The Parenting Different Podcast is the go-to show for adoptive parents who want to raise children who feel seen, heard, and truly valued. Hosted by Anna Bernacki, Director of Community at Parenting Different, this podcast blends expert insight with real lived experience from adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families.
The Parenting Different Podcast is the go-to show for adoptive parents who want to raise children who feel seen, heard, and truly valued. Hosted by Anna Bernacki, Director of Community at Parenting Different, this podcast blends expert insight with real lived experience from adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families.

In this episode of Parenting Different, host Anna Bernacki is joined by Raquel McCloud and Leah Outten to explore what healing looks like in adoption. Together, they share how retreats built around laughter, creativity, and community are helping adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents find space for both grief and gratitude. From discovering the freedom of play to launching The Ampersand Initiative, Raquel and Leah open up about their journeys as birth moms and the intentional ways they’re creating spaces for adoption-connected families to heal, connect, and thrive. Join the Parenting Different newsletter here: https://www.parentingdifferent.com/free