The purpose of Untangling Our Roots is to provide a warm, friendly, inclusive environment where all attendees feel safe to engage with other attendees, speak freely, to grow, and learn in a supportive community.

This year our theme is Who’s Family? Honoring the past, Embracing the future. Proposals should highlight the theme and current topics related to the needs and interests of our communities: people with a DNA surprise and people who grew up knowing they had a different genetic parent(s), and all members of the constellation.

Desirable presentation proposals will—

•Address topics with engaging and creative formats

•Generate lively interactions/deep reflection/effective learning among participants

•Preference will be given to proposals that apply ideas to all the communities: misattributed parentage and people who grow up knowing they have a different genetic parent(s) – we will have a few community-specific sessions.

•This year will include a therapist track with continuing education credits on Friday 3/21/25 and a genealogist track on Saturday 3/22/25. Please select if your session is standard/therapist/genealogist below.

Suggested topics include:

•Genealogist (building family trees with DNA, researching under-documented communities, endogamy, understanding DNA segments, testing company differences, and research techniques)

•Therapist (trauma-informed modalities such as Internal Family Systems [IFS], Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing [EMDR], Somatic Experiencing, Narrative Therapy; addressing family systems and intergenerational trauma; supporting clients through identity shifts; cultural humility and working across diverse backgrounds; attachment; navigating DNA surprises and other mental health issues; ethical considerations in therapeutic disclosure; neurodiversity)

•Advocacy

•Ambiguous Loss, Disenfranchised Grief, and Complicated Grief

•Connecting with Family (managing expectations, boundaries, building or declining relationships)

•Creative Workshops (art, music, kintsugi, writing, oral storytelling, etc)

•Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (centering voices of BIPOC individuals, recognizing cultural nuances in identity and kinship)

•Estrangement

•Ethical Considerations

•Health, Genetics, and Science/Data-Related Topics

•Historical Context of Secrecy (adoption practices in the Baby Scoop Era, fertility industry, infidelity)

•Integration (old/new: culture, family, history)

•Intersection of Identity and the Current Cultural Environment

•Legal Challenges (birth certificates, data privacy, names, inheritance)

•Media Representation (how DNA surprises are depicted in film, TV, and podcasts, impact of media on public understanding)

•Memoir Writing and Publishing (basics and advanced)

•Nature and Nurture Debate

•Navigating Rejection

•Practical Genealogy Skills (using archives, records, and traditional research alongside DNA)

•Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth

•Spiritual or Faith Considerations (how spiritual identity is affected by genetic identity shifts, reconciliation of beliefs and new truths)

•Trending Healing Strategies (for the entire family)

•Underrepresented groups & healing- BIPOC/MEN/NEURODIVERGENT (for the entire family)

•What Is Family?

•When, Why, and How to Disclose (to children, parents, adult children, friends, extended family)

•PROMOTION OF EVENT: All speakers are expected to promote the Summit on social media.

•PRE-MEETING FOR PANELS: All participants on a panel are required to meet prior to the Summit to do a test-run and “meet” each other.

•SOCIAL MEDIA PROMO VIDEOS: We are asking all speakers to record a video clip (unless you opted out in the submission form) for us to share on social media in anticipation of the Summit. Just a short video about why you are excited to be at Summit or what you’re excited to talk about at Summit. Keep videos less than 90 seconds.

•COMPENSATION: Untangling Our Roots does not have funds to compensate speakers. All speakers will receive $75 off the regular ticket price, this is an “at-cost” price.

•HANDOUTS: All speakers are responsible for bringing their own printed handouts. We can assist with any special supplies you might need.

•LANGUAGE: All speakers will be required to attend a course on language.

•SPEAKER DAY: If selected, your time slot will be assigned for 3/21 or 3/22. We will notify accepted speaker proposals by October 1, 2025.