Understanding maternal rage: a guide for therapists

ABOUT THE EPISODE

What we cover

Caroline and Natalie explore the context of maternal rage, shame, parts work, body awareness and thoughtful therapist disclosure when supporting mothers.

• Contextual forces behind maternal anger
• Parts work and nervous-system regulation
• Therapist disclosure and support

What can sit around maternal rage?

Maternal rage does not happen outside a context. Caroline and Natalie explore wider forces surrounding anger, including shame, a mother’s own upbringing, childhood experiences and the pressure carried in the body and nervous system.

Looking at context can help move the conversation away from treating anger as proof that somebody is a bad mother. It creates space to understand what activates the response, what it may be trying to communicate and what support is missing.

How can therapists explore anger without adding more shame?

The episode considers parts mapping, body awareness and relating to an “adult self” as possible ways of approaching anger. These ideas can support curiosity about the response while keeping attention on regulation and the client’s current capacity.

Therapist disclosure also needs thought. The conversation raises the importance of noticing the therapist’s own activation and using disclosure only when it serves the client, rather than to resolve the therapist’s discomfort.

Related listening: For a related conversation about fertility treatment, miscarriage and baby loss, listen to Supporting Clients Through Infertility or Baby Loss, including when specialist referral may help.