Hung interviews me ab...

Staying Grounded With Judith Russ

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our grounding is the base from which we connect with others and allow them to feel safe and secure. Listen in as Judith and I explore self awareness, ...

The Tough Stuff With Cara DeHaan

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if the tough stuff happens to help us to our most profound learnings? Doesn't that change our minds about what we are going through? Listen in as...

What is Family? With Janelle Basham & Katherine Hartzler

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is family? It seems a simple enough question. And yet...listen in as we explore a broader answer with birth mother Janelle and her birth daughter...

A Different Perspective With Teresa Bernu

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We don't know what we don't know. That's why other people's perspectives can help shift our perspective. Listen in as Teresa talks about opening ourse...

A Sense Of Belonging With Jyotika Acharya

04 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Don't we all want to feel we belong? It's so painful when we don't. Listen in as Jyotika shares insights on belonging, origin stories and more... Jyot...

Joy - Regardless Of Circumstances With Doris Cardwell

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How would your life be if you find joy whatever your circumstances? Joy, and even contentment, were completely alien to Doris growing up. She's one of...

Delighting In Our Kids Barb Dewey

28 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When things get tough raising your kids, what do you do? Listen in as Barb, Clinical Social Worker and adoptive mother to 3, shares her take on thrivi...

Resilient When Triggered With Jenn Meyer

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Would you like to be triggered less? More resilient when you are triggered? Listen in as Jenn and I dive deep into resilience for insights on how you ...

Changing First With Mercedes Bristol

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's a trap we all fall into. Thinking that others will change. Waiting for others to change. But we have to change first. Listen in as Mercedes share...

Identity In Christ With Kirti Pickard

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Born in India, Kirti Pickard was abandoned as a baby and spent her three and a half years in an orphanage. She was adopted at four. She is the host of...

Discovering & Sharing Our Uniqueness With Chris Johnson

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if discovering and sharing our uniqueness drives our thriving? How does that help us tough times. Chris is dad to 10 including 7 through  adopti...

Superpowered With Wes Cuell

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What would it do for you to find your superpower? What if your difference IS your superpower? Listen in as adoptee Wes dives into difference, superpow...

Handling Tough Emotions With Rhiannon Franklin

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Handling tough emotions is human's biggest challenge. And it's particularly tough for adoptees and adoptive parents given the complex emotions around ...

The Past Doesn't Determine The Future With Robin Sizemore

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hope. The hope that the past doesn't determine the future. A positive outlook. Life as an adoptive parent and as an adoptee can be tough. What keeps u...

Changing Life For The Better With The Altmans

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Altman family was formed by a unique set of circumstances that no-one could have predicted. This episode is a little different to honour that. A p...

Still Learning With Kim Smith

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Raising kids - adopted or not - isn't a sprint. It's a journey. And the more we learn, the easier we can navigate the bumps along the way. Listen in a...

Love Without Rules Jenn Noble

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is love with rules really love? Probably not. And yet so many of us have only felt conditional love. Having her first daughter taught adoptee Jenn lov...

Loving Ourselves With Melissa Butkovich-Carraway

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What matters more than loving ourselves? And yet...so many of us believe that voice in our heads that doesn't love us. Listen in as Melissa shares her...

Doing Things Differently With Gladys Blackwell

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When we know better, we do better. Experienced adoption professional got a second chance at parenting after adopting her grandson when she was 55. Lis...

Having A Fabulous Life With Anna Bernacki

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if we could have a fabulous life, whatever our story? Thriving doesn't look like an option for some. But what if it is? Listen in as adoptee, ado...

Finding Our Place With Matt Waller

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Finding our place - our home and our place in the world - is profound. Listen in as Matt who's fostered and adopted shares his learnings on self worth...

Levelling The Playing Field With Karen Barrick

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Adoptees often start life at a disadvantage. How do we level the playing field so they can enjoy the same opportunities as others? Listen in as Karen ...

Busting Beliefs With Angie White

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

 Does the desire for validation hold us back? How do you react when you or your beliefs are challenged? Listen in as adoptee Angie talks about surfac...

Faith Is Bigger Than Fear With Wendi Cross

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Life can feel pretty scary. But what if we felt differently about that fear? What if faith felt bigger than that fear? Listen in as mother of 6 includ...

Open To It All With Cindy Sarai

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What we resist persists. Especially our feelings. So what if we could be open to our feelings? Be openhearted. Ride life's emotional rollercoaster wit...

The Art Of Adoptive Parenting With Dr Ray

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Raising adoptive children and teens is an art not a science. It's something you get a feel for. Listen in as adoptive father of 10 Dr Ray shares his i...

Goodbye Shame With Penny Rowntree

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Shame is a big obstacle to our thriving. So how do we say goodbye to it? How is shame different to guilt? Listen in as Penny dives deep into shame, gu...

