A person-centred space for mothers and those who support them
What is Authentic Mothering?
Living authentically means knowing yourself and acting in a way that is in line with who you are and what is important to you. Authentic mothering means caring for your child and yourself in a way that is right for you both.
This website was created to help mothers and those who support them to examine the messages that we receive about motherhood and to find ways to explore what motherhood means to them in their own unique ways.
This isn’t a website that is going to tell you how to be a better mother. Instead, it aims to be somewhere that will help you to recognise that most mothers are doing a pretty good job already but that sometimes we need that to be recognised, both by ourselves and by others.
What is Authentic Mothering?
Living authentically means knowing yourself and acting in a way that is in line with who you are and what is important to you. Authentic mothering means caring for your child and yourself in a way that is right for you both.
This website was created to help mothers and those who support them to examine the messages that we receive about motherhood and to find ways to explore what motherhood means to them in their own unique ways.
This isn’t a website that is going to tell you how to be a better mother. Instead, it aims to be somewhere that will help you to recognise that most mothers are doing a pretty good job already but that sometimes we need that to be recognised, both by ourselves and by others.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Heather Rai, and I’m a person-centred therapist based in Nottingham, UK.
I have worked with new parents since 2013, when I qualified as a breastfeeding counsellor with the National Childbirth Trust. This training taught me to closely listen to new parents and to support them to find a way that is right for them..
In 2016, I started training as a psychotherapist at the University of Nottingham. Having seen how beautifully a person-centred approach supports new parents, I was shocked to find nothing in the person-centred literature about motherhood from a person-centred perspective.
In response, I started my own research for my dissertation, speaking to other therapists and mothers about their experiences. Since graduating in 2020, I have continued this work through research, reflection and writing.
What is a Mother?
Not all people who have given birth would describe themselves as mothers, and some who are mothers haven’t given birth.
I have chosen to write about motherhood and not more generic parenthood as I would like to explore the impact of misogyny, patriarchy and gendered conditions of worth on caring for children.
As I write, I would like to include anybody who wishes to explore what motherhood means to them, whether that’s a label that they use for themselves or not, and I welcome contributions from those with experiences different to my own.
Please contact me if you would like to share your story.
Popular Articles
Mothering and the Person-Centred Approach
A look at the opportunities for us if we look at motherhood through a person-centred framework.
A Therapist Reflects
A creative piece about a therapist reflecting on her work with mothers and the impact on her.
What is Authentic Mothering?
The challenges of living authentically alongside the intensity of caring for children.
Maternal Congruence
How can we find congruence when we are so closely tied to our children and their needs, often putting their wellbeing before our own?