MOTHERHOOD

This book nis beautiful tribute and a guidepost to the journey that motherhood is. The author is a well known Jungian analyst and she does a wonderful job of interpreting various fairy tales, stories and myths to illuminate the inner journey of motherhood. But what shines brightly through is how much she has loved being a mother, she speaks of it so tenderly. Her writing is imminently readable. And although I tried to slow myself down in order to savour the book, I in fact rushed through it in a couple of days. I actually am looking forward to a second slower read, where I will use the journal prompts given by the author to reflect. This is a gem of a book, one I would recommend every mother read, and in fact anyone at all who is interested in the journey o individuation and discovery of the Self.

A beautiful read about the ordeals and how to get over them through the knowledge of psychoanalysis on the way to motherhood. The exercise really helped me gain alot of insights personally

As a mom of young children, a beginning therapist, and someone fascinated with Jungian psychology (and a huge fan of This Jungian Life podcast), Lisa’s Marchiano’s book touched a deep place in my heart. The seamless combination of fairy tales and case studies both entertained and educated. The beautiful metaphors found within the fairytales, coupled with Marchiano’s experiences as a mom and Jungian analyst offered a rich tapestry to explore my own experiences as a mother and therapist. Each section ends with reflective questions that elicited insight and aha moments. I found the PACE acronym at the end of the book very helpful, and I’m excited to share this with my clients. I’m looking forward to reading Lisa Marchiano’s next book!

I wish I had had this book when I was pregnant with my first child twenty-three years ago. My parents were frankly pretty terrible, and I read a lot of parenting books at that time, looking for something outside of myself to help me do better. The main effect of most of what I read had the effect of making me doubt myself and my own instincts even further. Only after a great deal of struggle, bad advice taken, and many wrong turns did I fully begin to realize and sometimes trust that I had some innate wisdom with respect to my own children that I could rely on. If I’d had this book earlier, it would have been a game-changer. My youngest is fourteen and this book is helping me now.This book is all about trusting your own instincts and the work of healing your own childhood wounding that frees you to do that. It is completely unique. While most parenting books will fill you with advice (aka lies) about how to make parenting a breeze, this one tells you the truth: motherhood is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, thing you will ever do. It also speaks another truth, that this struggle and challenge, should you choose to truly accept it, will also bring the priceless treasure of turning you into the human being you were born to be.For Joseph Campbell lovers, you might think of this as the Hero with a Thousand Faces for women. Where Campbell’s work leans into myth, this book is fascinatingly interwoven with the age-old and surprisingly deep psychological wisdom of fairy tales. Where the Hero’s Journey myth depicts the hero that goes out into the world and defeats the monster, bringing back the boon for his people, the woman’s path tells a different story, a journey inward.The above might make the book sounding daunting, but instead it is touchingly accessible, drawing on the lives of women she had met through clinical practice, in life, and in memoir. Beautifully written and a real labour of love. Read this book and you may not ever need to read another parenting book.

Este libro de Lisa Marchiano nos narra deliciosamente el viaje interior y la transformación en la experiencia de la maternidad. La elección de los cuentos de hadas es precisa, atinada y permite expresar en imágenes e historias el proceso psíquico de las mujeres que se convierten en madres. Sus viñetas clínicas lo hacen más rico. Creo que todas las mujeres deberíamos echar un vistazo por este recorrido, con hijos y sin hijos, madres o no, porque también nos enseña un camino de maternaje para nosotras mismas.Lo recomiendo ampliamente pues es enriquecedor y además no difícil de leer.Rocío Ruiz. Analista Junguiana

A really enlightening book about motherhood and how it can be a major stepping stone towards individuation... It resonated a lot - my copy is heavily marked and highlighted. Really loved the way Lisa wrote the book, examples from her personal story and from her practice, interwoven with wonderful fairy tales... Beautifully done, I can't wait to read The Vital Spark!

Interesting reading for a new mom like me. The author takes the reader through a journey of self discovery and explains how motherhood offers us the possibility to face and address our most hidden parts. Not too long, and very well written.