Homing In: An Adopted Child's Story Mandala of Connecting, Reunion, and Belonging

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. - March 1, 2020 - PRLog -- Advanced Praise:

"In this beautifully written work, Susan Mossman Riva shares her fascinating journey to discover her family of origin and her own identity. It is indeed a poignant journey into herself, as she explores her longings, her doubts, and her joys. The work is especially relevant to this era in which the seals on adoption cases are being removed. For us, it was an enthralling adventure on its own."

— Mary and Kenneth Gergen, founders of the TAOS Institute

Dr. Susan Mossman Riva was adopted in Omaha, Nebraska in 1963. In 1995, she sought the help of the Nebraska Children's Home to find her birth mother, leading to the discovery of her birth family in 1996. Miraculously, her search and reunion coincided with her biological sister's search. The awe and joy of homecoming brought her to the realization that synchronicity acts as a guidepost, repairing relational brokenness. The divine timing of their reunion happened months before their biological, maternal grandmother died. Susan connects the phases of her life in an intricate story mandala.

As an adopted child, she innately understands all that can be lost through her experience of separation. This awareness became a driving force as she steadfastly worked for reconciliation in all her relations. With loving intent, she embarked upon a journey seeking to reunite and reconcile with all those she belonged to. By connecting and engaging in an intentional forgiveness process. Susan was ultimately able to forge a pathway homing into wholeness.

Readers will discover the power of the homing in mechanism that can be activated and used as an inner compass for all pathfinders. Susan's social science background provides an explanatory framework, sharing knowledgeability about generative and transformative processes.

About the Author:

Susan Mossman Riva graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1986 with a degree in International Relations. She later completed the European Master in Mediation in Valais, Switzerland and created a mediation service for political asylum seekers for the Valais Canton. In 2009, she received her doctorate in the Social Sciences at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. Her thesis was entitled "Conflict Narratives: Mediation Case Studies in an Intercultural Context." Her postdoctoral work has been in public health research focusing on mental health, immigrant health, and hopeful, healthy aging within the Senior Living Lab. She teaches social psychology at the Valais College of Alternative Medicine, mediation at the University of Geneva's Valais Campus, and medical anthropology at Creighton University in the Department of Cultural and Social Studies.

For more information head to: http://writelife.com/homing-in-by-susan-mossman-riva/