Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Mothercentered

"One of the hardest things in motherhood was that I didn't get all of this time anymore to just disappear into my thoughts and think. That feels like such a luxury." —Rebecca Lesser Allen 

On this episode we're talking about Numbing Parts with Rebecca Lesser Allen.

• Your numbing part helps you tune out when emotions feel overwhelming—it dulls your awareness so you don't have to feel the discomfort, fear, or sadness swirling inside you

• Numbing can be protective against anger or despair—when you feel helpless and powerless with a crying baby or tantruming kid, disconnecting feels like the only alternative to rage

• What looks like numbing is often craving solitude on a nervous system level—moms need reprieve from constant interaction, touch, noise, and demands

• Memory gaps from stressful periods aren't signs of failure—dissociation is how we get through overwhelming moments, and it deserves compassion, not judgment

Rebecca Lesser Allen rebecca@drrebeccalesserallen.com

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"My responsible part kept me very high functioning for a very long time. It worked really great until it didn't. When the demands of motherhood and working became too much, the self-recrimination started." —Angele Close

On this episode we're talking about Responsible Parts with Angele Close.

• The responsible part is a parentified child that feels burdened, overwhelmed, and disempowered—it didn't ask for this role and doesn't feel grounded in it by choice

• The responsible part gets positive reinforcement and keeps you high functioning, but when demands become too much, it triggers a cascade of self-recrimination and feelings of failure

• When something goes wrong (like finding out your child has seven cavities), the responsible part interprets it as total failure and triggers deep shame about being a bad mom

• Moms struggle with what they're actually responsible for as kids get older—the basics are clear with babies, but the gray areas create anxiety about what reflects on us

• Being responsive versus being responsible means noticing what each child needs and shifting your behavior to match—sometimes that's giving space and backing off as they seek autonomy

Dr. Angele Close https://www.drangeleclose.com/

Angele’s new book - Unburdening Motherhood: A Guide to Breaking Cycles, Healing Trauma, and Becoming a Self-Led Mom

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

Before becoming a therapist, I was a singer-songwriter for several decades. Music was how I expressed myself honestly as a teenager, almost like diary entries set to song. Recently, I unearthed some never-before-released songs and put together an album with my collaborator Frank Sorci, (my daughter's father).

On this episode, I'm sharing a song called "Building a Blessing" that I wrote during my pregnancy with my daughter. It reflects the optimism and hope I felt as a mom-to-be—that I could change the intergenerational trauma I'd inherited by being a mother to this new human being.

My greatest wish in life has been to discover what it is to be a good mom - because I missed that so much growing up. 

This song is a blessing for my daughter, and for my own matrescence.

My album Sticks & Stones by Red Letter is available wherever you stream music.

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"When reality is way too overwhelming and our nervous system is in overdrive, it naturally wants to do a little bit of a shutdown. Depression comes to say, 'Okay, take a break.'" —Ana Morante

On this episode we're talking about Depressed Mom Parts with Ana Morante.

• Depression is a protector that tourniquets the wound when reality is too overwhelming—it shuts off contact with pain to keep you alive, but leaves you feeling numb and disconnected

• Depression is deeply physiological—it can feel like somebody is sucking the life out of you, affecting both your emotional and physical system

• The critical piece is community support—when we know we're held by others, we can face the grief without fear of going down and never coming up

• Self-compassion creates the space to say "yes, come here, I want to see you" instead of isolating or detaching from the pain

Ana Morante: anamorantelmft@gmail.com

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"I'll tell my kids 'I'm really tired, I'm going to sit here for just a minute,' but then as soon as somebody needs something, I respond to it as though it's an urgent need, even when it's not." —Chelsea Solorzano

On this episode we're talking about the Minimizer Part with Chelsea Solorzano.

