Empowered to Connect Podcast

Our guests today have been caring for parents for years through their organization called "The Adoption Connection". Lisa Qualls and Melissa Corkum together represent all sides of the adoption triad and join us today to talk about what happens when our compassion runs low. Lisa, Melissa, Tona and JD talk about compassion fatigue, blocked care and share their own experiences in both.  Lisa and Melissa have a ton of amazing resources on their website that you should check out here. You can also follow them on social media @onethankfulmom and @melissacorkum_ and you can follow the adoption connection @postadoptionresources. Listen to their podcast, The Adoption Connection, here.  To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...

We talk about the effects of trauma a lot on the ETC Podcast - in fact - it's woven into almost everything we talk about at Empowered to Connect. One question, though: what IS trauma? How and why does it infiltrate humanity the way it does? We brought Becca McKay and Tona Ottinger on the show today to discuss that very thing and you're going to love this episode. An introduction to trauma and all that goes with it, today on the ETC Podcast. We also recently launched our monthly donor program at Empowered to Connect - listen to the intro to the show to hear all about it and head over to our donate page to become a monthly donor and score our super soft new ETC Tee for your monthly gift of $20 or more!   To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...

Our guest today has lived a life that is nothing short of miraculous.Tori Hope Petersen grew up in the foster care system, a bi-racial child in a confusing and volatile world. Growing up with a mentally ill mother and living in twelve different foster homes, nothing was in her favor. And yet, even with a minuscule chance of graduating college and a great risk of being homeless, jobless, and on drugs, Tori overcame every negative stereotype and assumption that attacked her identity.  Tori joins us today to talk about everything from her story, how she learned to navigate the foster care system and how now, as an adult, she's trying to open all the doors she can that were closed to her as she grew up. Her new book, 'Fostered: One Woman's Powerful Story of Finding Faith and Family Through Foster Care' releases August 30th and we could not be more excited to read it. Listen to the end of the episode to hear how you can win a pre-order of Tori's book and be sure you're following her and her initiatives on social media: - @torihopepetersen on Instagram- @fthefile on Instagram- @belovedinitiative on Instagram- Pre-Order her book here- Learn more about Tori and book her to speak at your next event here  To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...

Today two of our favorite people on earth join us - ETC parent trainers Tom and Dawn Jordi from Johannesburg, South Africa! They join us to talk about Tom's work in schools as a trauma informed school counselor and Dawn's homeschooling of their 4 kiddos during Covid, their journey into connected parenting and how the strategies and tools they learned in ETC classes and TBRI training over the years have helped them to build up and support the adoptive community in Johannesburg. They also tell us about unique opportunities that  emerged during the pandemic as their ETC Parent Classes began expanding not just throughout South Africa, but throughout Africa and as far out as Hawaii and the Philippines! They're two of the most enjoyable people you'll ever talk to, follow their podcast here, Tom's work as a Trauma Practitioner here and their community work in adoption here ! To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...

When it comes to parenting (and being in any kind of human relationship) - one of the most insanely humbling and difficult practices is repairing a rupture in the relationship. Maybe you've wronged the other person - maybe you were the one wronged - either way, the process of repairing often requires more than an 'I'm sorry'. Compound this difficulty with previous experiences with trauma, adversity and stress and you've got yourself a recipe for...well...being a human in this world. It's difficult. It's complicated. It's absolutely essential if you want to build or maintain a trusting, real relationship in this world.  That's why we brought ETC training specialist Jesse Faris and co-writer of Cultivate Connection Becca McKay in to talk about how we repair relational ruptures with our kids and each other. There are some invaluable practical stories of how this plays out as well as a road map for a process to begin those repairs.  To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...

Today we talk about the importance of giving our kids voice. For all humans, knowing how to negotiate to get needs met, to express to others what we need and when is a VITAL skill for survival as a human being. That is a learned skill - one that takes time, nurture and lots of practice with a trusted adult. For those of us and those of our kids who have experienced trauma, adversity and toxic stress at a young age, it can be insanely challenging and today Stela Sinanaj and Tona Ottinger join us to explain why that is and walk through exactly how to do this with our kids. To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram! ...