Mother Centered
online mentorship in English & Portuguese
A Mother-Centered, Internal Family Systems-informed space for women navigating the emotional, relational and existential transformation of motherhood.
Motherhood is often spoken about as if it were simply a new role.
But in truth, it is something far more profound.
Anthropologists call it matrescence — the transition of becoming a mother. Like adolescence, it is not a small shift, but a deep reorganization of identity.
Many mothers experience this transition as:
- overwhelming
- disorienting
- deeply emotional
- unexpectedly lonely
Matrescence reshapes your brain, body, relationships, and inner world. It shifts your priorities, awakens protective instincts, and brings forward both your strength and the parts of you that still need care.
When good mothers feel bad
Maternal struggles are structural, political, and cultural, not merely personal.
structural thinking says
“A good mother wouldn’t feel this way.”
Mother-Centered ifs says
“This feeling makes sense. It's protecting something precious.”
Modern culture tells mothers that if they feel anxious, overwhelmed, angry or deeply uncertain, something must be wrong with them. They are diagnosed. Asked to cope better. Sold a million “solutions”: Postpartum Depression. Anxiety. Burnout. Mood disorders. But very rarely is the context of motherhood itself understood.
Motherhood activates an entirely new constellation of parts.
The problem is not your parts.
They are intelligent responses to one of the most profound transitions a human can experience. The challenge arises when these parts are left to navigate motherhood in isolation and fear, without support or recognition. This is where shame takes root.
In this space, we shift from judgment to understanding. As these parts are met with care, the inner system softens, self-trust returns, and inner authority awakens. Many mothers come to realize a simple truth: I am on my own team.
How the parts can look like:
Devoted Parts
The ones who give and give. Holding everything together. Making sure everyone is okay.
Anxious Parts
The ones who scan for what could go wrong. Always alert, always bracing.
Inner Critic
The voice that tells you you’re not doing enough. Or not doing it right.
Perfectionist
The one who pushes you to get everything right. No mistakes. No slipping.
Grieving Parts
The ones who mourn what has changed. Long for what once was or for what could not be.
Angry Parts
The ones who rise when something feels unfair. Fierce, protective, often misunderstood.
Lonely Parts
The ones who feel unseen or unsupported. Carrying the quiet weight of doing it all alone.
Inner Baby
The youngest parts of you. Needing care, softness, and to not be alone.
Controller
The one who takes over to keep things from falling apart. Holding it all tightly.
Numbing Parts
The ones who help you switch off. Scrolling, eating, distracting — just to get through.
Destroyer
The one who says “fuck it” and burns it down. To avoid feeling the pain underneath.
Inner Mother (Self)
The part of you that can hold it all. With presence, compassion, and steadiness.
Blamer, Minimizer, Panic, Regret, Superwoman, Responsible, Irritated…
…and many, many more.
THE HEALING PORTAL
The healing you do inside becomes part of the emotional ground your child will grow on.
Motherhood does not only change the present. It often awakens old wounds. This can feel frightening, but it is also one of the greatest opportunities for healing a human being can experience. When mothers are supported to meet their parts with compassion and understanding, something remarkable can happen: Personal wounds begin to soften. Intergenerational patterns begin to loosen. New ways of relating become possible.
birthing new world orders
What begins as inner healing naturally extends beyond the individual. As mothers shift the way they relate to themselves, their children, and their needs, they begin to challenge the patterns and expectations that shaped them. This work quietly reshapes relationships, family dynamics, and the wider cultural narrative of motherhood. In this way, matrescence becomes not only a personal transformation, but a collective one — where new ways of caring, relating, and being are lived into existence.
HOW THE WORK HAPPENS
This work is deeply informed by the Mother-Centered model developed by Jessica Tomich Sorci and is grounded in Internal Family Systems.
Together, we learn to recognize the different parts that arise in matrescence, understand the inner pull between caring for your child and caring for yourself, gently unblend from shame, anxiety, perfectionism, and self-criticism, and restore compassion and Self-led leadership within.
the three pillars of my work
Understanding the Maternal System
Internal Family Systems provides a compassionate and structured way of understanding the many voices inside us and restoring inner leadership.
Restoring Inner Leadership
Healing does not happen only inside the mind.
It happens through relationship – with body, land, ancestors, and the more-than-human world.
Nature is not scenery.
It is kin.
Healing in Context
Many wounds are not purely personal.
They arise from cultures shaped by disconnection, oppression, and systems that neglect care.
Healing ourselves is inseparable from participating in the healing of the wider world.
You might also recognise yourself here if...
