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Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with Nadia Nauss. If you listened to the first half, you’ll know how beautifully Nadia speaks about the body, safety, and the slow work of coming home to yourself. In this second part, we go even deeper. We explore the younger parts inside us, the ones who learned to adapt, perform, or disappear to stay connected. We talk about boundaries, intimacy, emotional release, and what it means to build relationships that feel safe enough for authenticity. For adoptees and people with foster‑care backgrounds, these themes land in such a tender place. So many of us carry early patterns that still shape how we show up in our adult relationships, our bodies, and our sense of self. Nadia brings a softness to all of this, a way of speaking about healing that feels spacious, grounded, and deeply human. So let’s drop back in, and pick up where we left off. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Australian Adoption Podcast with Nadia Levett. I’m really glad you’re listening to this episode today.  I met today’s guest, Nadia Nauss, on a retreat last year.  We didn’t actually get to talk much about her work at the time - which is partly why I’ve been so curious to bring her onto the podcast. Because even without knowing the details, I had this sense that what she does sits right in the centre of so many conversations we have here: trauma, the body, safety, connection, and the long, slow work of coming home to yourself. Nadia is an adoptee and a trauma‑informed coach and embodiment practitioner. She works with the nervous system, somatic awareness, relational safety — all the things that feel deeply relevant for adoptees or foster‑care experiences, those who carry early attachment wounds, preverbal trauma and for carers and adoptive parents wanting to know that this type of work exists as a healing option for their loved ones growing into adulthood.  So today’s interview is a Q&A style and is spread over 2 episodes ranging from wanting to understand more about her approach, and how it might support people who’ve spent a lifetime navigating disconnection, hyper‑vigilance, or feeling slightly out of sync with themselves. So I’m really looking forward to tune into this conversation, just bearing in mind that there was a fan on during this interview so there will be a blowing noise every few seconds that we couldn’t filter out.  So sorry about that! Alright So lets go. :) 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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Part Two of my conversation with Ali. In this half of her story, we move into the years where everything became bigger — love, marriage, motherhood, heartbreak, and the deep spiritual work that eventually changed the course of her life. Ali met the love of her life at eighteen. They married young, built a family, and raised three beautiful daughters together. But beneath the surface, both of them were carrying wounds from their own childhoods — wounds that shaped their relationship in ways neither of them fully understood at the time. Between financial stress, unhealed trauma, and the chaos of raising three kids, life became heavy. And when betrayal entered the marriage, the ripple effects touched every part of their family. Her daughters felt it too — each of them navigating the fallout in their own way. This part of Ali’s story is about the moment she stopped looking outward for answers and began going inward. It’s about abandonment wounds rising to the surface, spiritual awakening, synchronicities, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild your life from the inside out. It’s also where her adoption story opens up again — reunions with her birth mother and father, complicated relationships, new siblings, and the emotional truth of what it means to belong to more than one family. Let’s step back into Ali’s journey. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Today, I’m sitting down with someone whose story is layered, confronting, courageous, and deeply human. Alison was adopted in 1965, just two weeks old, into a family that would grow to include three more adopted children. From the outside, it looked like a home built on love and opportunity. But inside those walls, Ali lived through things no child should ever have to carry — fear, silence, confusion, and trauma that shaped every part of her early life. In this first part of our conversation, Ali takes us back to her beginnings: the moment she realised her family looked different to others, the questions that started forming in her mind as a little girl, and the home life that was anything but safe. She speaks about her mum’s warmth, her dad’s volatility, and the heartbreaking experiences she endured at the hands of someone who should have protected her. We also explore the ripple effects of adoption on her siblings — the mental health struggles, the lack of medical history, the behaviours no one understood at the time — and how all of them were left to navigate trauma without the support they desperately needed. This first half of Ali’s story is about survival. It’s about a little girl trying to make sense of a world that didn’t make sense. And it’s about the beginnings of patterns that would follow her into adulthood — patterns she wouldn’t fully understand until much later. Part One ends at a turning point: the breakdown of her marriage, and the moment she walked into a counsellor’s office thinking she was there to talk about her relationship… only to realise she was finally ready to unpack her entire childhood. This is Ali’s story — raw, brave, and told with extraordinary honesty. Let’s begin. 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!

