NEW: Hybrid options available - join on Zoom or join us in person in Seal Beach, CA!

Adoption impacts every part of our lives. Healing Quest offers a space to honor that complexity. This one-day interactive event invites adoptees, birth/first parents, adoptive parents, and allies to explore healing in a supportive, community-centered environment. Led by professionals with lived experience, this event is designed to help you reconnect, find empowerment, and take meaningful steps forward.

Join Unraveling Adoption's Beth Syverson and 9 other practitioners from the Healing the Adoption Constellation Database in this daylong Healing Quest in Southern California.

What to Expect:

This day will be packed with healing opportunities, transformative practices, and meaningful interactions. Expect to be guided through practices such as Somatic Experiencing, Adoptee-Centered Yoga, Guided Writing Exercises, Art Therapy, and more. Active healing will be the focus—not just learning or listening to presentations.

You’ll have the opportunity to sign up for individual sessions with practitioners throughout the day, allowing you to connect with someone who understands you and could potentially support your ongoing journey.

Healing happens when we engage with others—and when we learn from those who’ve walked the path. The practitioners from Healing the Adoption Constellation Database are here to listen, support, and guide you through personalized, healing sessions. You’ll also have time to connect with others who share your journey, helping create a community of healing.

Meet your presenters:

🌊 Meet Alexis Kimball

Alexis is a transracial adoptee, licensed mental health counselor, and Reiki-certified healer. With deep expertise in EMDR and holistic approaches, she guides adoptees toward self-love and identity reclamation.

💬 "Healing begins when we embrace every part of our story."

🌟 Meet Kelsay Elizabeth Myers

Kelsay is a transformative coach and embodied expressive arts practitioner with a passion for helping others heal through creative exploration. Her unique approach blends mindfulness, intuitive movement, and self-reflective practices like drawing, freeform dance, and performance rituals.

💬 "For bold hearts on the road to transformation, embodiment, and self-expression."

🌟 Meet Amy Barker

Amy is an adoptee, birth mother, and licensed mental health counselor who brings deep adoption competency to her work. With extensive experience in counseling, coaching, and consulting, she provides compassionate support tailored to the unique challenges of the adoption constellation.

💬 "Healing begins when we acknowledge the complexities of our stories."

🌿 Meet Lian Norris

Lian is an adoptee, yoga instructor, and occupational therapist with expertise in sensory-enhanced, trauma-informed yoga. She specializes in supporting individuals with neurological conditions, blending therapeutic yoga techniques with mindfulness and alignment-based practices.

💬 "Healing happens when we ground ourselves in the body and breathe into the present moment."

🔍Meet Dr. Brett Furst

Dr. Brett Furst is an adoptee and seasoned therapist dedicated to helping individuals uncover their authentic selves by exploring the powerful question: “Who am I not?” With advanced degrees in Child and Adolescent Development, Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Doctorate in Couples and Family Therapy, Dr. Furst employs EMDR and other trauma-informed methods to help clients break free from external expectations and reconnect with their true identity.

💬 "Authenticity emerges when we separate the noise from our truth."

🌿 Meet Laurie James

Laurie is an adoptee, somatic relationship coach, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. With a background in trauma healing, she combines her expertise in somatic therapy and coaching to help women reconnect with their bodies and nervous systems.

💬 "Healing begins when we listen to the wisdom of our bodies and release what no longer serves us."

🧠 Meet Lesli Johnson

Lesli is an adoptee, licensed therapist, and coach specializing in trauma, adoption, and neurobiology. With her expertise in EMDR, Brainspotting, Ketamine assisted therapy, and mindfulness, she helps clients rewire their brains for resilience and joy.

💬 "The brain holds the key to unlocking your potential. It’s time to rewire and heal."

🌲 Meet Maria Trimble

Maria is an adoptee and licensed therapist specializing in adoption-related trauma. With expertise in EMDR and extensive training in adoption competency, she helps individuals and families navigate the healing process.

💬 "Healing starts when we embrace our story, process the pain, and move toward peace."

🌿 Meet Melissa Brunetti

Melissa is an adoptee, Somatic Mindful Guided Imagery® practitioner, and trauma healing expert. She helps individuals heal from trauma by tapping into their innate ability to heal through personalized sessions that blend hypnosis, guided imagery, and somatic techniques.

💬 "True healing begins when we reconnect to our inner resources and discover our ability to heal from within."

🌟 Meet Beth Syverson

Beth is an adoptive mom, certified coach, and the creator and host of the Unraveling Adoption podcast. She adopted her son Joey at 7.5 months from Japan, and through their journey, she has come to realize that his relinquishment trauma is a core issue behind his struggles with substance use.

💬 "True healing begins when we, as parents, do the work ourselves to better understand and support our children."

🌟 Can’t join us for the whole day? 🌟
Or maybe you’re part of the adoption community but too far from SoCal to attend in person?

🎬 Don't miss this exclusive event—open to both in-person and virtual attendees! Join us for the evening screening of @GhostKingdom, followed by a live Q&A with the film’s creator, Brian Stanton, and adoptee advocate Beth Syverson.

Why This Film Matters:
@GhostKingdom delves into the heart of the adoption journey. It captures the complexities of reconciling love for adoptive families with the deep desire to understand biological roots. This emotional and inspiring film reminds us of the strength it takes to seek out one’s truth and the healing that comes from sharing our stories.

Whether you’re tuning in from afar or joining us in person, this evening will leave you feeling connected and inspired.

Adoption Healing Quest: An Interactive Event for the Adoption Community