Like so many people who haven’t seen their family in years, I haven’t seen my mum in two and a half years. She lives in the UK and I live in Australia, on the opposite side of the world. We …
Tag: Family
A Personal Post for Father’s Day
Seven years ago, my father died at 91 years old. I had the opportunity to be with him for about four weeks before he passed. As he lay in his bed, getting weaker and weaker and having a dose of …
The Unavailable Father
So much of the literature in mental health and psychology has focused on the mother and attachment with the mother. But what about our fathers? As children, we need a healthy father figure. It doesn’t have to be a biological …
A Powerful Quite From Steve Biddulph
When I read this, I feel for my father. My dad was 52 when I was born. He was older than my grandparents. He fought in WWII; my grandparents were too young. He came from a completely different era to …
Connect with your Ancestral Strengths
When we look back at our ancestors, we can often find surprising, hidden strengths and things that connect us to our sense of belonging. Ever since I was little, I have been desperate to see the world, to travel. I …
How Trauma is Transmitted Intergenerationally
Intergeneratioanl trauma is real. Check out this paper “Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms” by Yehuda & Lehrner (2018) for some fantastic research-based insights. Imagine a child growing up in a household with an alcoholic mother. …
Interview with Kelly McDaniel
In this conversation, Kelly explains the concept of ‘Mother Hunger’ and the lasting effects on adult daughters and some ways to start to heal. If you have resonated with the term ‘insecure attachment’ then this is a must-watch. Much love …
It’s Okay To Feel Grief For Your Childhood AND Be Grateful For Certain Aspects Of It.
Can I hold BOTH the things I feel grief around AND the parts that made me happy? It is often difficult for the mind and body to hold BOTH, this is part of the work I do in therapy with …
A Family Hike: Mt Kosciuszko
Mt Kosciuszko is Australia’s tallest mountain at 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level. We went to visit over a long weekend. I was surprised by how different Thredbo, the little town at the bottom of the mountain, felt from …
What If It Was Never Your Fault
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Take care of yourselves wherever you are. Love, Jen