Monday Evening Speaker Series
Adoption Network Cleveland is pleased to offer a VIRTUAL Monday Evening Speaker Series full of topics that are of interest to a broad audience impacted by adoption, kinship, and foster care. These programs are made possible by donors and presenters volunteering their time and they thrive thanks to the active participation of attendees.
Upcoming Presentations
Monday, December 8, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
Everyday Somatics: Coming Home to the Body with Whitney Dawn Pyles
Our bodies hold so much of what we’ve lived — the beliefs and stories we’ve carried, the hopes and connections that have sustained us, and the ways we’ve learned to adapt, protect, soften, and grow. They’re also a place of possibility — where we can begin to meet ourselves with more curiosity and compassion, the qualities that help us stay with our own experience even when life feels uncertain or uncomfortable.
In this experiential session, Certified Somatic Coach and Facilitator Whitney Dawn Pyles will introduce the basics of somatic awareness — what it means, how it works, and how attending to the body can help us reconnect with ourselves and feel a greater sense of belonging. She’ll then guide simple, gentle practices that build presence and connection, helping you pause, notice, and choose curiosity over judgment, compassion over control, and presence over perfection. Throughout the session, Whitney will invite brief moments of reflection and close with an opportunity to imagine how these tools can be woven into daily life.
You’ll leave with a few simple practices to carry forward — reminders that you can always return home to yourself. No movement experience is needed, and participation can be entirely seated. Come as you are, and leave with an understanding of somatic practice and a connection to your body’s quiet wisdom.
About Whitney
Whitney Dawn Pyles is a Certified Somatic Coach and accredited Life Coach (ICF-ACC) who specializes in Body-Oriented Coaching — a gentle, evidence-informed approach that integrates mind-body awareness and nervous system support. Her work helps clients slow down, reconnect with themselves, and create space for new possibilities, joy, and aliveness.
Guided by the belief that all people are creative, resourceful, and whole, Whitney approaches coaching not as fixing what is “wrong,” but as uncovering what is already wise and whole within each person.
With nearly a decade of experience in coaching, facilitation, and creative leadership, Whitney partners with Adoption Network Cleveland to offer coaching that supports self-compassion, authentic expression, and a deeper sense of belonging. Connect with Whitney at whitneydawn.com.
Monday, December 15, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
Sold, Not Adopted: Reclaiming My Truth After a Black-Market Baby Deal with Diana Kayla Hochberg
What happens when you find out — as an adult — that everything you believed about your identity is a lie?
Diana Kayla Hochberg was not adopted. She was sold through a black-market baby broker. In this unforgettable talk, Diana shares how one casual comment in Las Vegas unraveled the life she thought she knew and launched her on a decades-long search for the truth.
From stolen records and DNA surprises to grave visits and international legal hurdles, her journey is both heartbreaking and empowering. This is a story of loss, resilience, and the fight to reclaim what was taken: her identity, her voice, and her rights.
About Diana
Diana Kayla Hochberg is a writer, genealogist, photographer, and educator born in Montreal and raised in New York. Her memoir, Connected: Finding My Truth, shares her personal journey of uncovering a hidden past and piecing together her true origins. Diana is passionate about truth, healing, and helping others reconnect with their own stories. She is a proud mother, stepmother, and grandmother.
