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20 THINGS ADOPTION PODCAST with Sherrie Eldridge
Many adoptive, foster, stepmoms, and grandmothers are suffering in silence. No one in the world of adoption is giving them the tools for recovery. No one is teaching them how to handle adoptee pushback and rejection. No one is wrapping arms around them and praying when all they can do is cry.
When moms realize the unknown depth of their child’s trauma, a common reaction is self-doubt. If she doesn’t know what happened, how can she find words to help her child process it? It’s terrifying, like climbing Everest without ropes.
She's so self-doubting that she almost always concludes that she doesn't have what it takes to parent her child. Truth be known, she looks over the cliffs of depression more times than she'd care to admit.
- I’m a loser mom.
- I can’t self-regulate, let alone teach my child to do the same.
- I can’t attach with my child...and I never will have it.
- I am inept as a mom.
- I can’t even decide whether to have a peanut butter sandwich.
- I’m a mess.
- I don’t have what it takes.
- I’m a lousy mom.
- I hate myself.
- I’ll never be able to meet my child’s need for mothering.
The good news is that the dream can be reshaped, and in that painful space, God does His most sacred work by meeting us in our brokenness, holding our hearts, and gently replanting hope.
Stay tuned for upcoming podcasts and updates about my upcoming book.
Episodes
29 episodes
Praying for the Wounded Child: A Conversation with Virginia Wells
In this episode, we sit down with Virginia Wells—author, licensed social worker, and adoptive mom—to explore the intersection of faith, adoption, and healing. Virginia shares wisdom from her powerful book Praying for a Wounded Child, o...
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Speaking the Heart Language of Adopted and Foster Children
In this heartfelt episode, adoption author Sherrie Eldridge shares deeply personal insights and practical advice for adoptive and foster parents seeking to connect with their children truly. Drawing from her book 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need...
Becoming Yourself in the Middle of Motherhood with Emma Fulenwider
On this episode, we sit down with Emma Fulenwider—author, literary agent, TEDx speaker, and mother navigating the complexities of modern parenting—to explore what it truly means to belong in a world full of pressure, perfectionism, and plastic ...
When Love Isn’t Enough: Amy VanTine on Parenting Through RAD
In this deeply moving episode, Sherrie Eldridge welcomes Amy Vantine, a mother, educator, and co-founder of RAD Advocates, to share her harrowing and inspiring journey of parenting a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). From her early...
Breaking the Cycle: Tova J. Kreps on Trauma, Adoption, and Building Resilient Families
In this episode, Sherrie invites Tova J. Kreps, licensed social worker and co-founder of Wellspring Counseling, to discuss the complexities of adoption, trauma recovery, and the power of faith in navigating these challenges. Tova shares her ins...
From Fear to Love: Healing and Hope in Adoption with Brian Post
In this heartfelt and transformative episode, Sherrie Eldridge sits down with esteemed guest Brian Post, a renowned adoption and child behavior expert. Brian, an adoptee and former foster child, shares his compelling life story—from his early e...
Virginia Wells: Addressing Grief and Loss in Adoption
In this conversation, Sherrie Eldridge interviews Virginia Wells, an adoptive mom and author, about her experiences and insights. They discuss the challenges of adoptive parenting, the importance of preparation and realistic expectations, and t...
Jocelyn Williams' Adoption Journey and Attachment Theory
Jocelyn Williams, a developmental movement consultant, discusses the importance of movement-based solutions for infant and child development. She emphasizes the significance of the first year of life in building the foundation of neurology and ...
Dafna Lender, LCSW, Explains Why RAD Diagnosis Is Outdated
Dafna Lender, LCSW, is a Licensed Social Worker and Certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist. Experts such as Besssel van der Koklk applaud her work.When Sherrie Eldridge asks her about the term "Reactive Attachment Disorder," qui...
Author Keri Williams Addresses Reactive Attachment Disorder
In this episode, I talk with award-winning author and advocate, Keri Williams, about her two-decade journey as a foster and adoptive parent, highlighting the challenges of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Keri shares her personal adoption ex...
Author Karen Springs Encourages Parents Who Adopted Children Internationally
Karen Springs provides cutting-edge research about how adoptive families wit kids adopted from overseas have progressed. In her new book—THE BACKSEAT OF ADOPTION, she shares How the families she worked with in Europe are currently progres...
Adoptee Julie Ryan McGue's Search for Origins
What could be more exciting than to be an adopted person and find the family that you never knew existed?
Navigating Adoptee Birthdays
Hi, my friends. Well, we're going to visit the subject of adoptee birthdays again today. I just recently had one. I'm well into my seventh decade of life, and I look back and I realize that there are so many things that I couldn't say or explai...
Sherrie Encourages Younger Fellow-Adopted Children
Sometimes, adopted children get discouraged about numerous meltdowns and need encouragement from someone who's been there--author Sherrie Eldridge. Eldridge crafted this short message just for the children by sharing the reason for ...
Susan Tebos Shares Book for Adopted Teens
And I'm very excited about this guest that's going to be talking with me during the next segment. It is Susan Tebows, who is the author of, we've Been There, true Stories, surprising Insights, and Aha Moments for Adopted Teens. Susan is a write...
Dafna Lender LCSW, Describes Adoptee Loss
Teen and adult adoptees will be encouraged by such a gifted therapist as Dafna Lender LCSW. Dafna shares initially how her upbringing challenged her to be a voice for those that have no voice. Hearing her validation of the adoptee loss is...
Ron Nydam Ph.D. Revisits Adoption and Relinquishment
Ron Nydam, Ph.D., is a highly respected and beloved pastor, speaker, author, counselor, and teacher in the field of adoption. For the last two decades, he educated international audiences about relinquishment and adoption. These two...
Derek Clark Urges Fostered Teens to Never Give Up
Derek Clark’s life is one of resilience and redemption. As achild he suffered unthinkable child abuse, abandonment andemotional distress before being turned over to the psychiatrichospital at age five. His 13 years in the San Franci...
The Hot Potato of Adoptee Anger
Bronwen interviews Sherrie on a rare topic--adoptee anger. They discuss the two kinds of anger and emphasize the fact that anger itself is good--its a God-given emotion that warns us if something is wrong, like the red light on a dashboard.&nbs...
One Mom's Story about Adopting Internationally
Bronwen Smith, a mom who adopted from Korea, shares the real-life struggles and joys of adopting internationally. Learn how she and her husband decided to adopt, how they chose the country to adopt from, what it was like to take off in th...
The Trauma Wound of Adoptive and Foster Moms
Not only must adoptive and foster moms understand the depth of their child’s pre-adoption pain, but also their own trauma wound. “What wound?” they may say. “My child is the one with the deep wound, not me. Don’t be ridiculous.” Ado...
Adopted Kids May See Adoptive Mom As An Enemy
Sometimes, adopted kids see their adoptive moms as an enemy. Does that mean there's something wrong with them? Bad genes? Bad character? A million times, no! Adoptees have been deeply wounded, first through the loss of their first mothers, and ...
What Kind of Love Adoptees Really Need
This podcast reveals how adoption's parent/child relationships oftentimes become strained and explains that the strain is not the fault of parent nor child. Five adoptive moms give real-life examples of strain. Sherrie Eldridge reveals t...