Cate & Ty Break It Down

The Cousin Who Was Actually My Mother: Kinship Adoption with D.A. (PART 1)

July 8, 2026·58 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

In this deeply personal episode of Break It Down, guest D.A. (@difficult.adoptee) joins the show to deconstruct her experience growing up within a kinship adoption. She shares her journey of discovering at age seven that the woman she thought was her cousin was actually her biological mother. She discusses navigating preverbal trauma, surviving a toxic and narcissistic home environment, and the challenges of advocating for her own mental health as a teenager in a system that often preferred silence over real healing.This is PART 1 of a two-part discussion! Thank you to our sponsors!Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first monthK12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdownMagnetic Me: New customers can get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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