Humility With Arnie Eby

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How often do you realise that you're wrong? It's incredibly freeing. It's the ultimate lubricant for life. It reduces frustration and oils relationshi...

Rising Above Trauma With Joanna Abruscato

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are we going to rise above trauma or to succumb to it? Perhaps one of the most profound questions we can ask. Listen in as foster/kinship parent Joann...

A Well Of Hope With Niemah Scherlacher

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rejection can tear us apart. How do we put ourselves back together? Where does the strength come from? Where do we find the hope before we find that s...

Letting It Go With Rachel Medefind

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Holding on to anger holds us back. It stops us thriving. And it yet we all do it to some extent. It's part of the human condition. Listen in as Rachel...

Space To Grow With Jenny Brewer

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rumi once said “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I wanted to change myself.” One of the most profound th...

Choosing Hope Carly Souza

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hope is sometimes in short supply within adoptive families navigating tough stuff. Why is that? How can we overcome fear, choose hope and enjoy a brig...

Enabling Thriving With Damon Cates

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we enable ourselves and others to thrive? Big question! Listen in as Damon shares what helps him thrive and empower his colleagues, foster yout...

Doing Our Own Work with Laura Adams

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Raising adopted kids isn't about fixing them, it's about growing us. Doing Our Own Work is one of those themes that comes up again and again on Thrivi...

Open To Learning with Rashunda Williams

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How open are you to learning? When we know more we do better. So lifelong learning isn't something to be shunned by our impatience, but welcomed in. L...

Purpose In The Pain Donna Pope

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you suffering right now? It probably - or definitely - doesn't feel like it, but finding the purpose in that pain somehow makes it more bearable. ...

Grateful For The Tough Stuff With Jacee Low

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tough stuff feels, well, tough. But with hindsight it becomes clear that the tough stuff prompts our biggest learnings. What if we could see the gift ...

Remarkable Resilience With Sharon Butler-Obazee

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you're going through tough stuff, this one's for you. Truly inspirational. Adopted at 9 months Sharon grew up in an alternative universe. One that ...

Persisting In Adversity With Alaina Colón-Gnotek

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you're in hell keep going. But how? Listen in as Adoption Permanency Director Alaina dives into digging deep, what empowers us to persist through t...

Added Value With Vince Smith

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vince's mission is to add value to everyone he meets. Listen in and let him add value to you with his insights, learnings and wisdom. Vince and his wi...

Hope with Erin Argue & Megan Ransom

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If things are looking tough right now, here's some hope for you...According to one of my mentors - Richard Wilkins "The past is a place of reference, ...

Healing Secondary Trauma Jaycie Bias

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Secondary trauma can build up within us without us noticing. Even veteran therapist Bessel van der Kolk who's the author of the bestselling book The B...

Advocacy & Systems Michelle D Seymore

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you advocating for your child or change? As every parent knows systems can be very tricky to navigate and change. The better we can understand the...

A Leap Of Faith With Terri Marcroft

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does fear hold you back? Fear of the unknown? Fear of things not working out? Sometimes life requires us to make a leap of faith. Listen in as Terri t...

Opening Our Hearts With Shamele Jenkins

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can you open your heart more fully? Shamele has opened her heart to 4 kids through adoption, another through a special guardianship and over 300 more ...

Insights In The Moment With Steve Valdez

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Change is hard. Until an insight happens. Whether that's about how we feel, what causes those feelings, our behaviour or anything else. So changing is...

Balancing Perspectives with Ryan Hanlon

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From rainbows and unicorns to adoption is trauma. Pendulums swing too far before they settle into balance. Listen in as we find a more balanced approa...

Tackling The Tough Stuff With Melody Marshall

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It takes courage to tackle the tough stuff in adoption. It takes courage to love our kids when that love isn't reciprocated. Listen in as Melody talks...

Helping Them Heal With Heather Branam

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If I can't heal, I can't help them heal. That's the truth that hit Heather like a tonne of bricks. The more whole we feel, the better placed we are to...

Thankful For My Scars With Trent Taylor

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sexual abuse and neglect leave deep scars. How can anyone become grateful for these? In one of our most profound turnaround stories ever, Trent shares...

Handling Pain With Cindy Boecking

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you handle pain, like when your son says he hates you? There's something that us humans don't like about complexity. And yet adoption IS comple...

What Do You Need Right Now? With Rebecca Harvin

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So many of us so much time ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. What Do You Need Right Now? The question can shock us into the present...

Our Best Selves With Rob Lamarche

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to be our best selves, not just for ourself but for our family. So what does that mean? How do we do that? Listen in as adoptive dad, adop...

Beyond What's Possible With Karyn Kunst

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you suspect you may be playing life small? Do you want more? Perhaps something is holding you back? Listen in as adoptee Karyn explores growing bey...

