What is most concerning to me, and I hope this becomes concern for everyone, is that what it comes down to the most, like, atrocious outcome to adoption is for those of us who die by suicide, that an outcome of adoption is

suicide for those of us adopted. This is an undeniable truth, and it's not being highlighted

enough. It's more so than the mental health issues, addiction issues, and the other

kind of outcomes that come from this adoption trauma. It is the fact that there are too many of us

who are dying by suicide. And this being not talked

about enough, not out there in the mainstream, like at all really, and unacknowledged and

ignored. Welcome to the unspeakable podcast. I'm your host, Megan Dowm. My guest is Moses Pharaoh.

Moses is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in what he calls adoption trauma.

He's an outspoken advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, and adoption reform.

Moses brings personal experience to his work,

since he is among the 10 children adopted by actress Mia Farrow.

He was later adopted by Mia's former partner, Woody Allen,

and in 2018 published a stunning account of what it was like growing up in this family

and why he supports his father

and the highly publicized sexual abuse allegations made in the wake of a custody battle in 1992.

In this conversation, Moses talks about his work with adoptees, his own story as an adoptee,

and the importance of shedding light on the aspects of adoption that are often

overlooked, if not totally ignored. Most pressingly, the high rate of attempted suicide. His practice

is in Connecticut, and he spoke with me from there. Moses Farrow, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you so much for having me.

You are known to the public, to some extent, because of the rather extraordinary circumstances in which you were raised.

I do want to get to that, of course, but first I was hoping you could talk about your work now. You're a family therapist

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