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Sharing stories and experiences of Australians who have been through Adoption and Foster Care. The stories are sometimes complex and tackle difficult issues which span over 50 plus years. From children that have been in an under resourced system to Australia's traumatic history of forced adoptions and the stolen generations. But through this darkness comes light - there are also stories of hope, courage resilience and love. My Unknown Truth is hosted by Nadia Levett, born and raised in Austr ...
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Today I will be speaking to an international adoptee from Chicago, Julie who is also a author–memoirist, essayist, and columnist– who writes about finding out who you are, where you come from, and making sense of it. At 48, julie was sent for a breast biopsy. This incident highlighted what closed adoption prevented her from knowing: her birth circu…
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Today’s guest, Lisa was born in England in 1970 and was adopted at six weeks of age into a family who had already adopted a son. Lisa’s family moved to Australia when she was two years old and the family grew to include a biological daughter. Lisa’s story of reunion spans decades, two continents and is a testament to her determination, resilience a…
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Jo is a late discovery adoptee who discovered at the age of 46 that everything that she had known to be true about her identity and family was no longer, it was like a sudden and tragic death. The information that blew her world apart was a diary kept by her recently deceased maternal grandmother “Nanny” that spanned the years 1960-1965. Jo immedia…
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When Brendan was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he found out the identity of his birth mother – but she wanted nothing to do with him. For thirty years there was only limited communication with his birth mother, and he knew nothing about his birth father. It wasn’t until 2018, a DNA test led him to the t…
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Jo is an adopted person, born in Adelaide in 1969. She lives with her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Creativity has been a constant in her life and she worked in advertising, marketing and design for many years, but is now quietly forging a new path as a yoga teacher after feeling its transformative effects in her own life. I first met Jo at …
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Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life. Rowan attributes his successes in business and sport to the fundamental values that were given to him by his adopted mother …
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Hi everyone, Today I will be speaking with Toni Moon. Toni Moon is a bird nerd, word nerd and adopted person breaking out of the fog. She is a journalist who writes about her own adoption journey amongst other things. Her personal writing reflects a desire for self determination as she uncovers her own past and builds the road ahead for her and her…
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Hi everyone, today I am talking with Layne Beachley. Layne is regarded as one of the world’s most successful athletes. She spent 19 years on the surfing pro tour. Won 7 world titles and is the only surfer in history, to win 6 consecutive world titles. 5 however were won in a state of fear. The other 2 that bookends her career were in a state of lov…
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Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah. Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jonah felt disconnected from his Papua New Guinea heritage and culture. In 2020, at the age of 22, Jonah embarked on…
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Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience of grief built up her strength and resilience, which she has carried with her throughout her life. Tammy le…
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Hey everyone, Today I am speaking with Monique from the Sunshine Coast. I had a perfect opportunity on my travel around Australia and in January this year I visited her in her home. We comfortably sat on the floor of her upstairs office surround by a large sand tray full of sand, water and figurines. Not long after getting set up did I then notice …
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In this episode I speak with Karin. Karin is a mother to two boys adopted from the Philippines and President of the Adoptive, Kinship and Fostering Families Association of the ACT known as AKKFFA. Karin believes it is important to find your community of people when it comes to adoption, fostering and kinship care. Karin was previously a Member of t…
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Hey everyone, I am excited to be sharing with you all today an interview I did recently with another fellow adoptee. This is my first international interview from our neighbouring country New Zealand. I will be speaking with Jan, Jan is a 69 Yr old wife, mother and step mother. So she has 6 children and 11 grandchildren and lives in a quiet seaside…
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In this episode I chat with Elizabeth. Liz is a mother to children through both adoption and foster care. Her background is in social work and training where Liz has trained and assessed foster carers in preparation for children joining their families through ACT child and Youth protection services. She has also taught and assessed students when st…
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In this episode I speak with Sandra. Sandra is a baby boomer, born in 1949, grew up with her parents and brother and surrounded by her fathers English family in a small town. Sandra left school at age 15, became a shorthand typist and fell in love. Soon after the relationship blossomed, Sandra fell pregnant at 15 which was disapproved of by her fam…
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Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts ( Welfare Studies) and a Certificate of Somatic Psychotherapy. Margaret has worked in community justice, social welfare ,human rights advocacy, disability and health services, as a Tribunal Member on NSW and Qld disability Tribunals. During the past 10 years, Margaret continues to work as a Counsellor, Advanced Pra…
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Episode 12 - Trauma and talking with Kate
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Today I will be talking with Kate. A Gestalt and Family Constellations Psychotherapist, Shamanic Bodyworker, Yoga Teacher, Sacred Ceremony Facilitator and has an online learning academy called, The Black Cockatoo School. Gestalt is a non-pathologizing and humanistic modality that pays regard to a person in their wider field. It utilises the body in…
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Today in episode 11, I will be interviewing Marcus for a Q&A session about his role as team leader for a permanency support program in NSW. Marcus has been working in the social welfare sector for over 12 years and is currently working with the most vulnerable children in out of home care (Oohc). Lets get into it! Support the Show. Thanks for liste…
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Today I speak with Sarah, the Founder of care bags and Chair of the Care Bags - because children in care matter committee. Sarah is a mum of two and been a social worker for over 15 years. Throughout her career, She has seen first-hand the impact of children entering foster care and has always wanted to do something tangible to make this challengin…
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In this episode I sit down with Felicity Graham, a 19-year old advocate for children and carers in the foster care system in South Australia. She is an author of the book titled 'Not Held Down' that she wrote at 15, sharing her perspective and experiences of growing up in state care. Felicity sheds some light on what the foster care system is reall…
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Today I'm speaking with Dara Read, a lawyer and writer. Dara has worked as a lawyer for children and adults in NSW and the Northern Territory. She has also worked as a policy advisor to the NSW Government, including as a Senior Ministerial Advisor to the Attorney General of NSW and Minister for Family and Community Services. Dara's written a childr…
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Today you will listen to Miguels journey as an adoptive father. Born in South America he then travelled to Australia where he and his wife settled and were ready to start a family. He talks about the comprehensive process of the adoption application, first meetings and visits, the transition period and key indicators in building attachment and deve…
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Kat wrote her adoption story in 2020 and shares it with us in this episode. Born in August, 1971, her story begins from age 2 and a half in 1973. Kat incredibly accesses some of her earliest memories, recalling a series of significant events, experiences and emotions that extend into her teenage years and adult life. The world she grew up in was a …
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In todays episode I speak with Andrea who is a foster care mother to four children. She talks openly and honestly about her experiences in the foster care program over 10 years. We look closely at her story with their eldest boy that she and husband Paul have cared for since 16 months old. It is a rollercoaster of challenges and emotions and the sp…
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In todays episode we speak to Matt Young, who, with his partner Peter, adopted 2 young boys. We speak about the hurdles they faced along the way to being the first male same-sex couple in NSW to adopt their non-biological children, and to have that reflected on their children's birth certificates. Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Follow me o…
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In today's episode I speak with Alex who discovers as an adult that her mother, Julie, was adopted. It is a story of their positive experiences spanning 3 generations. Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!…
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Liz shares her story of adopting a third child into the family after having two sons naturally. Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!By Nadia Levett
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To start the series, i am putting myself in the interview seat to talk about my experience with adoption. I am interviewed by Gabriella Mascelli Mcgrail. Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!…
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Introducing My Unknown Truth - a series about adoption in Australia Support the Show. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!By Nadia Levett
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