Parrish The Thought

Episode 203: Jill Burgon | From mom to therapist: a personal journey that is changing adoption support around the world.

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening, welcome back to the show.

CONTENT WARNING - The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

In this episode, we sit down with Jill Burgon, a clinical social worker who specializes in helping adoptive families navigate the unique emotional and behavioral challenges that can come with adoption. Jill’s path to becoming an adoption-focused therapist began with her own personal experience as an adoptive mother. After realizing there were basically zero tools or therapeutic resources available to help families like hers, Jill made a life-changing decision in her 50s, she went back to school, got two masters degrees and became the professional she wished she had when raising her adopted son. Today, she helps adoptive parents better understand trauma, attachment, and the specialized support adopted children often need to thrive. In this conversation, we explore the realities of adoptive parenting, the hidden challenges families face, and why Jill believes the right tools and understanding can change the trajectory of an adopted child’s life.

CONTACT JILL

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-burgon/

BOOKS, WEBSITES AND RESOURCES

Utah therapy offices and programs

• Children’s Service Society of Utah

  https://cssutah.org/our-programs/adoption/mental-health-services

  Adoption-competent, trauma-informed therapy for children and caregivers related to adoption or kinship care. 

• Raise the Future Utah / Utah’s Adoption Connection

https://www.raisethefuture.org/family-support/utah

Utah family support hub for adoptive, foster, and kinship families, with regional resources and post-adoption support. 

• Anson Family Counseling - https://ansonfamilycounseling.com/

Utah counseling practice offering child, family, and individual counseling. 

• Touchstone Therapy Center - https://touchstoneutah.com/services

  Utah therapy office with services related to trauma, attachment, child and family therapy, and adoption-related concerns. 

• Wellspring Child & Family Counseling Center - https://wellspringutah.com/fosteradoptive-parents/

  Support for foster and adoptive parents, with attention to transitions, loss, and caregiver guidance. 

• Focal Point - https://www.focalpointut.com/transracial-adoption-landing

  Utah resource especially relevant for transracial adoption, identity, belonging, and culturally responsive support. 

• The Children’s Center Utah - https://childrenscenterutah.org/

  Trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. 

• Wasatch Behavioral Health Attachment IOP - https://www.wasatch.org/attachment-iop/ Intensive outpatient program for youth ages 10 to 17 who have been adopted or are not being raised by their biological parents and are working on attachment issues. 

How to find an adoption-competent therapist

Look for these terms in a therapist profile or ask about them directly: TAC or NTI therapist training. Do they use therapies such as TBRI, ARC, PCIT, Theraplay, or DDP?

• C.A.S.E. National Directory of Adoption Competent Professionals

https://adoptionsupport.org/national-directory/

• Utah’s Adoption Connection

https://www.utahadopt.org/resources/category-filter/category/counselors-who-specialize-in-adoption

Online resources, trainings, webinars, and support

• NTDC, National Training and Development Curriculum

  https://ntdctraining.org/training-for-families/

  Free, research-based training for foster, kinship, and adoptive families. It was developed with input from experts, caregivers, and people with lived experience, including former foster and adoptive youth, and is designed to help parents care for children impacted by trauma, separation, and loss. 

• NCFA Adoption Learning Hub - https://adoptioncouncil.org/courses/

  On-demand courses and webinars for adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents, and professionals. 

• Grow Beyond Words On-Demand Adoption Courses

  https://growbeyondwords.com/on-demand-adoption-courses/

  Adoption-focused courses for adoptive and foster parents, caregivers, and professionals. 

• C.A.S.E. Webinars - https://adoptionsupport.org/webinars/

  Free monthly and on-demand webinars for adoptive, foster, and kinship parents/caregivers and professionals. 

• Celia Center - https://celiacenter.org/

  Online support groups and community for adoptees, foster and adoptive parents, kinship families, and other members of the adoption constellation. 

• National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support - https://postadoptioncenter.org/

  National hub with training, tools, and a resource library focused on post-adoption and post-permanency support. 

• ASCC, Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care - https://hbasct.org/

  Training and education focused on adoption-sensitive care in healthcare and clinical settings. 

• Cam Lee Small / Therapy Redeemed - https://therapyredeemed.com/

  Adoptee-centered therapy, education, podcasts, and courses that can help parents and caregivers learn from adoptee perspectives. 

