Education

Adoptees Can Build Identity Anchors That Calm Fear (with Dr. Kayte Susse)

0:00

Advertising will end in

Skip ad

Dr. Kayte Susse was eleven months old when her adoption began, and she remembers none of it. Decades later, that early loss was still shaping how she formed close bonds and handled fear. So she set out to understand it, and to build steadier ground.

On this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions, sits down with Dr. Kayte Susse, D.C., an adoptee and the author of Beyond Beauty. Many guests on this show share what happened. Kayte adds the why. She explains, in plain language, how a steady sense of who you are, built from a name, a home, a family, and a set of values, can help calm fear.

Identity anchors help calm fear. Kayte describes how a clear sense of home, family, name, and values can give the calming part of the brain something to build on. She also describes how frequent moves and several name changes left her without those anchors. Donna repeats the idea back in plain language so it is easy to follow.

A book that brought two mothers closer. Writing her story meant asking both of her mothers for help. Kayte says both resisted at first, and both eventually worked with her. Today she describes feeling closer to her birth parent and having a much better relationship with her adoptive mother.

Awareness comes first. Kayte explains that patterns formed before memory can be hard to change until a person can see them. She also stresses that real change has to come from the person making it, and that support such as therapy works best when someone is ready.

Every guest on this show sits in a different seat at the same table. Kayte's seat shows what rebuilding can look like when someone studies what shaped her and chooses her next steps on purpose. Every story shows a different piece of adoption.

Ready to picture where you fit in the adoption triad? Start with our free guide.

Kayte's story is a reminder that steady ground can be built, one choice at a time. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word.

Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption

• Website: https://voicesofadoption.org

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voicesofadoptionshow

• Twitter/X: https://x.com/voices_adoption

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicesof_adoption/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577208399818

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@voices_of_adoption

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voices-of-adoption/

Follow Donna Pope, Host, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba

• Heart to Heart Adoptions: https://hearttoheartadopt.com

Follow Nathan Gwilliam, Co-Host, Founder of Adoption.com