//podcastplus.net/feed/the-good-enough-mother~486fcf5f The role of being a Mother offers us the potential for incredible expansion, growth, and power, while also being one of – if not THE – most challenging, undervalued, and taken for granted roles in the world. Motherhood Studies Sociologist, researcher, and single Mother, Dr Sophie Brock hosts The Good Enough Mother (TGEM) podcast with an aim to change how Motherhood is culturally defined and individually experienced. TGEM draws its name from a theorist and pediatrician Winnicott, who highlighted the ways ‘good enough’ parenting is actually what is best for our children – not perfectionism. The podcast centres the Mother as the starting point for conversations with experts and change-makers who are passionate about seeing social, cultural, and institutional change to better support Mothers and therefore our families, and communities. Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:09:23 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2129150310-user-403353040-124-perimenopause-mothering-and-our-relationship-with-food-a-conversation-with-dr-cristina-cavezza.mp3 What happens when the emotional, hormonal, and cultural shifts of perimenopause intersect with the daily realities of motherhood? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Cristina Cavezza - clinical psychologist, certified Motherhood Studies practitioner, and mother of twins - for a powerful conversation on the complexities of midlife mothering.Cristina shares her clinical and lived experience of working with mothers during the menopausal transition, exploring how body image, eating habits, and emotional wellbeing are shaped by both personal history and broader systems of power. We talk about the role of objectification theory, the impact of internalised shame and societal shoulds, and the importance of approaching our inner worlds with compassion and curiosity.Cristina brings a trauma-informed, feminist lens to her work - blending schema therapy, EMDR, and therapeutic re-parenting to support women in understanding their emotional needs and reclaiming a more connected relationship with food, their bodies, and them... Sun, 13 Jul 2025 20:30:27 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2129150310-user-403353040-124-perimenopause-mothering-and-our-relationship-with-food-a-conversation-with-dr-cristina-cavezza.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2113171431-user-403353040-123-when-good-moms-feel-bad-ifs-motherhood-and-the-healing-power-of-parts-work-with-jessica-tomich-sorci.mp3 In this episode I’m joined by Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT - a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, and the creator of “Mom Parts.” Jessica brings decades of experience in maternal mental health and introduces us to the profound concept of parts work within the context of motherhood. We explore how IFS offers a radically compassionate lens through which to understand maternal distress, not as pathology, but as a protective and adaptive system.Jessica shares how her own postpartum years “blasted apart her psychological infrastructure,” and how discovering IFS brought the structure and depth she needed, both personally and professionally. We talk about her groundbreaking book When Good Moms Feel Bad (forthcoming in 2026 from Hachette Balance), which helps mothers reconnect with their inner wisdom through compassion, creativity, and curiosity. From rage and reactivity to grief, shame, and intergenerational wounds, this conversation hol... Sun, 15 Jun 2025 20:15:03 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2113171431-user-403353040-123-when-good-moms-feel-bad-ifs-motherhood-and-the-healing-power-of-parts-work-with-jessica-tomich-sorci.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2094132873-user-403353040-122-when-motherhood-feels-like-too-much-and-not-enough.mp3 I explore the emotional complexity that motherhood brings in the context of post-Mother’s-Day – and how we can feel both deep love and deep exhaustion, often in the same breath.I speak to the invisible labour mothers carry, the craving to be seen, and the cultural expectations that shape how we think we “should” feel. You'll hear some of my own reflections about ambivalence, overwhelm, tenderness, identity, and what it means to take up space as a mother....If this conversation resonates with you and you're curious about what it looks like to bring this lens into your current or future mother-care work, tune in to the previous episode: Ep 121 - A Free Training + A Final Invitation: The Next Wave of Motherhood Studies. I share details about the free Missing Piece training and the final days to join The Motherhood Studies Certification - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies Mon, 12 May 2025 03:44:57 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2094132873-user-403353040-122-when-motherhood-feels-like-too-much-and-not-enough.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2084922420-user-403353040-120-in-conversation-with-prof-andrea-oreilly-from-invisibility-to-academic-discipline-the-revolutionary-discipline-of-motherhood-studies.mp3 Join us for a groundbreaking conversation with Professor Andrea O'Reilly, the internationally renowned pioneer who founded the field of Motherhood Studies. In this powerful episode, Dr O'Reilly shares her 40-year journey from questioning motherhood's absence in Women's Studies as a pregnant undergraduate to establishing an entire academic discipline dedicated to mothers' experiences. She discusses the creation of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative, Demeter Press (which has published nearly 200 titles), and concepts like "Mother Outlaws" and Matricentric Feminism. Key themes explored include the difference between patriarchal motherhood and empowered mothering, the ongoing struggle for legitimacy in academia, raising "outlaw children" against patriarchal norms, the vital importance of community for resistant mothers, and her vision for making mothers "the before thought, not the afterthought." Andrea reflects on the costs and joys of feminist mothering, the need for a mother-centered lens in all discipli... Sun, 27 Apr 2025 21:00:06 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2084922420-user-403353040-120-in-conversation-with-prof-andrea-oreilly-from-invisibility-to-academic-discipline-the-revolutionary-discipline-of-motherhood-studies.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2078051452-user-403353040-119-perinatal-suicidality-making-sense-of-the-unseen-with-dr-laura-biggs-and-panda-ceo-julie-borninkhof.mp3 Content note: perinatal suicidality In this episode Sophie speaks with midwife and Research Fellow Dr Laura Biggs, and CEO of PANDA Australia, Julie Borninkhof about the Making Sense of the Unseen partnership between the Stronger Futures CRE and the Murdoch Children’s REsearch Institute, PANDA Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, and James Cook University.In the episode you’ll hear discussed key findings from ground-breaking research conducted by the team on experiences of perinatal suicidality, the first study of its kind ever to be carried out. