Let's revisit an episode from 2025

Cate & Ty sit down with psychotherapist and adoptee Amy Silvia (@psychotherapist.amy_) , who shares her personal journey through the Baby Scoop Era and the complex process of reconnecting with her birth family. Drawing on decades of clinical experience working with thousands of adoptees and birth parents, Amy unpacks the profound impact of genetic mirroring, attachment trauma, and the crucial need for "adoptee-focused" therapy. Amy sheds light on the crucial difference between "adoption competence" and truly "adoptee-focused" care, highlighting the mental health struggles faced by adoptees and birth parents, including the shockingly high rates of suicidal ideation. Discover how normalizing difficult adoption conversations can lead to profound healing for the entire adoption triad.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Alloy: Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code BREAKITDOWN for $20 off your first order! #AgeGracefully
• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• K-12: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Marathon: Start earning rewards on every gallon of gas. Available at participating Marathon locations. Terms and Conditions apply. See MarathonRewards.com for details
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!
• Zenni: Go to Zenni.com/PODCAST and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let us go back into the vault and listen to an episode from 2025 when Cate & Ty sat down with Dr. Abby, a transracial adoptee, birth mother, and adoption-informed therapist.

Dr. Abby breaks down the true meaning of informed consent in adoption, revealing the systemic issues and personal traumas often hidden beneath the surface. She also shares her personal journey, from her coerced relinquishment as a teenage birth mother to her own experience as an adoptee navigating identity and reunion.

For more information visit https://adoptingprivilege.com/

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• K-12: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Marathon: Start earning rewards on every gallon of gas. Available at participating Marathon locations. Terms and Conditions apply. See MarathonRewards.com for details
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!
• Rocket Money: Join at RocketMoney.com/CATEANDTY

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer is officially here, and Nova is back on the mic to break it all down! Fresh out of the fifth grade, Nova sits down with Mom to tackle a lightning round of fun and thought-provoking questions from the "Children Are Human" card deck. From her current obsession with The Sims and the mind-bending physics of colliding black holes, to a blunt critique of the middle school dress code and what it really means to stand up to school bullies, Nova pulls no punches.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Saily: Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code CATETY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/CATETY
• K12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bri shares her incredible journey from childhood abuse and foster care to becoming a mother at 14. She opens up about being groomed by an adult predator, navigating the foster system, resisting adoption pressure, and fighting to keep her child against overwhelming odds. In this candid conversation, she reflects on the experiences and turning points that shaped her life and led her to where she is today.

https://www.tiktok.com/@briinthemaking

Thank you to our sponsors!

• K12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• Quince: Go to Quince.com/breakitdown for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cate, Ty, and Elle dive into the latest shocking updates surrounding Unexpected, including Hunter and Bella’s breakup, custody developments, and the ongoing court drama involving their families. The conversation then shifts into a deeper discussion about reality TV ethics, child exploitation, addiction, and the pressures that come with growing up in the public eye. They also react to the recent Amanda arrest news, relapse concerns, and the emotional impact addiction has on families, recovery, and children caught in the middle.

Follow Elle on YouTube and Tik Tok!

Thank you to our sponsors!

• K12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Alloy: Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code BREAKITDOWN for $20 off your first order! #AgeGracefully
• Magnetic Me: New customers can get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com
• Quince: Go to Quince.com/breakitdown for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cate and Ty are finally back in today's episode! The episode begins with Tyler sharing stories of his late grandmother, a resilient matriarch who raised eight children. Ty also shares his dream he had of her the night before her passing. They shift to discussing the upcoming Hollywood Demons series and the positive impact 16&Pregnant had on their lives. Lastly, the episode ends with some anonymous secrets, featuring some wild family mingling and sabotaging someone's birth control.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• K12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Kiwico: Get $10 off on your Summer Adventure Series at kiwico.com/summer, promo code BREAKITDOWN
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!
• Saily: Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code CATETY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/CATETY

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cate is joined again by Elle Bee (@ellebee_official) to break down TLC's Unexpected. They share their concerns regarding the custody case of Bella and Hunter, and their newborn child. Cate and Elle both share their experiences and opinions on fame, healthy family dynamics, and the exploitation in reality television.

Follow Elle on YouTube and Tik Tok!

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• K12 Powered Schools: Enroll online today at K12.com/breakitdown
• Kiwico: Get $10 off on your Summer Adventure Series at kiwico.com/summer, promo code BREAKITDOWN
• Magnetic Me: New customers can get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cate & Ty sit down with David Shane (@davidbshane), an adoptee who shares stories of love, mindfulness, and human connections on social media, but one day decided to share his journey of being contacted by his biological mother. David opens up about his upbringing, filled with open communication from his adoptive parents, which instilled in him a strong sense of self from a young age. He shares how the reunion with his biological younger sister, and eventually biological parents, came with emotional challenges and expectations, and the aftermath.

Cate and Ty discuss with David about the fragility of life, the importance of overcoming fear in pursuing connections before it's too late, and the idea that not all reunions are positive but deserve to be explored with a strong support system. Drawing from his experiences, David offers advice for both adoptive and biological parents, emphasizing the critical role of unconditional support, open communication, and respecting the adoptee's pace during the reunion process.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/BreakItDown today to get 10% off your first month
• Marathon: Start earning rewards on every gallon of gas. Available at participating Marathon locations. Terms and Conditions apply. See MarathonRewards.com for details
• Magnetic Me: New customers can get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com
• Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!
• Quince: Go to Quince.com/breakitdown for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.