Join co-hosts, adoption coaches, and triad members Kim Noeth, Sally Ankerfelt and Sharon Butler Obazee, as they welcome this month's special guest, adopted person and author, Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao. A warm, delightful guest with great insight into adoption from her own personal experience as well as many years of professional practice. Dr. Pavao shares with her hosts her personal story, one that pushed her forward into advocacy for ethical adoption practices and better training for professionals to become adoption competent.

From Dr. Pavao's website: "Dr. Maguire Pavao began her adoption journey 78 years ago when she was born and placed for adoption. Growing up in the secretive atmosphere of the 1940s and 50s, she developed a relentless curiosity about her origins, which later inspired her to pursue legal avenues to uncover her birth records—an unusual success story for the era.

Transitioning from a potential medical career, Dr. Maguire Pavao chose to specialize in psychology at Harvard, focusing on adoption and foster care. She pioneered clinics that dealt exclusively with adoption-related issues, advocating for ethical practices and training professionals to be adoption-competent. Her clinics were unique for not being affiliated with adoption agencies, avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

She has also been an influential advocate for changing adoption laws, particularly concerning access to original birth certificates. Her efforts contributed to policy changes that aim to improve the transparency and ethical handling of adoption processes."

*Learn more about Dr. Maguire Pavao: https://www.pavaoconsulting.com/about

*Listen to her podcast: https://familytwistpodcast.com/joyce-maguire-pavao/

*Learn more about your hosts at www.giftfamilyservices.com