You feel the constant pull of everything that needs you – and how little of you is left.
You love your children deeply and still feel something inside you is breaking.
You long for rest, space, or autonomy – and guilt meets you the moment you move toward it.
You feel caught in an impossible loop: meeting your children’s needs or your own, but never both.
Your mind keeps moving ahead, trying to anticipate, prevent, and hold everything together.
You fear your own needs may never fully get met again – that motherhood means always being left behind.
Compassionate Therapy for
OFFERING INDIVIDUAL THERAPY ONLINE
Preconception
Matrescence begins long before birth. A space to sense what is already shifting, for when the desire to welcome a child is already reshaping something inside you – and you want to meet it with awareness.
Conscious Birth Preparation
Birth asks something very specific of the body. A space to prepare your system to stay present, responsive, and in relationship as intensity rises.
Motherhood
Motherhood is an ongoing reorganisation. A space to stay in relationship with yourself as your identity, needs, and inner world continue to change.
Grief & Loss
Matrescence also includes what did not unfold as hoped. A space to meet loss, absence, and longing with care, and without having to carry it alone.
WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
Some mothers come for a single session to orient themselves in this transition. Others choose a longer container where deeper work can unfold. Some feel called to the collective container of group circles, where the wisdom and vulnerability of other mothers become part of the healing field.
Single Session
A space to pause and orient within your experience. Together we explore what is present, bring clarity to your inner world, and sense the next supportive step forward.
88 EUR
Monthly Package
A steady container for deeper work over time. (Includes my self-paced course, 1x 1:1 sessions, and continuous text support for one whole month)
266 EUR
Intensive support
A deeper immersive journey for ongoing transformation and integration. (Includes full curriculum, weekly 1:1 sessions, and continuous text support over six months)
1222 EUR
Group Circles
A shared space to be witnessed and held in community. (Meeting twice a month, offering connection, reflection, and support within a safe, nurturing environment. Pay what you can.)
33 EUR
Sliding scale spaces are available when finances are a barrier. Talk to me – no one gets left behind.
mom parts: Self-study
44 EUR
A gently guided process of self-exploration and inner work designed for women who feel called to move at their own pace — or who may not have the space or capacity to commit to regular live sessions. Instead, it offers a supportive structure you can return to in your own rhythm, meeting yourself exactly where you are.
it includes:
- Step-by-step guidance on the Mom Parts Method
- Guided reflections, meditations and journaling prompts
- Frameworks to help make sense of matrescence
- Practical ways to relate to what’s coming up internally
- A layer of text support from me alongside the process
- 30% off a 1:1 session
frequently asked questions
About this work
Do I need to already be a mother to come to this work?
No.
This space is for women in many thresholds around motherhood:
– those already parenting
– those in pregnancy
– those preparing for conception
– those who have experienced loss
Matrescence is not only something that begins after birth.
It often begins long before.
And for some, it includes grief, interruption, or absence.
All of these experiences are welcome here.
What is Mother-Centered work, exactly?
Mother-Centered work is an Internal Family Systems-informed approach that understands motherhood as a profound developmental transition.
It recognises that what many mothers experience is not pathology —
but an intelligent response to an immense biological, psychological, and cultural shift.
Instead of asking
“How do we fix the mother?”
we ask
“What is happening inside her system — and what does it need?”
We work with the different “Mom Parts” that arise in matrescence,
with care, curiosity, and respect.
What happens in a session?
We begin exactly where you are.
We talk.
We listen.
We gently explore your inner experience.
You may notice different parts of you:
– a part that is overwhelmed
– a part that is trying to hold everything together
– a part that feels resentment, grief, or fear
– a part that loves your child deeply
All of these are welcome.
Nothing is forced.
Nothing is analysed from the outside.
We move at the pace of your nervous system.
Is something wrong with me if I’m struggling in motherhood?
No.
What many mothers experience is not a personal failure.
It is often the natural consequence of raising a child within a system that offers very little support.
Your responses make sense in context.
Part of this work is gently disentangling what belongs to you —
and what belongs to the wider culture you are mothering inside.
What if I feel things I’m not “supposed” to feel as a mother?
That is deeply welcome here.
Many mothers carry feelings they have never had permission to speak:
anger
regret
ambivalence
resentment
grief
These feelings do not make you a bad mother.
They are signals from parts of you that need care.
Nothing you feel will be pathologised or used against you.
Will this work make me a “better mother”?
That is not the goal.
This work is not about shaping you into an ideal.
It is about supporting you to become more resourced, more connected, and more supported inside yourself.
From there, relationships — including with your child — often shift naturally.
But we do not force change.
