This is where the code snaps,
and the repair gets a name.
Dr. Franklin Edward Shoemaker, PhD, LMHC-QS, and Tonya A. Sharrett-Shoemaker, MA. Thirty-four years in the work, since 1992. The arc is SNAPPED. SHIFTED. SOLID. The day is ZAP. Zero-in. Activate. Propel.
The Wall of Witness
Original: nationalwalloftestimony.netlify.app
Snapped.
The code cracks open. The behavior stops being the whole story.
Shifted.
The adults see what is under it, and answer that instead.
Solid.
Stability holds long enough for secure attachment to begin.
This wall is not a slogan board. It is witness.
Parents who stayed through the push-pull. A teacher who finally got through. A clinician who stopped calling the escalation failure. A faith family that did not quit in the foster fog. If the work gave you a reality check, a shift, or enough fire for one more day, your story belongs here.
- Rule 01 · Stories are initialed
- Rule 02 · Details that could identify a child stay out
- Rule 03 · A quote goes up only with permission
01 · Parents, families, and adoption — the ones who stayed through the push-pull
You are the first person I have heard so accurately emphasize this in RAD. I became a consultant for high-intensity attachment cases after fostering my daughter, now almost 19, who did not have her first true stability until soon after 17. Our therapeutic agency called her abusive and escalating behind the scenes, rather than seeing the escalation as part of the healing, not a sign things were failing. One person understood RAD well enough to be a true support. That saved us and got us to the start of some secure attachment. Other parents are searching, trying to see they are not alone, and that their child is not a villain but a severely traumatized child who was never given consistent attachment to a primary caregiver. Thank you for emphasizing stability. The arc of healing RAD has to be taught. You did that here.
W-01 · S.W. · Parent and clinical consultant
Thank God for men like you who are watchmen on the walls, guarding the flock. The past six months have been unbelievably hard, and the Lord’s mercy is all we have at times.
W-02 · J.E. · Parent · Florida
Thank you for letting God use you in my life. A sincere thank you from my husband and myself. I only saw you twice, and that was the perfect time in God’s hands. I am encouraged to live a life that will make my mom proud and give glory to God. I have forgiven the ones who betrayed me. I am looking at the future with hope, and looking forward to helping others.
W-03 · A.R. · Daughter, mother, wife · Florida
Dr. Ed, not sure if you remember us, but I wanted to share about M.D. Thanks for all you did during his senior year of high school. Now he is graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
W-04 · M.D.’s mom · Florida
We are forever grateful for everything you did for us in adopting our grandchildren during that terrible court case. The most important thing we learned from you is: unless the child is doing something dangerous to himself, others, or property, simply ignore the behavior. We have never forgotten that, because it works.
W-05 · J.Z. · Grandparent · North Carolina
02 · Child welfare, guardians, and adoption professionals — courtrooms, staffings, and the hardest cases in six counties
Her case closed today. She gave a heartfelt speech in the courtroom about how much her mom and dad have helped her, and how happy she is to have a brother and sister who love her. Everyone clapped. Many of us were wiping tears. It is a remarkable transformation. You and your team are incredible, and I am glad I found you.
W-06 · S.F. · Guardian ad litem · Maryland
Many professionals and families who work with Mr. Ed state that he has been a wonderful advocate for transitioning children to adoption. He works tirelessly with families and children and is available at a moment’s notice.
W-07 · A.B. · Adoption professional · Florida
Mr. Ed has taken on assignments that required him to go above and beyond, including outings with families, numerous court appearances, and countless staffings.
W-08 · C.C. · Child welfare specialist · Florida
Although he lives in Polk County, Mr. Ed works some of the most trying cases in Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, Hernando, Polk, and Hillsborough. Professionals consistently say he is easy to talk to and keeps an open mind with children, families, foster parents, and case managers.
W-09 · J.C. · Case management supervisor · Florida
Mr. Ed is a valuable asset to the adoption community. Professionals have grown to rely on his expertise and commitment on some of the most difficult cases.
W-10 · K.K. · Adoption coordinator · Florida
In 2011, Mr. Ed was recognized as an unsung hero in adoption advocacy when he was nominated for the Irene Sullivan Adoption Advocacy Award in Pinellas County.
W-11 · L.T. · Adoption advocate · Florida
03 · Clinicians — the ones who stopped calling the escalation failure
Finally, a platform that speaks truth with clinical integrity.
W-12 · J.R. · LMHC · Florida
Trauma-informed, research-driven, and refreshingly honest.
W-13 · S.M. · Psychologist · Minnesota
Clear, grounded, and clinically sound.
W-14 · B.A. · Psychiatric nurse · Texas
Unmatched insight into trauma and what it does to a family.
W-15 · H.R. · Trauma specialist · New York
A rare blend of clinical wisdom and moral courage.
W-16 · R.G. · Psychiatrist · Virginia
04 · Educators — Tonya’s lane is the classroom
Spot-on insights into student behavior.
W-17 · V.B. · Special education teacher · Ohio
Trauma-informed and practical.
W-18 · D.L. · School counselor · Georgia
Every post feels relevant to our classrooms.
W-19 · T.G. · Early childhood educator · South Carolina
05 · Faith and community — the families that did not quit in the foster fog
A voice of moral clarity.
W-20 · R.B. · Pastor · Florida
A rare blend of faith and research.
W-21 · S.P. · Faith-based counselor · North Carolina
Invaluable for families and young people.
W-22 · H.T. · Youth ministry leader · Georgia
06 · Reader invitations — invitations and reader notes, not clinical outcomes
Eleanor Kensington
Co-organizer, Prominent Book Club
On Breaking the Attachment Code: maltreatment still shaping secure relationship after age five, from the 2016 dissertation into a form clinicians, foster and adoptive parents, educators, and advocates can use. The invitation: a Featured Author Presentation on attachment after age five and trauma-informed caregiving.
Charlotte
Executive organizer, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Meetup
On Jesus Matters ZAP: entries that make a reader feel understood rather than assessed, and Propel steps specific enough for one afternoon. The invitation: a December 2 Google Meet with readers who read as a family through winter.
Susan Morris
Oprah’s Book Club community on Goodreads
On Round Town Rumors, book one of The Round Town Trilogy: the Circleville premise and the attachment code that does not stay buried. The invitation: a six-month reading challenge featuring five authors a month.
Joel C.
Trade note
On Jesus Matters ZAP: the daily partnership of attachment science and Christian theology, SNAPPED. SHIFTED. SOLID., and the educator’s read of what a parent can hold at 2 a.m.
Drop your breakthrough.
Zero-in on what shifted. Activate the truth that held. Propel the one move another family can finish this afternoon. Initials only, no child-identifying details, posted only with permission after you confirm the final wording.