Helpful books for parents or caregivers

• Parenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Teen Years

  https://us.jkp.com/products/parenting-in-the-eye-of-the-storm

  A parent resource focused on staying grounded and navigating the teen years in adoption-sensitive ways. 

• The Connected Parent

  https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/connected-parent-9780736978927/

  Practical attachment-focused parenting strategies for children from hard places. 

#AdoptionSupport #AdoptionJourney #AdoptiveParenting #AdoptionTherapy #TraumaInformedCare #AttachmentTrauma #AdoptionAwareness #AdoptionPodcast #ParentingAdoptedChildren #AdoptionResources

Episode 202: Laura Titensor - Host of the Solscript Podcast | When belonging costs you your voice. Then getting it back.

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening, welcome back to the show.

CONTENT WARNING - The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

In this two-part conversation with Laura Titensor, the host of The SolScript Podcast, we dive into the powerful and often painful cost of trying to belong while losing your voice. Laura invited me onto her podcast to share this story so you can hear it here and on her show.

Laura opens up about the moment she first realized her spiritual authority had been quieted when she was publicly shut down teaching a group of young women and how that shifted everything about her faith, identity, and relationships. Together we talk about the deep ache which came from that loss, and what it looks like to begin reclaiming your voice without abandoning love.

In the second half of our conversation, we reflect on how these experiences affect family, marriage, parenting, and the way we define love and belonging. What does it really mean to love authentically when curiosity replaces judgment? How do we support the people we care about through major identity shifts, even when it feels like we’re losing our place in their world? This episode is for anyone who’s wrestled with the cost of belonging, the courage to speak up, and the road back to themselves.

CONTACT LAURA

Instagram -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solscript-podcast/id1714303236

#WhenBelongingCostsYouYourVoice #FindingYourVoice #ReligiousTrauma #FaithAndHealing #AuthenticityMatters #SpiritualDeconstruction
#CuriosityOverJudgment #ReclaimingYourVoice #BelongingAndBoundaries

Episode 201: Ashley Buckner LMFT | Nothing changes if nothing changes - how to recognize and heal from religious trauma.

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening, welcome back to the show.

CONTENT WARNING - The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

In this episode, we sit down with Ashley Buckner, LMFT, to talk honestly about something many people in high control/demand religions or groups feel but struggle to name: religious trauma.

Together, we explore what religious trauma actually is, how it shows up in individuals and families, and why it often goes unrecognized in deeply faith-centered communities.

Ashley brings a therapist’s clarity and compassion to a complex topic, helping us distinguish between healthy faith, harmful systems, and the quiet wounds that can linger when belief, identity, and belonging collide. This conversation isn’t about tearing down faith—it’s about awareness, accountability, and the possibility of healing and growth for individuals and for the church itself.

REFERENCES

• Brainspotting - https://brainspotting.com/

CONTACT ASHLEY

• Website - https://www.ashleybucknerlmft.com/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ashleyb_therapy/
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ashleyb_therapy
• X (Twitter) - https://x.com/ashleyb_therapy
• Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-session-with-ashley-b/id1766821542

#ReligiousTrauma #HealingJourney #FaithAndHealing #MentalHealthMatters #TraumaInformed #UtahVoices #TherapyTalk #FaithDeconstruction
#NothingChangesIfNothingChanges #LDSChurch #MormonChurch #IAmAMormon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because real change doesn’t start with defensiveness—it starts with being curious.

Episode 200: Paul Burgon | Davos for Dummies

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening. Welcome back to the program. 

The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested, so please consume at your own risk.

Davos has a reputation. A snowy playground for global elites, billionaires, and world leaders deciding the future behind closed doors. But is that actually the full picture? In this conversation, my guest and friend, Paul Burgon, returning from his second visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, offers a grounded, on-the-ground perspective that challenges the stereotype.

He shares how surprisingly accessible the conference can be for people outside the halls of power, the contagious energy that spills far beyond the official sessions, and why Davos is filled with people who are genuinely passionate about making meaningful change in the world. This is a candid look at Davos—not as an idea, but as an experience.

