Resentful. Anxious. Lonely. Controlling.‍ ‍

These were common emotions that crept up during the first 7 years of my daughter’s life. My husband was developing a new business, my anxiety around my daughter’s safety was through the roof and working remotely from home, I felt lost and alone. As these feelings grew, my normal joy, enthusiasm, and ability maintain positive connections faded. I knew something had to shift if I wanted to have a healthy marriage, reimagine myself outside of motherhood and create the stability I knew we needed in our home. I didn’t need to overhaul my life, but I knew if was up to me to make the change.

Through therapy, coaching and learning valuable mindset tools, I came to see that I am not alone in my experience of motherhood. I discovered the term, matrescence, a word coined by anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 70’s. It refers to the transition into motherhood, a period marked by profound changes in a woman’s body, mind, and social roles, similar to how adolescence represents the transition from childhood to adulthood. This gave me a wider context for what I was experiencing and helped me make sense of the complexities I was holding as a mom.

At the same time, I began learning about and implementing tools from around mindset, compassionate communication, parts work and the nervous system. These insights allowed me to see beyond the thoughts, which gave me access to not only my intuition and wisdom, but also more vitality, creativity and joy. It’s from that place, that I have been able to create small shifts that have had big impacts on my healthy energy, relationships and overall well-being.

As I move through each season of motherhood, I can approach the changes in myself, my daughter and our family as a whole with more grace, compassion and understanding. I don’t always have the answers and I don’t always get it right. But I know the peace and clarity that comes from “doing the work,” and I would love to support you in doing that too.

Warmly,

Jenn