• The Minimizer can look like vulnerability on the surface—you say the words about being overwhelmed or tired—but the words aren't attached to the feeling, so you keep performing and doing all the tasks

• When you say you need something but don't follow through, your parts stop believing you—it becomes lip service that reinforces more minimizing

• Building reliability and trust within your system means actually scheduling time for yourself and showing up for it, so your parts can relax

• The Minimizer is driven by fear of rejection and being too much—it sweeps big emotions under the rug because it doesn't believe it's safe to be anything but stoic

Chelsea Solorzano contact: chelsea@mapleseedcounseling.com

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"Our children do not need perfection from us in order to be thriving human beings." —Michelle Brown

On this episode we're talking about Frustrated Parts with Michelle Brown.

• Frustration is often the first signal that something's not right—whether it's unmet needs, violated boundaries, or your nervous system being maxed out

• The Frustrated part is one of the only socially acceptable expressions of maternal discontent, so it settles in and takes up a lot of space

• Speaking for your Frustrated part (not from it) creates space—saying "Mama's feeling really frustrated right now" helps you unblend and allows your Inner Mom to care for both you and your child

• When we yell (and we will), we can model repair—coming back to acknowledge what happened shows our kids that lack of perfection is okay

Michelle Brown contact: info@michellebrownlmft.com

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"I got really good at not having wants. I learned how to practice that pretty effectively for a long, long time." —Kelly Williams

On this episode we're talking about the Wanting Part with Kelly Williams.

• Wanting is closely connected to hunger for intimacy, connection, being deeply seen—and it often gets pushed away in motherhood

• There can be a polarity inside mothers—one part wanting to be the most attuned parent, another part grieving that she didn't receive that in her own childhood

• Motherhood invites us to forget ourselves—the practice is finding our way back to speaking on behalf of our own wanting

• When wanting is respected and nurtured, it brings vitality back into your life and reconnects you with who you are separate from motherhood

Kelly Williams: kellywilliamsconsulting.com

My book When Good Moms Feel Bad is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"We're designed to be vulnerable along with being strong."

On this episode we're talking about Superwoman Parts with Jillian Early.

• Why Superwoman craves rescue and recognition but hides her craving masterfully—keeping her isolated and lonely

• How for some moms (single parents, those facing racism or economic hardship), being Superwoman isn't optional—it's survival

• The fear underneath: if I touch the grief that's there, it will swallow me whole—that's a luxury I can't afford

Jillian Early is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in maternal mental health. Connect with her at https://www.jillianearlylcsw.com/

My book “When Good Moms Feel Bad” is available everywhere you buy books.

For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com.

"No mom sets out intentionally saying 'I'm going to f*ck up my kids.'"

On this episode we're talking about Guilty Mom Parts with Karen McWilliam.

• Why guilt can activate even when there's no real transgression—just violating social or familial expectations

• How guilt becomes a nexus point that can either spiral into shame or open toward compassion

• The importance of intellectual parts in helping us make sense of overwhelming emotions without getting lost in them

Karen McWilliam is a therapist specializing in transitions and maternal mental health. Connect with her at info@transitionings.ca

My book "When Good Moms Feel Bad" is available everywhere you buy books. For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

"Being a mom doesn't mean that we don't have limits and needs."

On this episode we're talking about Angry Parts with Rachel Brnjas.

• Why anger rarely makes it into the therapy room—the taboo of moms being angry and the courage it takes to share it

• How anger protects something tender and is linked to shame, fear, and ideas of danger

• Why exploring your Angry part is actually safe and a loving way to help a part that's probably been exiled

Rachel Brnjas is a therapist at Tapestry Counseling Center. Connect with her at https://tapestrycc.com/ and on Instagram @tapestry.cc

My book "When Good Moms Feel Bad" is available everywhere you buy books. For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com

Welcome to Mothercentered!

On this episode, Jessica shares about the origins of Mom Parts and her inspiration for creating the Mothercentered podcast.

• How Jessica encountered Internal Family Systems and how IFS changed her way of seeing humans

• Why viewing motherhood through an IFS lens is so helpful for understanding our experiences

• How to develop a relationship with all the different parts of you—reactive, vulnerable, and protective

• Learning how to mother ourselves

My book "When Good Moms Feel Bad" is available everywhere you buy books. For more information and to join the community go to momparts.com