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in Australia and other high-income countries and yet so far, we’ve known little about women’s experiences of suicidality at this time in their lives. As discussed in this episode, the research identified that perinatal suicidality is driven by experiences of shame, and feelings of being disconnected and ‘defective’ as a mother. We talk about how societal pressures and the perfect mother myth narrative ... Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:55:30 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2078051452-user-403353040-119-perinatal-suicidality-making-sense-of-the-unseen-with-dr-laura-biggs-and-panda-ceo-julie-borninkhof.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2071370804-user-403353040-matrescence-festival-recording-motherhood-studies-news.mp3 I share some updates and some talks I’m giving soon, along with the recording I took of when I was practicing my talk for the Matrescence Festival, organised by Claire Tonti and Lizzy Humber. In the talk I share about where the ‘perfect mother myth’ often starts in our own lives, what it is, how it connects to the broader ‘tank’ of motherhood that we’re all ‘swimming’ around in, and how mothering can be a catalyst for our own growth and development. Here are the links mentioned in the episode - Parental Brain Summit - presenting on “Understanding the Care Career Conundrum: A Sociological Approach for Professionals" - https://info137--newbornparents.thrivecart.com/the-parental-brain-summit/Breastfeeding Conference (May 9, 2025) presenting on "Beyond 'Good Mothers' and 'Good Babies': Sociological Insights on Cultural Ideals"https://www.breastfeedingconferences.com.au/about/Broken-Sleep-Insights-and-evidence-based-approaches-to-infant-sleep?ref=XARAHE Publications - Journal of Motherhood Initia... Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2071370804-user-403353040-matrescence-festival-recording-motherhood-studies-news.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2043038376-user-403353040-when-a-mother-reclaims-her-space-tehla-bowers-story.mp3 In this episode, I speak with mother of two and writer Tehla Bower about her book, "A Mother's Space: Permission to Pause." Tehla candidly shares her experience of disconnection after becoming a mother and her journey to shed both external and internal expectations, ultimately drawing on her maternal experience to reclaim space and redefine herself. She describes pivotal health events affecting her and her children that prompted a significant life shift. Tehla reflects on her formerly career-centric identity and how motherhood surprisingly reconnected her with forgotten parts of herself. We discuss societal judgment of mothers, including the dismissive "what a waste" comment she received while pregnant after completing her MBA, and examine how institutions reinforce oppressive structures impacting mothers. Tehla's story illustrates how mothers live within the 'tank,' subject to rules, expectations, and judgment, but can learn to 'mother against motherhood' (O'Reilly; Rich) and reclaim a space of their own. Le... Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2043038376-user-403353040-when-a-mother-reclaims-her-space-tehla-bowers-story.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2018898861-user-403353040-116-motherhood-as-leadership-transforming-through-matrescence-with-babette-lockefeer.mp3 In this episode with leadership facilitator and founder of Matermorphosis, Babette Lockefeer, we explore the powerful intersection of motherhood and leadership. Drawing from her experience in corporate leadership development and as a mother of three young boys, Babette shares her journey of discovering how matrescence mirrors the path of authentic leadership. The conversation explores how the changes that come with becoming a mother can create unique opportunities for growth and learning, and we discuss the importance of reclaiming our role as mothers as an asset rather than a liability in professional spaces. Babette reflects on the power of mothering as a catalyst for transformation in both our personal and professional lives. Connect with Babette:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/babette-l-85693326Babette's leadership development company: https://www.theoryy.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matermorphosis/Resonated with Babette's 'mountains' analogy from the episode? Check out her program - The... Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2018898861-user-403353040-116-motherhood-as-leadership-transforming-through-matrescence-with-babette-lockefeer.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2005768415-user-403353040-shaping-the-future-of-postpartum-care-a-conversation-with-julia-jones-on-postpartum-education.mp3 Julia Jones has over 15 years of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and best-selling author and has trained over 1500 postpartum professionals in over 60 countries through her worldwide leading education training for postpartum professionals. In this episode Julia shares about her entry into the space of postpartum support, differences in postpartum support practices around the world, and the development of her long-term vision in revolutionising postpartum care practices through Newborn Mothers. Julia’s initial interest in ayurvedic practices led her down the path of offering postpartum care, but there was a lack of formal training options when she started 15 years ago. Julia shares her journey in filling this gap through her business and community. We talk about boundaries, working from data rather than assumptions, and making intentional choices. We discuss the professionalisation of postpartum care and hear Julia’s vision of a world where postpartum care is understood as integral to the healt... Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2005768415-user-403353040-shaping-the-future-of-postpartum-care-a-conversation-with-julia-jones-on-postpartum-education.mp3 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1978503283-user-403353040-how-a-footnote-changed-everything-last-call-for-the-motherhood-studies-certification-legacy-edition.mp3 In this solo episode, I share the story of how an accidental footnote in my sociology degree led me to discover my life's work and create the world's first Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification. Before its evolution in 2025, I'm offering this Legacy Edition of the certification with its foundational curriculum one final time - and at a $1,000AUD discount. In this episode I share what I'm doing differently next year, my thoughts on the current and future landscape of mother-support, and what makes this Legacy Edition special. Note: The Legacy Edition special offer is closing soon. The program is in complete self-study mode to complete at your own pace, is discounted by $1,000AUD, and is available on a 12 month payment plan. If you want to be part of creating real change in how we value and support mothers, this is for you. Learn more and join here: https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies/Resources Mentioned:The Fish Tank of Motherhood animation - https://drsophiebrock.com/thefishtankofmotherhoodGra... Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1978503283-user-403353040-how-a-footnote-changed-everything-last-call-for-the-motherhood-studies-certification-legacy-edition.mp3