The Long Game: Navigating the Rollercoaster of Adoption Reunion with Grace

A weekend retreat for adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and others building relationships in reunion with genetic relatives. Reunion is not a destination. It's a journey. And like all relationships, it's complicated! If you're in reunion — whether brand new, years in, or somewhere in the messy middle — the excitement of first contact is only the beginning. The real work is what comes after - the long game. Feeling Overwhelmed? Emotional? Frustrated? Joyful? Exhausted? Confused? Excited? You're right on track. At this retreat, you'll come away with new tools to navigate the rollercoaster of reunion with grace so that you can develop healthy and authentic lifelong relationships . Your retreat facilitators are Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW, a therapist, speaker, and reunited birth mother with 40 years in private practice and Elizabeth Barbour, M.Ed., an adoption reunion coach, speaker, author, and reunited adoptee (for 27 years) and adoptive mom to a teenager currently in reunion. The schedule is: FRIDAY EVENING 11/6 — Arriving Into Community 5-5:30 PM Check-In & Welcome 6-7:00 PM Welcome Meal – introductions/get to know you 7:15 PM Opening Circle and Setting Intentions Community agreements, co-create our altar, set personal intentions 9:00 PM Adjourn SATURDAY 11/7 — Full Day: Foundations & Tools 8:30 AM Arrival + Walk the Land at Quietude grab coffee or tea, visit the gardens, walk down to the creek to center yourself for the day 9:00 AM Morning Session I: The Reunion Rollercoaster Leslie presents the big picture realities of reunion — the emotional stages, the honeymoon, the pull-back, the long game — and why preparation is everything 10:45 AM Morning Session II: The GRACE Methodology Elizabeth introduces the five-part GRACE framework: Genesis, Reconnection, Authenticity, Communication, and Evolution — a roadmap for building intentional, sustainable reunion relationships 12:15 PM Lunch – wander the land with space to breathe 2:00 PM Afternoon Session I: Communication Tools Workshop Learn conversation prompts, guided dyad practice, 'Rules of Engagement' for reunion, and how to approach challenging conversations with care 3:15 PM Afternoon Session II: Self-Care Toolkit Build your personal reunion survival kit — grounding practices, safety anchors, how to regulate when reunion triggers the past 4:30-5:00 PM Closing Session 6:00 PM Dinner Dutch treat at a local restaurant in Black Mountain SUNDAY MORNING 11/8— Integrating the Gems 8:30 AM Continental Breakfast 9:00 AM Final Session: Co-Creating Your Vision How to build a shared roadmap with your relative(s) 10:30 AM Closing Circle Where do we go from here? Celebrate and honor our growth and expansion and set intentions for the future 11:30 PM Farewell & Safe Travels Elizabeth & Leslie at the CUB (Concerned United Birthparents) Retreat in Atlanta, October 2025 Learn more about them here: www.lesliepatemackinnon.com www.elizabethbarbour.com