Hi, I’m Shaylah. I’m a Licensed Social Worker based in Hawaii who is passionate about supporting adoptees and their families. I have been working with adoptees, birth parents, adoptive families, and youth in foster care for over 10 years. Beyond that, I have my own lived experience with adoption that grounds me in this work.

Seven Core Issues of Adoption

Loss

Rejection

Shame

Grief

Identity

Intimacy

Control

Intersectional Identities

I am respectful and appreciative of all races, cultures, and ethnicities; gender identities and sexual orientations; religious and spiritual affiliations; and any other identities that individuals hold.

Strengths Based Approach

I believe that every person has the potential to achieve self-actualization and that institutional, interpersonal, and internalized barriers hinder individuals from reaching their maximum potential. I believe in a future that centers social justice and equity and strive to bring these beliefs into an anti-oppressive and grounded practice.