What It's Like Being an International Adoptee -- Moses Farrow

Living in Adoptionland with Bryan Elliott

Moses Farrow is the international Korean born adopted son on Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. To say Moses' adoption, childhood and adult life has been complicated is a massive understatement. Forget about what you think you know about Moses and put any tabloid style commentary aside. In his own words, Moses said, "Adoption Trauma is a shared life-changing experience, or set of experiences, for all those involved with adoption. It’s important that we recognize and acknowledge the risk factors and causes of adoption trauma that makes this a crisis we all need to take action to end. This is why I have developed the Adoption Trauma Factsheet, which is free to download at https://transformadoption.com Education is key to creating a well-informed, trauma-informed society. This starts within homes, therapy offices, schools, hospitals, and all the places adopted people and their parents need to feel safe in and receive the most support, understanding and most of all, validation of the traumas they have experienced."About Moses Farrow: "Adopted people are a marginalized group who deserve their rights. It was a difficult decision after spending my entire career in the mental health field, but I knew it was a step forward to become an Adoption Trauma Educator. I helped many children and families working in community-based, intensive programs before pivoting completely to adoption. I spent two years leading a team in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families in Connecticut for their Intensive Family Preservation and Intense Safety Planning Programs. I was presented with the opportunity to work with an adoption agency, one of the oldest in the U.S. It was a chance to make a difference for others who had also been adopted like me. During my time there, I took a position as a board member for ATTACh.org, a national organization focused on the training and treatment in the attachment in children. It was an important step in my own personal and professional evolution. Since then, I have had to come to terms with my own truth. In 2020, I advocated for anti-racism with the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S., I spoke against the stigma towards mental health and have continued to raise awareness of the suicide crisis in the adopted population. I have made numerous appearances on podcasts and have been featured in the media in the U.S and across the world, sharing my own story of adoption to help raise awareness of adoption trauma. I began the social media movement #truthislouder and joined NAAPUnited.org as a board member. This perspective now informs the way I connect with and educate my clients, whether they are individuals embarking on their own adoption truth journeys, or their family members who want to learn how to best support their adopted family member, or other interested parties in their support system including schools, workplaces, businesses and organizations. I believe we all thrive when we live, grow and support each other in safe ways and in safe environments. And the way to create a sense of safety is by uncovering who we truly are. Learn more at mosesfarrow.com"