Mother wound

Erica Komisar asserts that the work of raising children full time is valuable and should not be diminished by feminist narratives that prioritize career...

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Women considering their roles in parenting and career.

Sourced from the doctors, PhDs and clinicians behind Entrain. Updated

The strongest voice

“Erica Komisar asserts that the work of raising children full time is valuable and should not be diminished by feminist narratives that prioritize career success over parenting.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

In their own words

One faithful sentence per source, linked to the moment it was said; quiet chips mark where money is involved.

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There recommend
“Erica Komisar asserts that the work of raising children full time is valuable and should not be diminished by feminist narratives that prioritize career success over parenting.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There recommend
“Komisar advocates for women to make educated, non-binary choices about work and parenting rather than seeing one as inherently better than the other.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There strongly recommend
“Preparation and honest self-reflection about one's own childhood wounds are essential tools for mothers to nurture their children's attachment security effectively.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There strongly recommend
“Motherhood is hard and comes with challenges like sleeplessness, frustration, loneliness, and boredom, but with proper preparation and understanding, it can be a joyful experience filled with deep love.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a licensed mental health counselor conditional
“If wounds and patterns exist before marriage, they will likely persist or worsen after marriage, requiring awareness and work.”

a licensed mental health counselor · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author against
“Parents should recognize that children did not ask to be born and it is arrogant to resent them for natural behaviors like waking up early, especially when parents have created the existence into which they invited their kids.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Our daughters are watching everything we do and how we treat their mom and every woman in our life shapes how they see their own worth.”

a mental health counselor and author · TikTok

the founder of ManTalks against
“Men should stop blaming women and instead take responsibility for their own challenges.”

the founder of ManTalks · TikTok

the founder of ManTalks against
“Men need to stop blaming women and worrying against them to start shifting their lives.”

the founder of ManTalks · TikTok

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license conditional
“Dr. Phil emphasizes that mothers must acknowledge and take responsibility for negative feelings toward motherhood rather than blaming their children, as unacknowledged resentment harms the parent-child relationship.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license strong
“Dr. Phil states that children who hear their mother express resentment or rejection feel unloved and devalued, which negatively affects their self-esteem and sense of belonging.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license strong
“Dr. Phil asserts that mothers are not victims of motherhood but must own their choices and stop blaming their children for their life circumstances to improve family dynamics.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license recommend
“Dr. Phil recommends that mothers apologize to their children for misplaced blame and develop a plan to achieve personal goals while fulfilling parenting responsibilities.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license conditional
“Dr. Phil acknowledges that a close relationship with one's mother is natural but emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift to prioritize the spouse and establish boundaries when marrying.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license conditional
“Dr. Phil suggests directly asking the estranged parent if they will attend and walk the bride down the aisle to avoid emotional letdown, and to consider who else could fulfill that role if the parent declines.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Forgiving and finding compassion for parents, despite their flaws and past abuse, can free one from animosity and support personal growth.”

a certified relationship coach · source video sponsored

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Healing your relationship with a challenging parent is one of the most intense spiritual works and is essential to prevent that relationship from controlling your life and other relationships.”

a certified relationship coach · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“John Delony advises that while revealing family secrets can cause pain, it is important to act from integrity and decide what kind of person you want to be rather than perpetuating deception”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“Delony suggests individuals can choose how much to engage with biological family and that they are not obligated to create artificial relationships, but should act with honesty and integrity”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“Delony generally advises against ghosting or cutting off parents as immature and harmful, but acknowledges that choosing limited or no contact is valid if owned consciously”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“It is important to take full ownership of the decision to reconnect or not, ensuring it aligns with your integrity and boundaries, especially when the parent has not acknowledged past abuse or changed.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Expect grief to be complex and possibly devastating even if the parent was abusive, and prepare for a range of emotions when facing loss.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“John Delony advises weighing the pros and cons carefully and acting from a place of integrity and character, recognizing the potential pain for all involved but also the importance of personal freedom from deception.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author against
“Negative comments about body weight or shape in childhood cause long-lasting harmful effects on self-esteem and body image.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Writing letters to your younger selves that affirm love and dignity helps process past trauma and self-compassion.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology against
“The liberal feminist narrative centers on the maiden archetype and marginalizes the mother and matriarch roles, ignoring their vital contributions to social fabric and community.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology recommend
“Motherhood is something many women feel as innate and natural, especially as they reach a certain age, and fulfilling the role of a mother serves a major purpose in life and humanity.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology recommend
“Pathological maternal jealousy manifests as the devouring mother who harms her child to maintain her own status, a dynamic symbolized by the evil queen's actions in Snow White.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video sponsored

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Men must consciously separate their partner from past parental wounds to avoid projecting mistrust and anger onto their spouse and to build a healthy relationship.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The mother wound is a core developmental issue often resulting from overprotection and emotional enmeshment by the mother, leading to arrested emotional maturation and relational difficulties.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The devouring or smother mother is characterized by obsessive, intrusive behaviors that prevent emotional independence and risk-taking, contributing to the mother wound.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The mother wound can show as hypervigilance or shutdown in relationships, projection of maternal dynamics onto partners, and confusion between partner and parent roles.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Men may respond to the mother wound by either chronic overachievement to appease the mother or underachievement due to arrested development.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Healing involves naming and normalizing the wound, breaking denial, and developing emotional independence and sovereignty distinct from maternal patterns.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The expert guides the client to consciously acknowledge and express complex feelings of anger, resentment, and grief towards a deceased parent to facilitate emotional processing and healing.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Men need to create psychological separation from their mother by making decisions that their mother may disapprove of to advance masculine maturity.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Mothers are imperative for nurturing and nourishment in early years and later help boys develop a sense of independent self in opposition to her, facilitating differentiation and emotional sovereignty.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks against
“Excessive maternal influence without paternal authority leads to boys who lack containment, act impulsively, and fail to differentiate, resulting in emotional chaos and potential violent behavior.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The mother wound is a foundational neurological imprint from the first three years of life that shapes how men relate to women and intimate relationships.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Identifying which mother wound archetype (love equals distance, emotions equal danger, love equals performance, love equals chaos, love equals instability) you deploy helps understand and change dysfunctional relationship behaviors.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

Worth discussing with your GP, especially if you take medication or are pregnant. Entrain describes what is publicly taught; it does not prescribe.

Journaling and self-authoring

If you have a good idea, write it down because it is a gift that could change your whole life and forgetting it could prevent progress.

Strong consensus

“If you have a good idea, write it down because it is a gift that could change your whole life and forgetting it could prevent progress.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · TikTok

Metabolic psychiatry and brain energy theory

Mental illnesses are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction affecting the whole body and brain, not just isolated brain problems.

Strong consensus

“Mental illnesses are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction affecting the whole body and brain, not just isolated brain problems.”

a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist specializing in metabolic psychiatry · Instagram

EMDR and trauma processing

He discusses new ways to treat anxiety, OCD, and PTSD by focusing on brain metabolic health rather than only symptoms.

Strong consensus

“He discusses new ways to treat anxiety, OCD, and PTSD by focusing on brain metabolic health rather than only symptoms.”

a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist specializing in metabolic psychiatry · Instagram