# Lavender Luz: open adoption expert, educator, writer, podcaster, speaker

> Adoption expert Lori Holden understands the complexities of adoption\. She listens, writes, speaks, educates and coaches about adoption\.

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## Pages
- [Home](https://lavenderluz.com): Adoption expert Lori Holden understands the complexities of adoption\. She listens, writes, speaks, educates and coaches about adoption\. 
- [Books](https://lavenderluz.com/books/): Information on books by Lori Holden, including The Open\-Hearted Way to Open Adoption, Adoption Unfiltered, \& Standing Room Only Yoga Teachers
- [Coaching](https://lavenderluz.com/coaching/): Having difficulty with something adoption\-related? Lori Holden offers adoption coaching to people navigating adoption issues\.
- [Quick links](https://lavenderluz.com/quicklinks/)
- [Media](https://lavenderluz.com/media/)

## Posts
- [How to Avoid Being Gobsmacked by your 18 Year\-Old Adoptee](https://lavenderluz.com/gobsmacked/): How can it happen that an adoptive parent doesn't see it coming, their child connecting with birth parents? It's no fun to be gobsmacked\!
- [Kohl's Adoption Video Brings Out the Either/Or Brigade](https://lavenderluz.com/kohls-adoption-video/): A commercial shows reunion between an adoptee \& his birth mom\. SO many viewers are incensed\! I hold the either/or mindset responsible\.
- [To the Woman Who Longs to Be a Mom and Wants a Closed Adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/i-want-a-closed-adoption/): I hear you when you say "I want a closed adoption\." I was there, too, and I had to unlearn a few things everyone "knows" about adoption\.
- [The Future of Adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/future-of-open-adoption/)
- [Open Adoption Grid: Adding a Dimension to the Open Adoption Spectrum](https://lavenderluz.com/open-adoption-grid/)

## Media
- [an adoptee returning to the well that is her birth mother](https://lavenderluz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/returning-to-the-well-adoptee-and-birth-mom.png)
- [Adoptive Families Fall 2009](https://lavenderluz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/af-2009-cropped1.jpg)
- [Sarah Saffian's memoir Ithaka](https://lavenderluz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/sarah-saffian-ithaka.jpg)
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## Episode
- [511: Best Of Season 5 Guests \+ Season Finale \+ Bonus](https://lavenderluz.com/podcast/511-best-adoption-advice/): Best advice from 12 guests this season, saying goodbye to this 5\-year project, and hearing a song from a new adoption musical\.
- [510: Kathy Mackechney, LCSW, on Internal Family Systems \& Adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/podcast/adoption-the-long-view-ep-510/): Adoptee \& therapist Kathy Mackechney, LCSW, on what adoptive parents need to know about an adoptee's parts and journey toward integration\.
- [509: Dr JaeRan Kim \& Patrick Armstrong on Adoptees Coming to Consciousness](https://lavenderluz.com/podcast/509-jaeran-kim-and-patrick-armstrong/): Scholar JaeRan Kim, PhD and podcast host Patrick Armstrong, both adoptees, explain the Adoptee Consciousness Model\.
- [508: Lanise Antoine Shelley on Centering the Adoptee In Their Story](https://lavenderluz.com/podcast/508-lanise-antoine-shelley/): Bestselling author Robyn Gobbel shares insights in dealing with big baffling behaviors\. How to provide connection and felt\-safety? Tune in\!
- [507: Dealing with Big Baffling Behaviors with Robyn Gobbel](https://lavenderluz.com/podcast/adoption-long-view-507/): Bestselling author Robyn Gobbel shares insights in dealing with big baffling behaviors\. How to provide connection and felt\-safety? Tune in\!

## Categories
- [Perfect Moment](https://lavenderluz.com/category/perfect-moment/)
- [Open Adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/category/open-adoption/)
- [Adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/category/adoption/)
- [Uncategorized](https://lavenderluz.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Mindfulness](https://lavenderluz.com/category/mindfulness/)

## Tags
- [human condition](https://lavenderluz.com/tag/human-condition/)
- [podcast](https://lavenderluz.com/tag/podcast/)
- [closed adoption](https://lavenderluz.com/tag/closed-adoption/)
- [open adoption advice](https://lavenderluz.com/tag/open-adoption-advice/)
- [extra ordinary](https://lavenderluz.com/tag/extra-ordinary/)

## Podcasts
- [Adoption: The Long View](https://lavenderluz.com/series/adoption-the-long-view/)
- [Adoption Unfiltered](https://lavenderluz.com/series/adoption-unfiltered/)

## Optional
- [Sitemap index](https://lavenderluz.com/sitemap_index.xml)