“Motherhood is the ultimate confrontation with yourself. Whatever is there to discover at the bottom of your soul, whether dross or treasure, motherhood will help you find it.”
Lisa Marchiano in Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself.
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Intro | Journaling and Motherhood Workshops | Book your Trial | Freebie | FAQs | About Us
muse- mothers uniting in stories and emotions
Matrescence is a major life transition and a dramatic rite of passage that “affects the brain, the endocrine system, cognition, immunity, the psyche, the microbiome, the sense of self” (Lucy Jones in Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood). Complex changes occur in every sphere of a mother’s life, without giving a proper voice to the aches, pains and also the beauty of this transformation within our society.
Led by an educational psychologist, muse - Journaling through Motherhood workshops have been created with the hope of providing a safe space to hold these aches and pains, but also to celebrate and cherish the joy and beauty of motherhood.
Journaling
“I should advise you to put it all down as beautifully as you can - in some beautifully bound book…Then when these things are in some precious book you can go to the book and turn over the pages and for you it will be your church - your cathedral - the silent places of your spirit where you will find renewal.” (Analysis Notebooks, C.G. Jung, quoted in The Red Book, Liber Novus)
Throughout the Journaling through Motherhood 8-week workshops, journaling will be used as a tool to reflect, look within and make sense of the new identity of becoming a mother. Journaling involves an expressive and creative process which puts thoughts, feelings and experiences into concrete words, drawings or scribbles. We hope to give participating mothers the safe space and opportunity to see their various experiences of motherhood and be seen by other comrade mothers.
Literature as a Muse
During the 8-week workshops we will introduce passages from books related to motherhood as a muse to writing, reflecting and journaling, alongside visualisations, meditation and discussions. Reading and writing help to ground our experiences within contexts that are relevant to all.
Sharing and Community
Motherhood can be an isolating time. The village we sometimes hear about is not always at our disposal. We hope to create a community of mothers who see each other through listening and sharing stories and emotions. Uniting together to embrace the diversity and unique experiences of motherhood.
Guided Writing
How often have we set down, willing the words on paper? We feel so much, and yet, it is not always easy to express ourselves in tangible terms despite the eagerness. At muse, we aim to provide guidance and tips to help the words flow easier, so you make the most of your journaling sessions with us, and beyond.
Is it for me?!
This workshop is for anyone who identifies as a mother in various phases of motherhood (parenting infants, toddlers, school age children or teens), no matter how one became a mother (birth, adoption, fostering, legal guardians, step parents etc...).
We are also giving the opportunity for mothers of infants (till 1 year of age) to bring their baby with them, supporting new mums to carve some time for themselves. The baby’s needs will be prioritised with mats, adequate toys and the liberty to take care of their needs as necessary.
It is for mothers who love self-reflection and are looking for a creative way to make sense of who they have become.
Can I try it out?
We are offering a one-time-trial workshop (Motherhood: Rite of Passage) as a taster to anyone interested in experiencing journaling within a group.
The participants can then commit to the Journaling through Motherhood 8-week workshops. The price for the trial is of €25 and you can book by following the button below.
Please note that the trial is refundable up until the 23rd of September. If you decide to cancel your trial beyond this date we will unfortunately be unable to refund you.
Book your Trial
Subscribe to the muse newsletter and get your first freebie!
You must receive many requests for subscriptions - so we want to make this worth your while. We know how hard it is for children to come to terms with big changes in their lives. Created by educational psychologist Sarah, we’ve put together a story telling template to prepare your child to say goodbye to nursery and to say hello to a new school. Using Daniel Tiger characters, children are gently introduced to the concept of having a new teacher, as they leave the familar environment and people at nursery.
The template can be modified to suit your needs. You will receive more instructions and information in the email you’ll receive after subscribing.
Keep checking back for more freebies coming your way
FAQs
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We will meet for 8 weeks every Thursday for 1.5hours, each week during morning hours (10:45am). This will run from October till November. During the workshops we will have time to get to know each other, delve into literature related to motherhood, dip our toes in techniques of meditation and visualisations in order to spend some time with ourselves through journaling. We will also have a sharing space, for whoever would like to give voice to their writings. This format is susceptible to change depending on the needs of the group.
