What happens when the emotional, hormonal, and cultural shifts of perimenopause intersect with the daily realities of motherhood? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Cristina Cavezza - clinical psychologist, certified Motherhood Studies practitioner, and mother of twins - for a powerful conversation on the complexities of midlife mothering. Cristina shares her clinical and lived experience of working with mothers during the menopausal transition, exploring how body image, eating habits, and emotio...
Jul 13, 2025•38 min
In this episode I’m joined by Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT - a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, and the creator of “Mom Parts.” Jessica brings decades of experience in maternal mental health and introduces us to the profound concept of parts work within the context of motherhood. We explore how IFS offers a radically compassionate lens through which to understand maternal distress, not as pathology, but as a protective and a...
Jun 15, 2025•37 min
I explore the emotional complexity that motherhood brings in the context of post-Mother’s-Day – and how we can feel both deep love and deep exhaustion, often in the same breath. I speak to the invisible labour mothers carry, the craving to be seen, and the cultural expectations that shape how we think we “should” feel. You'll hear some of my own reflections about ambivalence, overwhelm, tenderness, identity, and what it means to take up space as a mother. . . . If this conversation resonates wit...
May 12, 2025•18 min
Join us for a groundbreaking conversation with Professor Andrea O'Reilly, the internationally renowned pioneer who founded the field of Motherhood Studies. In this powerful episode, Dr O'Reilly shares her 40-year journey from questioning motherhood's absence in Women's Studies as a pregnant undergraduate to establishing an entire academic discipline dedicated to mothers' experiences. She discusses the creation of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative, Demeter Press (which has published nearly...
Apr 27, 2025•43 min
Content note: perinatal suicidality In this episode Sophie speaks with midwife and Research Fellow Dr Laura Biggs, and CEO of PANDA Australia, Julie Borninkhof about the Making Sense of the Unseen partnership between the Stronger Futures CRE and the Murdoch Children’s REsearch Institute, PANDA Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, and James Cook University. In the episode you’ll hear discussed key findings from ground-breaking research conducted by the team on experiences of perinatal suic...
Apr 15, 2025•57 min
I share some updates and some talks I’m giving soon, along with the recording I took of when I was practicing my talk for the Matrescence Festival, organised by Claire Tonti and Lizzy Humber. In the talk I share about where the ‘perfect mother myth’ often starts in our own lives, what it is, how it connects to the broader ‘tank’ of motherhood that we’re all ‘swimming’ around in, and how mothering can be a catalyst for our own growth and development. Here are the links mentioned in the episode - ...
Apr 05, 2025•24 min
In this episode, I speak with mother of two and writer Tehla Bower about her book, "A Mother's Space: Permission to Pause." Tehla candidly shares her experience of disconnection after becoming a mother and her journey to shed both external and internal expectations, ultimately drawing on her maternal experience to reclaim space and redefine herself. She describes pivotal health events affecting her and her children that prompted a significant life shift. Tehla reflects on her formerly career-cen...
Feb 27, 2025•39 min
In this episode with leadership facilitator and founder of Matermorphosis, Babette Lockefeer, we explore the powerful intersection of motherhood and leadership. Drawing from her experience in corporate leadership development and as a mother of three young boys, Babette shares her journey of discovering how matrescence mirrors the path of authentic leadership. The conversation explores how the changes that come with becoming a mother can create unique opportunities for growth and learning, and we...
Jan 27, 2025•31 min
Julia Jones has over 15 years of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and best-selling author and has trained over 1500 postpartum professionals in over 60 countries through her worldwide leading education training for postpartum professionals. In this episode Julia shares about her entry into the space of postpartum support, differences in postpartum support practices around the world, and the development of her long-term vision in revolutionising postpartum care practices through Newbor...
Jan 10, 2025•36 min
In this solo episode, I share the story of how an accidental footnote in my sociology degree led me to discover my life's work and create the world's first Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification. Before its evolution in 2025, I'm offering this Legacy Edition of the certification with its foundational curriculum one final time - and at a $1,000AUD discount. In this episode I share what I'm doing differently next year, my thoughts on the current and future landscape of mother-support, and w...
