About Us
Meet the Founder
Arabhi Panchacharam
Founder and Principal Consultant of Little Blue Nook
My Journey: The Experiences That Shaped Me
I'm Arabhi Panchacharam, Founder and Principal Consultant of Little Blue Nook.
My story began in Chennai, India, where I was abandoned shortly after birth and cared for in an orphanage. I was subsequently adopted as an infant by Sri Lankan immigrant parents living in New York.
My older brother, also adopted, had joined our family before me. Although we grew up in the same loving household, our beginnings and adoption experiences were vastly different.
Throughout childhood and into adulthood, my brother and I navigated complicated emotions, relationships, cultural expectations, and questions about identity and belonging, often without the understanding or guidance we needed. Our parents loved us deeply, but they, too, could have benefited from additional education, perspective, and support.
These experiences inspired Little Blue Nook: a welcoming space offering approachable, adoptee-informed guidance that complements the important work of clinicians and other professionals.
My lived experience has shaped the way I understand adoption, while my academic background in psychology and healthcare management has broadened my perspective. I continue to deepen my understanding of adoption, trauma, attachment, and ambiguous loss through ongoing education, research, and conversations with professionals and fellow adoptees.
I believe there's always more to learn, especially from the experiences and perspectives of others. No two adoption journeys are alike, and I approach each with curiosity, compassion, and respect.
What We Needed: The Inspiration
Looking back, I often wonder how different certain experiences might have been if my family and I had someone we could turn to for additional understanding and support.
Someone who would listen without judgment, offer perspective, help us navigate difficult conversations, or simply check in from time to time.
Not as a replacement for therapy or professional care, but as another person in our corner—someone who understood the complexities of adoption through lived experience.
These reflections helped inspire Little Blue Nook.
My hope is to offer adoptees, families, and the professionals supporting them the kind of compassionate, approachable connection I believe could have made a meaningful difference in our lives.
I recognize that every adoption story is different. My experiences do not give me all the answers, but they have shaped my perspective, deepened my compassion, and inspired my commitment to supporting others.
Why Little Blue Nook
Adoption is a lifelong experience that can shape our understanding of family, relationships, personal history, cultural identity, and belonging. Questions and emotions may emerge at different stages of life, sometimes when we least expect them.
Little Blue Nook offers a welcoming space for adoptees to share experiences, ask questions, and reflect; for families to gain perspective and strengthen communication; and for professionals to draw upon an additional lived-experience perspective.
Through compassionate, informal, non-clinical guidance and peer support, Little Blue Nook seeks to complement—not replace—therapy and other professional services.
Our Mission
To provide compassionate, adoptee-informed guidance and steady, approachable support to adoptees, families, and professionals throughout the lifelong adoption journey.
Rooted in lived experience and strengthened by ongoing education, Little Blue Nook creates space for meaningful conversations, greater understanding, and connection surrounding personal history, cultural identity, relationships, and belonging.
Through individualized support, thoughtful collaboration, and access to resources, we aim to complement the important work of clinicians and other professionals while respecting each person's unique experiences, needs, and pace.
Our Vision
A world where adoptees feel heard, families feel supported, and professionals recognize the meaningful contributions of lived experience in fostering greater understanding and connection.
We envision a community where compassionate guidance is approachable, individual stories are respected, and people have opportunities to find meaningful support throughout the many stages of the adoption journey.
Where professional knowledge and lived experience are valued together, and every voice has a place.