Support for Mums
Well-being drop in
Well-being drop in
Join us at the Real Birth Studio, Hereford every Wednesday 9.30-10.30 to ask Rachael (Clinical Psychologist) questions around psychological well-being in motherhood.
We cover whatever topic you bring - anxiety in motherhood, intrusive thoughts, work, identity, neurodiversity in motherhood, relationships, birth - anything that you would like to give voice to.
You do not have to talk in the group, or share any personal information, you can simply use the space to listen to other women’s stories, get advice, or feel connected and less alone. It might sometimes be the case that you are the only person that attends the session!
First session free - £7.50 thereafter.
Support Circles for Mums
Support Circles for Mums
Mums who identify with neurodiversity (diagnosed or not)
Every 2nd Monday of the month 8-9pm online.
Are you a Mum who identifies with traits of ADHD, Autism or AuDHD? Like mothering isn't hard enough, neurodiverse traits can add another layer of complexity. Join our circle of support. A space where women gather and connect - no judgement, no problem solving, just pure connection with other women who 'get it'.
Mums of children who are high energy/neurodiverse/neurocurious
Every 3rd Monday of the month 8-9pm online
Are you a Mum who's child(ren) are high energy, have REALLY big feelings, who sometimes present with behaviours that are challenging, who have neurodiverse traits or are diagnosed? This is a space to connect with Mums who are on a similar journey to yours. Mums who 'get it'. No judgement, no problem solving, just pure connection. Gathering together as Mums to support each other.
Please note that these spaces are facilitated by Rachael, Clinical Psychologist, so don’t worry, it’s not a free for all!! If you want space to talk, you will get it, but equally if you want to sit back and listen that’s totally fine too. My hope for you is that you leave feeling less alone, more connected, less like you’re going crazy, that you’re not good enjough, that there’s something ‘wrong’ with you or you’re doing something wrong - because you aren’t!
This won’t be a space where psychoeducation is provided but I am going to be running some workshops on ADHD very soon!
Well-being half day retreats
Well-being half day retreats
Well-being half day retreat for Mums
January 24th 09.30-12.30
@The Real Birth Studio, Hereford
Babies in arms welcome
A short and gentle Yoga session with Tracy from And Exhale
Managing Overwhelm in Motherhood - Rachael (Clinical Psychologist)
A talk from Jodie, Personal Trainer specialising in women’s health
A talk from Helen, a physiotherapist specialising in women’s health including perimenopause.
Aromatherapist and reflexologist, Lara, presenting on ‘self care made simple with oils’.
Limited spaces so book now: £25 a ticket or 2 for £40 - contact us for the coupon
Refreshments available. Please inform us of any dietary needs.
Workshops for Mothers
Please get in touch if interested in joining a workshop. They are not currently being run but will be with sufficient interest.
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Ep 1. Matrescence
In this workshop we'll be looking at what matrescence is and reflecting on what your matrescence journey might look like - every journey is unique. We will look at areas of change that we might experience when we move into and through motherhood (not just the body!!) and what might impact our matrescence journey.
Scroll down the page for more info on what matrescence is.
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Ep 2. Grieving your 'old' self
This is such a special workshop. In our society we rarely acknowledge what we, as mothers, have lost. We might feel pressure to be 'grateful' or you may feel (or actually be!) judged by others if you talk about the hardships. In this workshop we'll be giving a voice to what we have lost through motherhood as well as reflecting on how much we have grown.
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Ep 3. Finding your sparkle again
This workshop is around values - how much they might change as we move toward and through motherhood. So often Mums feel lost, like they don't know who they are anymore, they feel like they've lost their sparkle - yearning for their 'old' self or just some sense of familiarity. We'll be looking at ways we can keep in touch with our identity aside from 'Mum'. I found this reinvention of self a big shift in my journey - it's still exactly that, a journey!
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Ep 4. Why emotions are our mothering ally
As a society we are so aversive to uncomfortable feelings and thoughts - books around 'how to be happier', 'how to be less anxious' - told 'don't cry' etc. It's so unhelpful when uncomfortable feelings and thoughts are an inevitable daily, hourly+ occurrence as a Mum. In this workshop we'll be starting to dissect this a bit more and finding ways to feel more empowered to manage these difficult thoughts and feelings. It's even helpful when we support our own children with their uncomfortable emotions.
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Ep 5. Managing anxiety as a Mother
Kind of does what it says on the tin! We'll be making sense of the anxiety that is often so prevalent in motherhood, and thinking of more strategies to manage this.
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Ep 6. The shame: breaking through the glass mountains
There is so much shame around our bodies as women. It's the not talking about menstruation, not talking about all the challenges of pregnancy and birthing, not talking about the challenges postpartum. It's the fact that the most offensive word in the english language is another word for women's genitals!! We have nothing to be ashamed about! In this workshop we'll be getting in touch with our more confident and powerful selves.
Women’s Circles for mothers
What are women’s circles??
Women’s circles for mothers are a welcoming and private space where mothers come together to share experiences, offer mutual support, and build connection without judgment. It is a space where there is no solutions given, just listening and being heard. Drawing inspiration from age-old traditions, these gatherings nurture self-discovery, a sense of community, and emotional balance, giving mothers the freedom to be truly seen and heard, away from societal expectations.
Rachael’s vision and values for the women’s circles she holds:
“For me, the intension of the women’s circles I hold for mothers is to empower mothers, to unsilence mothers, to unshame mothers, to help release mothers from patriarchal oppression, to be seen and heard, to feel connected to other mothers going through the same journey - to gather the lonely and lost. It’s my way to set ablaze to the patriarchy.”
“Becoming a mother is an identity shift, and one of the most significant physical and psychological changes a women will ever experience
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What is Matrescence?
Matrescence is the transition into and through Motherhood. It is the developmental process a women experiences where she transitions into and through motherhood towards the integration of her other-self with her mother-self.
Materscence is “a transition that involves a whole spectrum of emotional and existential ruptures….the wildest, hardest, most enlivening and extreme psychological, existential, social, physical and socio-political experience of my life”. – Lucy Jones
We are here to support you through the beautiful and sometimes brutal transition into and through motherhood.
The shift into motherhood can bring up a lot of old and new feelings and thoughts. It can raise those ghosts in the nursery, it can bring up chages in identity, values, you might feel lost, alone, that you’ve lost your sparkle and miss the old you. Your support network may have changed, and you might be navigating new friendships as well as different pressures on your more intimate partnerships. You might be anxious, low in mood, you might have intense intrusive thoughts. Motherhood in all of it’s glory is a huge adjustment and we’re here to help support you through it.
Workshops for organisations
We deliver workshops on matrescence to organisations and the community, online and face to face.
A bespoke package can be developed based on the needs of the organisation. Get in touch for a free consultation.
We can cover a variety of topics including:
Understanding matrescence
Making sense of and supporting mental health within motherhood
Supporting mothers in the workplace