The Grief, Growth, and Hope of "Moms Without Moms" with Melissa Reilly

Melissa Reilly is a clinical psychologist and coach for moms without a mom, helping them move from feelings of insecurity, isolation and overwhelm to resilience. Through her personal and professional experience, she has come to recognize that Moms without a mom experience grief as part of their motherhood experience, even if they don't realize it. The relationship moms have had (or didn't have) with their mothers impacts how they see themselves but doesn't define them. She believes it isn't knowledge and skills that create resilience; instead, it is born through overcoming hardship, having a community, and living by one's values. She is honored to walk with moms on their journey to becoming the mom they always wanted to be. Melissa's psychological practice, Shoudt & Reilly Psychological Services, has been serving residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania, for over 22 years. "I became the child who made everything easy. I was really good at sensing how others were, and that just became my role." This is Melissa Reilly's story... Melissa Reilly is a mom, clinical psychologist and coach for other moms who don't have a mom to help them through the challenges of motherhood. She became a mom later in life and experienced several miscarriages and a difficult pregnancy. After her son was born, she realized that she was missing something. She didn't have her mom to talk to about the challenges of motherhood. She started noticing patterns among other women who didn't have a loving mother by their side and decided to make it her mission to provide information and support to these moms. In her coaching program, she focuses on three main areas: grief, building a community and mom identity. In this episode, you will learn the following: 1. The unique challenges faced by mothers who do not have the support of a loving mother figure 2. The importance of grief work in healing from the loss of a mother figure 3. The importance of building a supportive community for mothers who do not have a mother figure

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