Dec 10, 2024•30 min
In this episode, I have a personal and powerful conversation with Suzy Reading, a mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach. Suzy shares her profound journey of becoming a mother while simultaneously losing her father, exploring how this experience shaped her understanding of "energetic bankruptcy" and the vital importance of self-care. Through her story of navigating new motherhood amidst grief and challenge, Suzy challenges cultural narratives around motherhood that demand end...
Nov 18, 2024•37 min
In this episode, we're joined by Amanda Montei, the author of "TOUCHED OUT: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, & Control." Amanda's work, which spans from The New York Times to ELLE, brings a critical eye to the experiences of motherhood under the weight of societal expectations. We talk about the line between the institution of motherhood and our experience of mothering, referencing back to Adrienne Rich’s work and trace some of Amanda’s experience of mothering as transformational, creative, an...
Sep 17, 2024•43 min
*Download your free checklist here: https://drsophiebrock.com/checklist *The Mothers at Work program starts August 26th, 2024. Learn more here: https://drsophiebrock.com/mothersatwork What is the Care Career Conundrum, and how does it impact mothers in paid work? How can understanding this concept transform our approach to supporting mothers? Download a free tool I've developed called The Care Care Career Conundrum Checklist and see how many indicators you or your clients tick off. This checklis...
Aug 21, 2024•40 min
In this conversation, I speak with digital creator, speaker and mental health advocate Libby Ward from Diary of an Honest Mom, whose work has touched millions of women worldwide. I ask Libby about her journey and we talk candidly about some of the challenges that come up in opening honest conversations about modern motherhood. We speak about what it’s like to ‘go against the grain’ of normalised motherhood, and how this impacts our experiences of relationships and finding a sense of belonging wi...
Aug 01, 2024•43 min
In this episode I speak with Dr Sam Casey, an integrative child therapist who specialises in play therapy, trauma informed practice and maternal mental health. Sam shares her journey into play therapy, which started from an interaction when she was working at a childcare centre, and saw her through to gaining a PhD. You’ll come away with interesting insights and strategies from this episode, regardless of whether you’re a parent who has never heard of play therapist before, or whether you’re a r...
Jun 26, 2024•56 min
In this episode, we speak to the PhD-qualified Neuroscientist, psychotherapist, meditation teacher, maternal mental wellbeing consultant, international speaker, author, and host of the podcast ‘Mama, Unleashed!’, Dr Jennifer Hacker Pearson. Within this conversation we delve into the fascinating world of neuroplasticity, the maternal brain, and how all of this information can be relevant in practical ways to our daily lives as mothers. Dr Jen explains how our brains continuously adapt and change ...
May 15, 2024•39 min
*The Motherhood Studies Certification 2024 is open for enrolment until April 19th* What possibilities exist beyond patriarchal motherhood? How can sociological understandings of motherhood liberate our individual experience and contribute to broader social change? These are the sorts of questions I'll reflect on in this episode, considering the transformative potential of motherhood, liberated from patriarchal norms. I mention an upcoming article examining the outcomes of participants who comple...
Apr 14, 2024•57 min
In this episode I speak with Dr. Emma Svanberg, an award-winning clinical psychologist and author of the recently released, "Parenting For Humans." Dr. Emma is the founder of The Psychology Co-operative and co-founder of Make Birth Better CIC. She also facilitates a vibrant parenting community on Facebook called The Village – A Parenting Community For Humans. I ask Dr Emma about the key themes from her book, exploring the beautiful analogy she uses of understanding children as ‘mapmakers’ whose ...
Mar 31, 2024•54 min
In this episode, you’ll hear from Jessie Ann Elliot and Mary Sotiropoulos who share their personal journeys through early motherhood and postpartum in building community, finding their power, and collaborating together to birth a book into the world. Jessie and Mary met through a mother-membership I facilitated called Liberated Motherhood. They share their experience of connecting with the work of the sociology of motherhood early on in their mothering journeys, and the passion they each develop...
Mar 22, 2024•46 min
I share a brief life update of what's been present for me over the last few months, talk about transitions, honouring the stage we're in, taking our time, and orient to what will come this year for The Good Enough Mother podcast. This is the free training I mention in the episode: https://drsophiebrock.com/patriarchalmotherhood Here is a link to join the waitlist for The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification for 2024 - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies/
Mar 21, 2024•7 min
In this episode I speak with neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay about her latest book: Baby Brain - The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better). This conversation aims to debunk some of the myths about ‘baby brain’ that exist in our culture, and we discuss the discrepancies between what the research says about the maternal brain and our memory, with what mothers say about their memory and experience of ‘baby brain’. We talk abou...