We create the conditions where change can emerge.
Do you work with birth trauma or difficult postpartum experiences?
Yes.
Gently, and at your pace.
Birth experiences, medical interventions, and early postpartum moments can leave deep imprints in the nervous system.
We approach these experiences with care, consent, and respect for your timing.
Do you work with loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, termination)?
Yes.
Loss is part of many maternal journeys, and often remains unseen or unsupported.
There is space here for grief in all its forms —
including grief that may not have been acknowledged elsewhere.
What if I feel overwhelmed during a session?
We slow down.
We pause.
We orient.
We come back to safety.
Nothing in this work requires you to override your system.
Your nervous system leads the pace.
Do I need to know anything about Internal Family Systems before starting?
No.
We will introduce everything gently as we go.
You don’t need to prepare or understand the model in advance.
About the approach
Is this therapy or coaching?
This is therapeutic, IFS-informed work grounded in trauma awareness and relational care.
At the same time, it is not about diagnosing or fixing.
It is about listening, understanding, and supporting your inner system.
Is this spiritual work?
No belief is required.
Some mothers connect with nature, ancestral threads, or deeper layers of meaning.
Others don’t.
We follow what feels true and respectful for you.
Why include the cultural and societal context of motherhood?
Because mothers do not exist in isolation.
Many of the struggles mothers carry are shaped by:
– isolation
– unrealistic expectations
– lack of structural support
– cultural narratives around “good motherhood”
Naming this context helps reduce shame
and restores dignity to the maternal experience.
About working together
How do I know if this space is right for me?
If something in you feels a small sense of recognition, relief, or curiosity while reading this —
that may be enough.
You don’t need certainty.
Do I have to commit long-term?
No.
Some mothers come for one session.
Others stay longer.
You are invited to listen to your timing.
What if I need to stop?
You can stop at any time.
Your autonomy is fully respected.
Can I come if I feel exhausted, numb, or disconnected?
Yes.
You don’t need to arrive resourced or “ready.”
We begin exactly where you are.
Practical Questions
Are sessions online or in person?
Online, via Zoom. Alternative platforms can be used if it fits you better.
In which languages do you work?
English and Portuguese.
How long is a session?
55 minutes
How often should I come?
You decide! Usually weekly, but may vary or fluctuate.
Are there sliding scale options or sponsorships?
Yes, I reserve a small number of reduced-fee spaces.
If finances are a barrier right now, you are welcome to write to me and we can explore what feels possible.
Priority is given to people who face systemic barriers to accessing care, such as those in the global majority, facing migration challenges, caregiving responsibilities, disability, or financial hardship.
You are welcome to share only what feels comfortable. We will find a respectful path if we can.
Do you offer a discovery call?
At this time I don’t offer separate intro calls.
Our first session can be a spacious conversation to see if working together feels right for both of us.
There is no pressure to continue if it doesn’t feel like a fit.
You’re also welcome to email me any questions or whatever you might need to know for perfect clarity.
What is your scheduling & cancellation policy?
Appointments can be booked through the form on the website.
Payment is required up to 24 hours to secure your booking.
Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the session will be refunded at 50%.
Missed sessions without prior notice are not refundable.
After payment and confirmation, you will receive all the details by email.
How many sessions will I need?
Every journey is different. Some people come briefly with great results, others stay for long-term personal development.
Can I stop anytime?
Absolutely.
Gift a session
Offer a session as a gesture of care. A quiet space to be heard, supported, and gently accompanied through whatever season they are walking.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Instead of trying to fix or silence parts of you, we listen.
My consultations offer a safe, ethical and compassionate space where you can explore your inner story with presence and depth. I use the approach of the IFS (Internal Family Systems) model, combined with clinical experience, somatic practices and a keen listening to your needs – on a path of reconnection with yourself, your rhythms, parts and cycles.
Blogs & Resources
Reflections and resources to help you meet your inner world with curiosity and compassion.
What Do You Mean, “Turn Inward”? There’s Nothing There
For many people, the beginning of IFS is not difficult because they are broken, blocked, or incapable of inner work. It is difficult because they were never taught what it actually means to turn inward.
How Internal Family Systems helped me prepare for Birth
I moved through birth the way you move through a storm you’re trying to survive. Bracing. Enduring. Praying for it to have mercy on me. Birth, as I understood it then, was something to get through. Something to manage. Something to survive. I didn’t question it.
How to Help Children Transition to a New School
What a school transition taught me about grief, safety, and alternative education in Portugal. Starting a new school is not merely adjusting to a new timetable or teacher. Something far more delicate is taking place.