Show notes
Chad & Holly Cooke talk about their professional and personal experience with adoption. Holly has a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling, and Chad has his doctorate in counseling and is a licensed professional counselor in North Carolina. The Cookes adopted their first son from Ethiopia, had two biological sons, and are currently in the process of a domestic adoption. The Cookes share about the impact of adoption on the family. Time stamps: 1:00 - Meet Chad & Holly Cooke 2:30 - The Cookes share their motivation behind pursuing adoption 4:18 - How do I get started with the adoption process? 7:58 - What were some of the challenges you faced in the adoption process (prior to bringing you son home)? 10:15 - How were you challenged in your faith during this process? 11:30 - What challenges did you experience as a mom and dad after you brought your son home? 13:28 - What suggestions do you have for someone who wants to adopt transracially but is apprehensive? 15:10 - The impact of adoption on the child who comes home 21:45 - How to combat the mentality of “We are rescuing this child.” 24:36 - How do you handle the dynamics of having two biological sons and one adopted son of a different ethnicity? How have your sons handled this dynamic? 27:27 - At what point did you share with you son that he was adopted? 28:59 - How have each of you grown spiritually after bringing your son home? 32:17 - What advice would you give to someone who is considering adoption? Recommended Resources from Chad & Holly: The Whole-Brain Child by Dr. Dan Siegel & Dr. Tina Payne Bryson The Connected Child by Karen Purvis Adopted for Life by Russell Moore The Empowered Parent Podcast The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing Trauma by Bessel van derk Kolk M.D.