The Journey

This is a life-affirming study based on the book, Motherless Daughters: A Legacy of Loss 2nd edition by Hope Edelman. The book chronicles the author’s brave search for healing following the death of her mother when she was 17. It is based on hundreds of interviews with women who lost their mothers from childhood ages through adult years. Although the author’s perspective may not be factually similar to your time and situation of loss, previous classes have resulted in an emerging trend of revelations.

Let’s first start by defining a motherless daughter. A motherless daughter can be a woman who has experienced mother loss through death of her mother, either by early loss before her 20s or later loss after her 20s. A motherless daughter could be a woman who has experienced having a mother who may have quit nurturing her at an earlier age, and then she loses her mother again through death as an adult. This is defined as a double loss. A motherless daughter might be a woman who has a living mother but has never experienced her mother’s nurturing care. Which one of these defines you?

No matter at what point or how we become motherless daughters, our understanding and appreciation for the profound effect of mother loss leads us on an enlightened journey of fellowship with Hope Edelman’s book as a guide. We will utilize scripture and The Motherless Daughters Ministry Workbook by Mary Ellen Collins to enhance the learning experience.

The study searches for understanding of:

  1. How the absence of a mother’s nurturing hand shapes a woman’s identity
  2. How present-day relationships are shaped by past losses
  3. How mother loss influences our style of mothering
  4. How the grief of mother loss surfaces throughout our lifetime
  5. How we experience living beyond our mother’s final years
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Are you ready for this healing journey?

Upcoming classes:

The Journey Retreat

The Journey Class – online programming coming in the future

 

The Emotionally Absent Mother

In this class, we will be using the book The Emotionally Absent Mother: A Guide to Self-Healing and Getting the Love You Missed by Jasmin Lee Cori. The class focuses on women who have missed mothering in their lives whether their mother is deceased or living. This is called “under-mothered.” For whatever reason, she just was not there for you. We will explore what impact the absence of mothering has had on your life and explore what you can do to support your healing.

The study will:
1.    Identify “Good Mother” messages and the effects of the lack of these messages.
2.    The toughest things about having an emotionally absent mother.
3.    Explore the many faces of the Good Mother and evaluate their impact.
4.    Identify attachment patterns and explore the building blocks that have shaped your foundation.
5.    Express your attachment pattern and foundation graphically.
6.    Determine how the issues and concerns related to the absence of your mother have impacted your life.
7.    Be able to choose to give these issues and concerns to God.
8.    Explore your mother’s story.
9.    Identify the abilities and blessings you have today because of her absence.
10.    Create an action plan of how you will continue to heal and get the support you need.

Upcoming class:

Sept. 6 – Oct. 11, 2018 (10 AM – Noon at Montgomery Community Church)

 

Daughters of the Narcissistic Mother

 

In this 6-week class, we will be using the book Will I Ever Be Good Enough: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Dr. Karyl McBride Ph.D.

We will work to instill an understanding and realization of your mother’s condition and the effects that her narcissism has had on your life. Narcissism is often rooted in family history. It is a life long struggle to break the bonds. This understanding empowers self-trust and self-acceptance of who you are today and that YOU are good enough.

Will I ever be good enough is not really a question but it is a judgment. It is a message that you may have received from your mother. It implies that we are not good enough and so what may happen is:

  • We judge ourselves and assume others are judging us critically
  • We are unsure of ourselves and may be
    • Oversensitive
    • Indecisive
    • Self conscious
    • Lack self trust
    • Have the inability to sustain relationships
    • Lack confidence
    • Have a sense of insecurity

Upcoming Class:

Oct. 16 – Nov. 20, 2018 (10 AM – Noon at Montgomery Community Church)