Support for Mums
Friday November 21st
09.30-12.30
At The Coop, Hereford
£30 a ticket with £5 off with the code EARLYBIRD until November
Includes:
Yoga session by a qualified yoga instructor
Meditation and breath work
Discussions around matrescence and mental health of Mums by two Clinical Psychologists
A talk from a physiotherapist specialising in motherhood
All welcome! Mums, Grandmothers, Fathers, Grandfathers, Aunts, Uncles, friends of a Mums! We all know a Mum, so even if you’re not a Mum yourself you are more than welcome to come learn about the world of Mums!
Children welcome!
Well-being half day Retreat
Workshops for Mothers
At The Coop, Hereford & The Real Birth Studio, Hereford (make sure to sign up for the right location)
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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.”
Rachael facilitates weekly Women’s circles for mothers at the Real Birth Centre on Wednesday mornings 10.45-11.45, and Friday afternoons 1.00-2.00 at the Hereford Yoga Centre (for mothers of older children).
“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.
Womens Matrescence Circles and workshops
This is an opportunity to have space to connect with your community of mothers, to share experiences and emotions. There are three different offerings we have and please see further information below:
1) Matrescence women’s sharing circles
2) Workshops online, in the community and for organisations.
Therapy
Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused informed therapy we can work on sense-making, identity shifts, changes in values, and identify what you need in order to lead a rich and fulfilling life.
We can work with any ‘mothers’ and have experience working with biological mothers, foster carers, kinship carers, adopted parents, mothers with children with health conditions and mothers of children who are neurodivergent.
Rachael is also a Seasons of Matrescence Educator and Guide in training (see below for details).
Both Lottie and Rachael are EMDR trained to help treat birth trauma.
Retreats
Retreats can include workshops, matrescence sharing circles, reflective groups, yoga, mindfulness and meditation, depending on time and location.
We are running a half day retreat on November 21st 2025 at The Coop in Hereford.
Workshops
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