Nov 07, 2023•58 min
The Motherhood Studies Certification 2024 is currently open for early enrolment, and in the context of launching next year's round of the course, I'm reflecting on some of the ways I think we can start to dismantle patriarchal motherhood that focuses on systems rather than individuals. I share some thoughts and reflections on what some structural and social changes could look like, ranging from areas including postpartum care, maternal mental health, economic policy, sex-based role stereotypes, ...
Oct 17, 2023•35 min
In this episode I am joined by Zoe Blaskey, founder of Motherkind and host of The Motherkind Podcast. Zoe is a transformational coach and a mother of two who knows firsthand the complexities of modern motherhood. Her journey into motherhood inspired her to create the Motherkind movement and podcast, where she shares wisdom from world-leading experts on topics ranging from self-care and mental health to career, nutrition, and parenting. Zoe and I dive deep into the intricacies of motherhood. Zoe ...
Oct 05, 2023•44 min
This conversation is with Tracy Gillett, passionate advocate of natural parenting and creator of the award-winning blog and community Raised Good. Tracy was a veterinarian for many years before starting Raised Good and we talk about how this orientation led her into diving into the science of parenting and finding ways to make it accessible for parents. We talk about countercultural parenting practices, parenting through connection, and the sometimes complex relationship we can have to parenting...
Sep 19, 2023•50 min
I've created a free resource for mother-supporting professionals and those working in motherhood-support to learn what patriarchal motherhood is, and why understanding the social structure of motherhood is critical for mother-supporting professionals. Discover 10 ways that patriarchal motherhood can show up in your clients, through a training offered via an exclusive private podcast and an accompanying PDF companion. My hope is that this resource will empower you with enhanced awareness and sens...
Sep 11, 2023•3 min
In this episode, we dive into the concept of the "good enough mother" from the perspective of Dr Tanya Cotler, who is a Clinical Psychologist, author, and speaker specializing in reproductive mental health, infant mental health, and parent-child attachment. Tanya has studied the work of Winnicott (who is the creator of the concept of ‘the good enough mother’) extensively and offers a unique lens and insight having expertise in BOTH child and adult psychology. We dive into unpacking what ‘good en...
Sep 06, 2023•51 min
In this episode, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz and I delve into the intricacies, beauty and challenges of mothering ‘beyond the early years’, and share parts of our own personal mothering journeys to demonstrate the ongoing nature of matrescence. Amy's insights from her lived experience and work as a matrescence activist, cast a light on the imperative need for all-encompassing support systems that envelop mothers throughout their journey. We talk about the impossible ‘balancing act’ when it comes to mother...
Aug 25, 2023•37 min
*Please note that this podcast discusses obstetric violence, rape, and trauma. ** If you would like to lodge a submission to the Birth Trauma Inquiry via The Maternity Consumer Network, head here: https://form.jotform.com/231841360678864 To lodge directly, head here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/lodge-a-submission.aspx?pk=2965 . . . Alecia Staines is a passionate advocate for improving the maternity care system and has been working in this space of political advoc...
Aug 03, 2023•54 min
In this episode I speak with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum - a neuroscientist, doula, educator, and author of her newly released book: "The Nurture Revolution: Grow Your Baby's Brain and Transform Their Mental Health through the Art of Nurtured Parenting.” Greer shares with us revolutionary science about the power of nurturing in infancy - which is defined as the first 3 years of life. Throughout Greer’s book and this episode, Greer dispels common myths surrounding the care and nurture of babies: includi...
Jul 18, 2023•52 min
Are we being ‘duped’ by our current cultural conception of what it means to be a mother? In this episode, I speak with Tess Wilkinson-Ryan who is a law professor and moral psychologist at The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Tess is the author of her recently released book: FOOL PROOF: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Ourselves and the Social Order―and What We Can Do About It. The book is on the psychology of feeling duped or betrayed, exploring the human experience of feeling l...
May 29, 2023•41 min
