Don’t Call Me Ma’am – An Adoption Journey – Episode 10
This week on Don’t Call Me Ma’am, Jodi Miller dives deep into her personal journey to motherhood through adoption, joined by special guest Dr. Jennifer Bliss, Director of Adoptions and Foster Care at Vista Del Mar. Jodi shares the emotional rollercoaster of finding the right agency after wading through impersonal and often religiously heavy adoption services. With Dr. Bliss and the Vista team’s support, Jodi’s dream came true almost overnight when she got the life-changing call—her baby was born, and she had been chosen. From blind panic to overwhelming joy, she reflects on those early chaotic days and the beautiful transformation into life as a mother.
Dr. Bliss provides expert insight into the world of adoption, explaining how the shift from closed to open adoptions emerged out of a desire to support the emotional health of everyone involved—the birth parents, adoptive parents, and children. Her passion for this work, rooted in her early aspirations as a therapist, shines through as she talks about the societal stigmas that once surrounded adoption and the importance of transparency and support today.