CONTACT PAUL

• Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulburgon/
• Website - https://www.kittyhawkvc.com/khteam

REFERENCES AND CALL-OUTS

• Larry Fink - https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual
  
• Activities and Sessions - Spreadsheet
• WEF - https://www.weforum.org/
• Davos - https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/davos/

#DavosForDummies
#WEF
#InsideDavos
#WorldEconomicForum
#IsDavosForEveryone
#GlobalConversations
#ChangeMakers
#BeyondTheElites
#IdeasInAction
#Kittyhawk

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 199: Ethan and Leland Osterhout | 20 Feet From History — Witnessing the Charlie Kirk Assassination

Ladies and Gentlemen and whoever else is listening. The opinions of Brian, your host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

Ethan and Leland reflect on what it means to be close—not just physically, but emotionally—to a moment that altered the course of many lives. Just 20 feet away, they found themselves inside a violent, chaotic event surrounding the Charlie Kirk assassination at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Seconds felt suspended and normalcy vanished.

This conversation isn’t about replaying headlines or assigning meaning too quickly; it’s about memory, proximity, and the quiet aftermath that lingers long after the crowd disperses and media stories fade. What stays with you when you realize you were close enough to history to feel it move?

Contact: 
Leland - https://www.instagram.com/leland_osterhout/
Ethan - https://www.instagram.com/lelegoman/

References and Time Stamp Call-outs:
@ 10:19 - The Chaos Machine - Amazon Link 
@ 16:55 - DSM5 - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition
@ 37:00 - Leland interviewed on ABC4 Salt Lake City

#CharlieKirkAssassination #UtahValleyUniversity #UVU #CharlieKirk #TurningPointUSA #ProveMeWrong #WhenHistoryTurns #ProximityToTragedy #UnforgettableMoments
#LivingThroughHistory #20FeetFromHistory

Episode 198: Samantha | I left my faith and now I can't leave it alone...I'll tell you why

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening. My guest today is Samantha, the host and creator of the TikTok and Instagram accounts MormWithThoseWhoMormed.

WARNING: The opinions of the host and our guests have not been sanitized or scientifically tested so please consume at your own risk.

There’s a phrase often lobbed at former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who continue to speak openly about their experience: “They can leave the Church, but they can’t leave it alone.”

Today, Samantha helps us unpack the real and often overlooked why behind that sentiment.

So get comfy. Bring an open heart and a curious mind, and join us as She takes us on a thoughtful, honest, and occasionally witty tour through her brain..

FOLLOW SAMANTHA TODAY
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mormwiththosewhomormed
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mormwiththosewhomormed

#MormWithThoseWhoMormed #Mormon #LDS #ExLDS #FormerMormon #LoveThyNeighbor #TheChurchOfJesusChrist #CantLeaveItAlone 

Episode 197: Jashub Hinton | I didn't listen to my parents...now I'm addicted.

Ladies and gentlemen—and whoever else is listening—welcome back to the show.

My guest today is Jashub Hinton, a 14-year-old piano composer whose talent far exceeds his upcoming driver’s license privileges. Jashub recently released a beautiful new arrangement of one of our all-time favorite Christmas classics Carol of The Bells.

He joins us today to talk about his journey—how he got started, how he’s grown as a musician, and how not listening to his parents may have contributed to his current addiction… to the piano. It’s a condition he may be managing for the rest of his life—and honestly, we’re all better for it.

So, Piano Guys...fair warning, This kid is coming for you.

 

FOLLOW JASHUB TODAY
YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@BabyGrandPianist-k8p

#BabyGrandPianist #DontListenToYourParents #JashubHintonPiano #PianoGuys #ThePianoGuys #PatrikPietschmann #JonSchmidt

Episode 196: Justin Levine | Guiding struggling youth from Striving to Thriving

Ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is listening, welcome back to the show. My guest today is Justin Levine, the founder and coach behind @StrivetoThriveCoaching_, a high-touch coaching practice that helps teens, young adults, and families turn life’s toughest transitions into long-term growth. Drawing on his background in neuroscience, athletics, and youth mental health advocacy, Justin works with clients who are leaving treatment programs or simply feeling stuck in “what’s next,” giving them structure, mentorship, and practical tools so they can thrive in real life—not just on paper. Through a step-by-step pathway that blends self-discovery, habit-building, accountability, and real-world application, he focuses on resilience, identity, and purpose, helping clients move from surviving to truly thriving.

CONTACT JUSTIN TODAY
@ StriveToThriveCoaching_
@ Dreamers Are Undefeated
Email - justin@strivetothrivecoaching.org
Website - https://strivetothrivecoaching.org/

#StriveToThrive #DreamersAreUndefeated #FromSurvivingToThriving #TeenCoaching #YoungAdultSupport #FamilyHealing #GrowthMindset #ResilientMindset #OwnYourJourney #HabitsForSuccess