My Adoption Story

Hi, I’m Jo Willis, a fellow adoptee.

This doesn't make me an expert on your life, but I do come from a place of deep knowing based on my learnings from a personal and professional journey over the past 30 years.

I talk about my personal journey in the video below.

On this journey I’ve learnt:

How adoption can shape us and the landscape of our lives

  • That the most important relationship in life is the one we have with ourselves

  • How we work as a human being - understanding our brain/mind/heart/soul/intuition

  • That feelings can be our friends, if we listen to and validate them Life enhancing practices from human and self development gurus, Positive Psychology, Eastern wisdom and much more

  • That we have everything inside us to transform ourselves and our lives

  • We do need a few things in place to successfully navigate this journey like support and unique resources in our back pack

 

My experience working with Adopted People

I have:

  • Co-ordinated and facilitated the first Hawke’s Bay Adoption Support Group for 8 years

  • Presented a paper at the International Conference on Healing in Adoption in Wellington in 1997 ‘Traversing the Many Layers of Adoption

  • Designed, co-ordinated and facilitated a Healing Group Programme for Adolescent Adoptees used in Adoption Units nationally

  • Facilitated a therapeutic Healing/Support group for Adult Adoptees for 2 years

  • Tutored Psychotherapy students at Eastern Institute of Technology on Adoption Practice and Issues

My Qualifications

Memberships and Associations