Thriving With Joy With Marcia Earhart

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Grief touches us all. Sometimes we resist it, but what we resist persists. So what do we do? Marcia has experienced a lifetime of grief including the ...

God Adopted Us First With Alice Murray Adoption Attorney & Writer

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does being adopted into God's family shift our ideas on family and identity? What role does faith play? Listen in as Alice and I dive into riding ...

Fear & Faith With Matthew Straeb

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fear & Faith. Two words we don't usually hear together. How does fear hold us back, how does faith spur us on? Listen in as Matthew and I dive deep in...

The Feeling Of Thriving With Jodi Jackson Tucker

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 What help us feel that we are thriving? Feeling it. Not thinking it. Not judging it. Feeling it. Listen as Jodi and I dive deep into the feeling of ...

Celebrating Us With Anita Bucher

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we celebrate ourselves when we don't know how we came about, feel unwanted or an accident? Listen in as adoptee, adoptive parent and adoption p...

Seeing The Big Picture With Cindy Stogel

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So many of have so much going on we can't see the wood for the trees. Today's interview is a chance to stand back and see the big picture - what helps...

Our Past Doesn't Define Us With Krystal Trocki

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we free ourselves from the past? By seeing that it doesn't define us. Listen in as Krystal, adopted in her 30's talks about getting stronger th...

Our Spirit Isn't Traumatised with Dana Hargus

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if there's part of us that's not traumatised? Because it can't traumatised? Wouldn't that be a great place to find and live from? Listen in as we...

Love AND Heartbreak With Lisa Chism

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when your search for belonging leads to both love and heartbreak? Listen in as adoptee Lisa shares what she's learned from her rollercoas...

Reconnecting With Heritage With Tami Garcia

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel disconnected from your cultural heritage or identity? Tami did - even though she wasn't adopted. She was determined her daughter who was b...

Thriving No Matter What With Wilson Munsterman

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can we thrive despite what happened in to us? If so how? Listen in as Wilson describes how he turned his life around after some difficult years in his...

Meaning & Community With Andrew Lewis

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Looking for inspiration? Andrew, father of three - including one through adoption - shares his insights on igniting our passion, finding meaning and c...

Moving Beyond Pain With Tanya Kaanta

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Looking for more peace and less pain? Listen in as Korean adoptee Tanya shares her learnings so far.  We dive into healing, freedom with painful emot...

Getting Comfortable With Meredith Shepard

15 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if thriving is being comfortable with where we are on our journey? Comfortable with what we don't know? Comfortable in our own skin? Listen in as...

Choosing To Thrive With Sharla Kinman

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if you could choose to thrive? Forgive others more easily. Feel spontaneous gratitude from within. Rise above your circumstances. Listen in as ad...

Holding Onto Hope With Morganne Crouser

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some believe that some kids and adults broken. That's downright demoralising, depressing and disheartening. There's no hope. Listen in as Morganne bri...

Open To Change With Irene Steffas

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some say change is hard. What if believing that is keeping us stuck? Even if it's change for the better? What if we were open to change? Held our expe...

Thriving Together With Linda R. Sexton

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If we want adoptees to thrive, adoptive parents and birth parents all need to thrive. Listen in as we dive into thriving across the adoption triad. An...

Goodbye Shame With Anna Schocket

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guilt is feeling bad about what we've done. Shame is feeling bad about who we are. And it's the feeling that fuels imposter syndrome. What if there wa...

Flow & Purpose Francine Apy

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you looking for more ease and flow in your life? Who isn't? Listen in adoptive mother and coach Francine shares her insights on flow helps us thri...

From Stuck To Thriving With Jackson Terkeurst

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Left for dead in a war zone. Now Jackson Terkeurst is speaking to the world. Listen in as this truly inspirational adoptee shares what helped move fro...

Finding New Solutions with Kelly Henderson

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. We need new solutions if we are going to move forward with the tough s...

Going For Growth Jenifer Jarriel and Jesse Booher

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we grow? What kind of environment helps us grow? How do we harness our mistakes for growth? Listen in to this empowering, metaphor rich dive in...

Thriving with FASD Brian Roberts

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

FASD is caused by exposure to alcohol in utero. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong cognitive, emotional a...

Lifelong Learning With Dr Rick Morton

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does lifelong learning help us show up better with our families, friends and the rest of the world. Dr Rick's passion is palpable. Listen in as we...

From Eruption To Peace With Diana Kayla Hochberg

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Finding out she was adopted at 38 caused a seismic eruption for Diana. The world disappeared from under her feet. Everything she'd believed about hers...

Joy Is An Inside Job Leigh Lincoln

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How much are you enjoying life? The more deeply we can see that joy  is an inside job the more we can enjoy life. Listen in as we dive into accepting...

Want to be in our new book for adoptive parents?

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want to be in  our new book for adoptive parents? Listen in as fellow adoptee and friend Jude interviews me about the book. I'm gathering wisdom fro...