Send us Fan Mail In this second part of my conversation with Jo, we begin with the moment she met her birth father; a man who had known about her existence but didn’t surface until an argument broke out between them twelve years later. Jo shares the complexity of that reunion, the emotions it stirred, and how it shaped her understanding of belonging. We also talk about the struggles she faced after the birth of her first child, what led her to seek support from Jigsaw Queensland, and how that experience became a turning point. From there, Jo reflects on her professional journey, her role in advocacy, education, and the adoption space today, and why she continues to amplify adoptee voices through her work. Jo’s story reminds us that adoption is never a single moment, it’s a lifelong journey of reunion, identity, and healing. Her honesty about the challenges of meeting her birth father, navigating motherhood, and finding support through Jigsaw Queensland shows the resilience it takes to carry and transform that “bag of sad.” Now, as President of Jigsaw Queensland and host of the Adopt Perspective podcast, Jo is using her lived experience to create change, connection, and understanding for others. Jo, thank you for trusting me with your story and for the work you continue to do in this space. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone, welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth. In this two-part episode, I’m chatting with Jo - an adoptee, advocate, and the voice behind the Adopt Perspective podcast. Jo was born in 1971, right in the middle of Australia’s closed adoption era, and her story is one of deep reflection, resilience, and truth-telling. In Part 1, we talk about Jo’s early years - being chosen from a hospital nursery, growing up on a grain farm, and navigating a complex relationship with her adoptive family. She opens up about the emotional impact of being “un-mothered,” the silence around her origins, and how grief showed up in her body long before she had words for it. Jo’s honesty is powerful, and her story speaks to so many of us who’ve felt that ache of not quite belonging.  Let’s dive in. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Hey Listeners! In this episode, I sit down with Dana Hargus - licensed professional counsellor, founder of Restore of Ada, and passionate advocate for trauma-informed healing. Dana shares how her journey as a mother to an adopted son led her into the world of biofeedback, attachment theory, and frequency-based care. With over 25 years of experience, she’s built a healing model that blends science, compassion, and practical tools for families navigating trauma, adoption, and regulation. From PEMF devices, tapping to TBRI and online support, Dana’s Restore Method offers a pathway to calm; one frequency at a time. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need it. Until next time, take care and keep creating space for healing. To learn more about Dana’s programs, including Restore of Ada and her online platform Restore+, visit https://restoreofada.com/about-restore  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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore the stories that shape us; stories of identity, resilience, and the courage it takes to search your truth. Today’s guest is someone many of you will recognise, not just from the hugely popular Toni and Ryan Podcast, but from a more personal journey that’s touched hearts across Australia and beyond. Ryan Jon is a storyteller, a broadcaster, a podcaster, a husband and father and an adoptee. In 2017, he shared a heartfelt video on Mother’s Day: a message to the birth mother he’d never met, filled with gratitude, hope, and love. In November 2024, that search came to an end; not in the way Ryan expected, but in a way that brought heartbreak, grief but also a sense of healing. In this episode, Ryan reflects on the moment he found out that his birth mother, Julie, had passed, and the unexpected reunion with her family that followed. He also talks about discovering his birth father through a DNA test, connecting instantly through humour, quick wit and similar career paths and interests with him and his half brothers, and how becoming a dad to Mabel has shifted things he thought he knew about love, sacrifice, and appreciating the present moment. This was a conversation about curiosity, connection, and the quiet power of finding peace in a journey of identity that had an unexpected finality to it.  This was a warm, honest, and full of heart conversation. Here’s my chat with Ryan Jon. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re sitting down with Michelle- a mum, a midwife, a nurse, and someone who has walked the winding path of adoption and healing.  Adopted at six weeks old, Michelle grew up in southern Sydney with her brothers and a whole lot of freedom, never really thinking adoption was a big part of her story. But like many of us, life has a way of inviting us deeper. In her forties, Michelle started to ask new questions, about identity, belonging, and the layers we carry without realising. Her story takes us through heartache, discovery, nature, breathwork, and a whole lot of inner work. She’s now raising her four kids in a home she built herself on a mountain near Wollongong; living a life filled with joy, reflection, and purpose. Michelle’s story is one that stays with you, a gentle reminder that sometimes, what we think is no big deal turns out to be a doorway to deeper truth. Through all the shifts and reckonings, she’s found her way back to joy, to self-love, and to a quieter kind of knowing. We’re so grateful she brought her voice, her warmth, and her honesty to this conversation. Lets Dive In! 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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth, a space for the stories that live beneath the surface. In this trailer, host Nadia Levett shares the origins of the podcast and in Episode 1 she shares her personal journey from foster care to adoption, shaped by both love and complexity. But this series is about more than one story; it’s about many.  With compassion and curiosity, Nadia brings forward voices from across Australia and internationally: adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, foster carers, and changemakers who shed light on the lived realities of adoption, identity, and connection. Whether raw, redemptive or quietly profound, these stories reveal truths that have remained under the radar for too long. This podcast invites listeners to understand, feel, and walk alongside the journeys that deserve to be heard. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Hey Everyone, and welcome to this special bonus ep of The Australian Adoption Podcast. This one’s a bit different - I’m flipping the mic and sharing an interview I did with Jo Sparrow on Adopt Perspective. We get into all of it - early care, family, reunion, identity, and what healing really looks like over time.  Jo asks the kind of questions that get under the surface, and I reckon this chat might hit home if you’ve ever wondered where you fit, or how to make sense of a story that doesn’t follow a neat line.  Let’s get into it. 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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 4 of The Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host Nadia Levett, where truth is reclaimed, stories are given a voice, and silence is broken.  Today, we are privileged to hear from Shane Bouel, a man whose life was shaped by adoption—not as an act of love, but as a theft of identity. In his own words, he recounts the journey of a life unwoven and stitched together again, through pain, reunion, and ultimately, sovereignty. Through his recorded poetic piece, Shane invites us deeper —into the fractured circle of belonging, into the fire that has shaped his reclamation, and into the unbreakable spirit that refuses to be defined by loss. This is not just his story—it is a call to witness, to listen, and to understand what it truly means to reclaim one's name and place in the world. Listen as we step into "the untold, the unspoken, and the undeniable." 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!

