Moments in the Media
Body + Soul Magazine - August 2007
Elizabeth was consulted by Life Coach Jennifer Louden in her column "Ask Jennifer" in Body + Soul Magazine. The question and answer are reproduced below:
Q. I recently made contact with my birth mother, who gave me up for adoption 33 years ago. As we've gotten closer, I think my adoptive parents are feeling a little hurt. How do I reassure them that this reunion won't affect our relationship? Briana T., Silver Spring, MD
A. Elizabeth Barbour, a reunited adoptee and life coach who works with people going through the adoption reunion process, says it's common for adoptive parents "to experience a variety of emotions when their child reunites with a birth family member." You need to emphasize to them that finding your birth mother is about finding a part of yourself, not about seeking replacement parents. This may seem so obvious to you-of course you still love your parents. But they may need to hear it. They don't feel the ancient pull you have to reconnect with your birth mother, understand your background, and feel more complete as a person.
Look at this period as a time of transition. In the most fundamental way, your sense of who you are is shifting because of this new relationship. It might feel like a second adolescence, or a pull between two families. "When adoptees experience reunion, many relationships are affected," Barbour points out. Consult a few books (such as May the Circle Be Unbroken by Eynn Franklin, Birthright by Jean Strauss, and Adoption Nation by Adam Pertman) and Web sites (such as adoptioninstitute.org) on this topic and share them with your parents. Let your family know that your birth-mother reunion could reinforce your ties with them. After all, there's no more wondering, "Who am I, and why was I put up for adoption?" There's a saying in the adoption community that Barbour has personally found inspiring: "If a mother can love more than one child, why can't a child love more than one mother?" You might want to share that with your adoptive parents. By being open and gently honest, you'll help reassure them without losing yourself.
Simple Living Radio Interview on 570 WWNC's The Morning Report with Jerri Jameson
Elizabeth was recently interviewed on the topic of simple living for Jerri Jameson's show "The Morning Report" on www.wwnc.com. She and Jerri talked about the importance of simple living in our country today, easy changes you can make to have a simpler life and resources for simple living strategies.
Click here to listen to the 8 1/2 minute interview!
Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska PBS TV Show
Elizabeth was a featured guest on January 7, 2007 on Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, which airs on PBS stations nationwide. She was highlighted in show #301 of the series which focuses on the “Overload Syndrome” that we are facing in America today. To learn more about Wanda Urbanska, visit her website at www.simplelivingtv.net.
The show airs on Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. EST. Check local listings for exact times in your area. Enjoy these clips from the interview with Wanda.
- What is a life coach?
- How being a coach and being coached has changed Elizabeth’s life
- Big picture tips to get out of overload and create your ideal life
- Self care and the benefits of saying “no!”
- Planning and letting go of the “how”
Experience Life Magazine
In the July/August 2006 issue of Experience Life magazine (www.lifetimefitness.com/magazine), Elizabeth is interviewed in the Life Balance article entitled "The Long View." She discusses goal setting and techniques for embodying change. "Barbour challenges clients to visualize how they would feel if they were to get what they want. This feeling step, she explains, helps transport people into that place of acting 'as if' they are where they want to be. Feeling your goals enables you to 'try on' your dreams before committing to them. " Read the full article here.