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No, everyone is free to share or not share depending on how comfortable they feel. It's good to keep in mind that if you decide to share, your contribution will be held by a professional who can support you to explore whatever emotions might crop up. You are safe and your experience will be contained within safe and professional hands. The group is also bound by confidentiality, where each mother agrees to keep what is shared and said in the workshop within the group.
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We propose to focus on one particular theme of motherhood within each workshop, so that everyone can focus on a common experience. Examples of such themes are; Identity, Relationships, The bad mother, Breaking the cycle of the past, Moments of Joy, Moments of Chaos… We don't want to give away too much! Moreover, we would like our mothers’ to also have a say in what we focus on. As we all learn through motherhood, flexibility is key!
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The literature will vary from books of various formats (self-help, psycho educational, autobiographic etc…) which all discuss motherhood. Some of the books include:
Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself by Lisa Marchiano
Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones
Don't Lick the Minivan by Leanne Shirtliffe
Good Inside: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Parent You Want to Be by Dr Becky Kennedy
Beautiful Chaos by Jessica Urlichs
Songs of Motherhood curated by Roberta Azzopardi
There is no need to do any reading beforehand. Excerpts from the books will be shared during each workshop as a muse to writing, reflecting and journaling.
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We are asking each mother to invest in a personal notebook/ journal/ diary to use during the workshops. We will provide print outs of the excerpts we will read out, to add to the personal journal. As Jung describes, this journal will serve as a window to your soul, so choosing one will be part of the work.
The participating mothers will be asked to join a closed Facebook page where news, updates and excerpts will also be shared. This online space can also serve to share writings, reflections and continue on discussions.
We are also asking the participants to commit to the 8 weeks since this will be a closed group, meaning no new mothers will join the group once it is formed. However, we understand life with kids and it's surprises in the form of bugs and viruses. We will offer mothers who have participated in the 8-week workshop a free workshop at the end of the 8-weeks, which will be open to new mothers who want a taster of the journaling workshops.
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If your baby is a newborn or an infant (till the age of 1 year), he or she is welcome to join. Mats and toys will be provided to entertain your baby. Both Sarah and Roberta are very happy to help out with giving mum some time to journal if baby is fussy. We also understand that sometimes baby just needs mum! Flexibility to nurse, change nappies and soothe baby will be provided.
Car seats and prams can be carried inside venue (we will provide wheel covers). However, if these are not needed, they can be left outside the room.
Participants can park in an underground parking, where use of lift is provided, making it easier to get baby in and out of car to the venue no matter the weather.
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One-time-workshop: Motherhood - Rite of Passage: Thursday 26th September at 10:45am till 12:15pm. Price: 25 euros
8-week workshops: Journaling through Motherhood:
Thursday 10th October at 10:45am till 12:15pm (on a weekly basis). Price: 200 euros
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For the one-time workshop, you can buy the trial on site by following this link . Spaces will be reserved after full payment is done. More information will be provided closer to the date through email.
For the 8-week workshops we are asking the participants to purchase the sessions on site by following this linkSpaces will be reserved after full payment is done.
More information will be provided closer to the date through email and through the closed Facebook page we will invite you to join.
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who we are: muse - mothers uniting in stories and emotions
We are a team of two mothers, a psychologist and a writer, with two tiny shadows each! We came together through our love for journaling, self-reflection and motherhood.
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Psychologist & FounderI am a warranted educational psychologist with a passion for intervention and therapy with young children, teenagers and families. I am also specialising in Jungian sand-play therapy, as I believe in the healing powers of sand and creative expression. Throughout my career, I have contributed to the wellness of children, teens, parents and their educators, through conducting individual and group therapeutic sessions. Journaling is one of the tools many families have left with as a way to cope and take care of themselves and each other. Becoming a mother has shifted my focus towards mothers’ lived experiences after going through my own baptism of fire. With these workshops I hope to contribute to mothers’ wellbeing within our local context that isolates rather than celebrates the day-to-day triumph that it is to be a mother.
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Writer & SEOWhen Sarah approached approached me with the idea for a journaling workshop for mothers, I was immediately sold. Not only does it combine my two biggest passions - writing & motherhood - but I could also see the link with Songs of Motherhood, an anthology we publish every year and which celebrates mothers through their own writing, illustrations and creative work. The community aspect that muse creates is the safe space I believe every mother needs. Whether new, or mothering granchildren of her own, mothers thrive in an environment that listes, understands and lifts them up. This is what muse means to me.