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 3 of the Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host, Nadia Levett. In today’s episode I’m joined by the inspiring Emily Hikaiti. Emily is an Australian-born Māori woman with a powerful story and a deep commitment to youth advocacy. Drawing from her lived experience in Australia’s out-of-home care system, Emily has become a passionate voice for change, working both nationally and internationally to shape policies and improve outcomes for young people in care. From becoming a mother in high school to representing youth voices at the highest levels—as a director with International Foster Carers Organisation, a board member with CREATE Foundation, brand ambassador and changemaker with Adopt Change—Emily’s impact is extraordinary. Join us for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation as we explore Emily’s journey, the challenges within the care system, and the vital work being done to create a brighter future for young people. A special thank you to Emily Hikaiti for sharing her journey, her insights, and the incredible work she’s doing to elevate youth voices in care, I will be continuing to follow Emily and will keep you all updated with the release of her upcoming documentary which is due to come out this August.  If you found this conversation meaningful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who might benefit. For more episodes and updates, follow us on your favorite podcast platform and connect with us on social media. Until next time, I’m Nadia Levett—take care, and thank you for being part of this important conversation. 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!

Send us Fan Mail "Welcome to the Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore stories that inspire, challenge, and broaden our perspectives.  In this episode, we're honoured to introduce Peter, an 81-year-old adoptee from New Zealand and brother of Jan Peart, who shared her journey in Episode 16. Peter’s story is one of love, resilience, and the transformative power of family. As both an adoptee and an adoptive parent of two, alongside two biological children, Peter’s unique experiences shine a light on the beauty of unconditional love and its ability to shape lives.  From his childhood surrounded by an embracing "Whanau" to becoming a counsellor in his 60s, Peter’s wisdom will leave you reflecting on the essence of love, kindness, and the bonds that make us who we are.  Through his life as an adoptee, adoptive parent, and therapist, he’s shown us that genes don't define us—it's the nurturing we receive and the values we pass down that truly matter.  Peter’s lessons will linger with us: love creates joy and peace, kindness enriches generations, and discipline, rooted in care, helps us grow.  Let's dive into his remarkable journey. Thank you for joining us on this inspiring journey. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and join us next time on The Australian Adoption Podcast, where every story has the power to transform." 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!

Send us Fan Mail Hi listeners, today I am speaking with Barton.   A former Surf Life Saver, Australian barefoot water ski champion and an educator, Barton is also a published writer, an actor in film, tv, and theatre. He is also a Vietnamese war adoptee.  In April 1975, President Ford initiated the largest-ever humanitarian child evacuation. Thousands of babies were "lifted" from war-torn Vietnam to Western countries to begin a new life.  Barton C Williams (aka Huynh van Cuong) was one of these children. He was adopted and raised in Adelaide.  'FRAGILE' began as a children’s book, written by Barton in 2018, called 'But What Are You?'. In 2020, Barton wrote 'Precious Cargo', a play presented as a staged reading at Rumahfest and at The London Vaults Festival with Mohamad Faizal Abdullah. In 2022, Barton co-developed 'Precious Cargo' with Scottish theatre company “Sruth Mara” into a solo show which premiered at An Lanntair Theatre (Isle of Lewis), and then at Summerhall in the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.     And now, the story is coming home, to Australia!  Barton will be performing at the Adelaide Fringe festival in a new version of his adoption story called; “FRAGILE, Handle with care” starting February 22nd. A multi-facet production covering themes of the Vietnam war, Adoption, displacement, resilience and paying homage to Australia and the US.   Fifty years on, many are still searching for their biological parents. After his performance in Adelaide Barton will return to Chicago for two weeks before heading off to help fundraise for a charity ride in Vietnam, raising money and awareness to mothers who lost children during the Vietnam war; If you would like to know more about the Adelaide fringe festival head to – https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/fragile-handle-with-care-af2025 If you would like to know more about the Vietnam family search charity bike ride check out - https://vietnamfamilysearch.com/about-2/  If you wish to reach out to Barton directly, he can be found on all social media platforms.   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!