Paul Sunderland is a renowned addiction specialist and psychotherapist. With over 35 years of experience, Paul's groundbreaking work has illuminated the deep and often-overlooked links between adoption, trauma, and addiction. His powerful presentations, shared widely by the adoption community, have resonated with thousands around the world. In this episode, we explore the lifelong impact of early maternal separation, how adoption shapes identity and mental health, and why adopted people may face a heightened vulnerability to addiction. Whether you're an adopted person, a parent of loss, an adoptive parent, or a professional working in the therapeutic or community services space, Paul's wisdom offers invaluable understanding and hope.

This episode will resonate with adopted adults, parents who lost children to adoption, siblings, adoptive parents, practitioners, and anyone seeking a deeper, more honest understanding of the lifelong impacts of adoption.

🎧 If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more honest discussions about adoption, identity and the lived experience of adopted adults, mothers and fathers who lost children to adoption and therapists, researchers and policy makers in this space.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to ⁠http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/podcast⁠

To be considered for interview on the podcast, fill in the prospective guest form you'll find on the podcast page of the website.

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (⁠www.jigsawqueensland.com⁠)

Connect with us Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

If you are looking for support and reside in Queensland, Australia, you can reach Jigsaw Queensland's Forced Adoption Support Service on toll-free 1800 21 03 13, or you can call Jigsaw on 07 3358 6666. If you live in another state of Australia, you can still call the Forced Adoption Support Service in the state that you're calling from. In every other state of Australia, Relationships Australia operates this service.

A big thank you to Matt Sparrow for composing and recording our original theme music.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.

Titles

Understanding Adoption and Addiction

The Intersection of Trauma and Addiction

Chapters

00:00 Meet Paul Sunderland: Addiction Specialist

01:25 Exploring Adoption, Trauma, and Addiction

07:24 The Impact of Adoption on Mental Health

11:10 Understanding PTSD and Complex PTSD

14:26 The Primal Wound and Addiction Vulnerability

18:01 Coping Mechanisms and Self-Soothing Patterns

23:10 The Role of Shame in Adoption Experiences

26:16 Types of Addiction Beyond Substance Abuse

32:05 Understanding Codependency in Adoption

39:19 Identity and Emotional Regulation Challenges

43:39 The Importance of Psychoeducation

47:49 Effective Therapy for Adopted Individuals

53:53 Self-Help Strategies for Adopted People

58:49 Supporting Adopted Individuals: The Role of Families

01:01:10 Professional Support for Adopted People

01:02:55 Final Thoughts on Recovery and Healing

In this episode of Adopt Perspective, Jo Sparrow speaks with Phil Kenwood, a father who shares his deeply personal story of losing a daughter to forced adoption in 1970. The conversation explores the emotional impact of adoption on fathers, the stigma surrounding men's mental health, and the importance of support groups. Phil discusses his journey of healing, the challenges of reconnecting with his daughter after many years, and the need for men to share their stories and seek help. The episode highlights the often unheard voices of fathers in the adoption narrative and emphasises the significance of empathy and support in the healing process.

This episode will resonate with adopted adults, parents who lost children to adoption, siblings, adoptive parents, practitioners, and anyone seeking a deeper, more honest understanding of the lifelong impacts of adoption.

Takeaways

• Jigsaw Queensland has launched a men's support group for those affected by forced adoption.
• Phil Kenwood emphasizes the stigma that prevents many fathers from sharing their experiences.
• The coercive nature of the adoption process in the past left lasting emotional scars.
• Phil's experience illustrates the profound impact of losing a child to adoption.
• The reunion with his daughter brought both joy and emotional turmoil for Phil.
• Phil's journey highlights the importance of mental health support for fathers.
• Yoga and therapy have been crucial in Phil's healing process.
• The need for men to openly discuss their grief and experiences is vital.
• Phil believes that just one supportive person could have changed many adoption outcomes.
• The episode aims to raise awareness about the emotional struggles faced by fathers in adoption.

• 
  

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Men's Mental Health and Support Groups

02:03 Phil Kenwood's Journey: A Father's Perspective on Adoption

10:35 The Impact of Forced Adoption on Lives

18:07 Reunion and Its Emotional Toll

21:13 Healing and Support: Finding Peace

27:46 The Unheard Stories of Fathers in Adoption

"If just one person had been supportive..."

"I suffered from anxiety for years."

"Men need to talk and not hold onto grief."

🎧 If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more honest discussions about adoption, identity and the lived experience of adopted adults, mothers and fathers who lost children to adoption and therapists, researchers and policy makers in this space.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to ⁠http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/podcast⁠

To be considered for interview on the podcast, fill in the prospective guest form you'll find on the podcast page of the website.

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (⁠www.jigsawqueensland.com⁠)

Connect with us Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

If you are looking for support and reside in Queensland, Australia, you can reach Jigsaw Queensland's Forced Adoption Support Service on toll-free 1800 21 03 13, or you can call Jigsaw on 07 3358 6666. If you live in another state of Australia, you can still call the Forced Adoption Support Service in the state that you're calling from. In every other state of Australia, Relationships Australia operates this service.

A big thank you to Matt Sparrow for composing and recording our original theme music.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.

In this episode, Jo Sparrow speaks with Tracy Graham, an adopted adult who shares her lived experience of adoption trauma, identity and reunion across the lifespan. Tracy reflects on growing up in her adoptive family, the silence and emotional harm she experienced, and how adoption loss shaped her sense of self. The conversation explores adoption identity, motherhood, and the emotional labour often carried by adopted adults, as well as the realities of adoption reunion. Tracy’s story highlights the power of truth-telling, reconnection, and the role of narrative in healing and meaning-making.

00:00 Tracy's Early Life and Adoption Experience

08:16 The Impact of Adoption on Identity

16:34 Moving to Australia: A New Beginning

18:34 Navigating Motherhood and Family Expectations

22:03 The Search for Biological Family

33:57 Discovering the Truth About Her Origins

36:10 The Impact of Early Separation

37:52 Navigating Relationships with Biological Family

40:15 Understanding Silence and Emotional Barriers

42:52 The Risk of Asking About the Past

45:22 Serendipity in Family Connections

49:53 Building Relationships with Siblings

52:34 The Complexity of Family Dynamics

58:30 Releasing Emotional Burdens

01:02:27 Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations

This episode will resonate with adopted adults, parents who lost children to adoption, siblings, adoptive parents, practitioners, and anyone seeking a deeper, more honest understanding of the lifelong impacts of adoption.

🎧 If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more honest discussions about adoption, identity and the lived experience of adopted adults, mothers and fathers who lost children to adoption and therapists, researchers and policy makers in this space.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to ⁠http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/podcast⁠

To be considered for interview on the podcast, fill in the prospective guest form you'll find on the podcast page of the website.

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (⁠www.jigsawqueensland.com⁠)

Connect with us Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

If you are looking for support and reside in Queensland, Australia, you can reach Jigsaw Queensland's Forced Adoption Support Service on toll-free 1800 21 03 13, or you can call Jigsaw on 07 3358 6666. If you live in another state of Australia, you can still call the Forced Adoption Support Service in the state that you're calling from. In every other state of Australia, Relationships Australia operates this service.

A big thank you to Matt Sparrow for composing and recording our original theme music.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.