{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"A Birth Mother's Perspective with Leslie Pate Mackinnon - Ep 75","description":"We are just switching our name from Safe Home Podcast to Unraveling Adoption, and this is the first full episode under our new name.&amp;nbsp; In this week\u2019s episode, Beth Syverson chats with Leslie Pate Mackinnon, a licensed clinical social worker and an adoption activist for the past 30 years. Leslie is a seasoned and well-respected therapist in the adoption community. She is a nationally known trainer who travels across the country training therapists, agencies and child welfare workers about the psychological issues inherent in adoption and third-party reproduction. Following four decades of successful practice in Atlanta, Leslie and her husband relocated to Asheville, NC.&amp;nbsp; Leslie comes to this work by way of being a birthmother in the 1960s, the Baby Scoop Era. She understands adoption trauma deeply, both as a lived experience and as a therapist for all members in the adoption constellation - adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents. On Safe Home Podcast, we\u2019ve had 8 episodes so far with adoptees, and 1 episode with another adoptive parent, but this is our first episode from the birth mom\u2019s perspective, which is a super-critical piece of this puzzle. =============== \ud83d\udc8c Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hVIAVX =============== RESOURCES: Leslie\u2019s information:  Website: https:\/\/lesliepatemackinnon.com\/ Facebook:  https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100063478541379 Email: lesliepatemackinnon@gmail.com  Other resource mentioned in this episode:  Paul Sunderland\u2019s speech about adoption &amp; addiction: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y3pX4C-mtiI  Other Resources:  Other Parents Like Me - &amp;nbsp;https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/other.parents.like.me Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https:\/\/heatherrosscoaching.com\/ Find a Tele-Therapist:  https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapists\/online-counseling  =============== Unraveling Adoption is produced and hosted by Beth Syverson Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao Email questions or comments to Beth@UnravelingAdoption.com Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Support Unraveling Adoption on Patreon: Patreon.com\/UnravelingAdoption www.UnravelingAdoption.com =============== TIME STAMPS: &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;2:00 All voices in adoption matter, and adoptees\u2019 voices come first&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;3:16 Positive adoption language and listening to adult adoptees &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;6:35 Birth parents\u2019 stories are often suppressed &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;8:16 Leslie\u2019s birth parent experience #1 16:08 Adoptees and birth parents both get stuck in culture\u2019s judgements about adoption 17:03 Coping with trauma with substances, the intersection between adoption and addiction 25:30 Adoptive parents talking openly with their children about their adoption 28:35 Leslie\u2019s birth parent experience #2 33:25 Birth parents\u2019 difficulties, then and now 39:00 The importance of family preservation, and Follow the Money 44:10 How Leslie &amp; Beth are dealing with their past regrets ","author_name":"Unraveling Adoption","author_url":"http:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/452856\/site","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/25530480\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/143836488"}