This webinar is intended for counselling practitioners and other interested professionals.
How is the mother understood within psychodynamic theory and British culture?
In this seminar, we will explore how, within psychodynamic theory, the mother has often been positioned as the “go-to villain” – the silent scapegoat held responsible for our clients’ suffering (Caplan & Hall-McCorquodale, 1985). We will also reflect on the many roles therapists may find themselves inhabiting (therapist–parent–child) and how these roles can influence the therapeutic process in subtle yet powerful ways.
Research suggests that, within Europe, British mothers report the highest levels of isolation and guilt (The Social Issues Research Centre, 2011). In addition, more than one in ten women in the UK develop a mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year of motherhood (MMHA, 2019). What part do cultural narratives and psychodynamic frameworks play in contributing to these experiences?
About the speaker:
This seminar is led by Marta Moe, a psychodynamic psychotherapist in private practice in Brighton. During her Diploma training, Marta noticed how aspects of psychodynamic teaching seemed to reinforce her own maternal guilt – an experience echoed by peers, yet never openly explored. This led to her MSc thesis on maternal ambivalence, in which she interviewed counsellors and psychotherapists about their personal and professional encounters with this topic – a theme that continues to be surrounded by silence and shame.
