Kia Ora....

I am delighted you are here!

I am a mum of two little ones, wife, daughter, sister and cheerleader to so many beautiful souls.

I love having deep, meaningful conversations that ignite new thoughts and possibilities, and appreciate seeing the world from all different angles.

A girlfriend once described me as a modern day hippy; I was curious to know what she meant, her response made me laugh:

“you LOVE love, you wear bright-floaty things, and you are a

free-spirit and a little wild, whilst still having structure”.

Below I share my experience of becoming a mother.

Much love,

Lisa

IN GOOD HANDS

An experienced Registered Social Worker (15+ years), with training in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Matrescence Coaching.

WHERE YOUR MOTHERHOOD EXPEREINCE IS SEEN. HEARD. HONOURED.

CREDENTIALS

NZ REGISTERED

SOCIAL WORKER

15+ YEARS EXPERIENCE

NEURO LINGUISTIC

PROGRAMMING

TIME LINE THERAPY

HYPNOTHERAPY

CERTIFIED

MATRESCENCE

COACH

MATRESCENCE EDUCATION

TIBETAN SIGNING BOWL THERAPY

SOUND RELAXATION

NZ REGISTERED

MARRIAGE CELEBRANT

10+ YEARS

MY TRANSITION TO MOTHERHOOD...

Like you, I have gone through many different experiences that have made me the person I am today.

It is through these experiences - working as a social worker, becoming a mother, and learning to understand the connection between our thoughts, our language, and our behaviours - that has led me to starting "Maternal Wellness".

When I fell pregnant with my firstborn Willow, I remember genuinely feeling so elated as it was a long and emotional rollercoaster ride to fall pregnant; Willow was born a placid baby (despite an emergency caesarean), and she was incredibly kind to Gene and I as we co-existed and navigated our way through the new chapter of parenthood.

Communication had always been a strong point in our relationship, and we agreed that we would do everything possible to keep it that way. Who has the capacity for guessing games when you’re sleep-deprived, right?

The first few months of parenthood were bliss, and I felt grateful to have “avoided” the baby blues that everyone had warned me about and that I was very much aware of as a social worker.

However, this blissful calm started to fade, and a feeling of loss, loss of independence, and loss of ME started to creep in. My period arrived three months postpartum, and my abundant milk supply was no longer, my hormones were flying in different directions, and to top it off, Melbourne (where we lived at the time) went into lockdown due to COVID-19.

Tension was building in my relationship with Gene, and our communication was almost non-existent. I struggled to articulate my thoughts and feelings, I was confused about my needs and wants, and I was feeling numb on occasions that would usually bring me joy. My brain was foggy, and I felt like my world had been tipped upside down. I was confused because "as a social worker I should know how to express my emotions".

I felt very alone, even though I knew that if I asked my village for help, they would be there in a heartbeat. I didn’t speak up because I was ashamed to be “struggling,” and I didn’t know how to ask for help while in the depth of my internal chaos.

Months went by, and I finally agreed to see a Psychologist.

I will share with you the words I journaled after my first psychology session; this was a profound moment for me:

One of the questions she asked me was, 'Who are you as a mum?'

I literally fell silent and could not find the words. After a few silent moments, tears gently falling down my cheeks, my response was "I know who I was".

It was in the days following that I realised I changing. I was making sense of my new role in the world, redefining my identity and purpose as Lisa. And that was okay!

It left me thinking, surely I am not alone - there must be other mothers feeling this massive shift like me.

Why don’t we talk about it?

My newfound curiosity took me on a personal development whirlwind: experimenting with neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) becoming a Certified NLP Coach, training in Hypnotherapy, learning to play the Tibetan Singing Bowls to incorporate sounds relaxation into my practice and training to become an Accredited Matrescence Facilitator with the beautiful Amy Taylor-Kabbaz - Mama Rising.

Understanding Matrescence was my turning point - it helped me gently land where I am now. It gave me the tools to process, acknowledge, and share my experiences of motherhood and miscarriage, and in turn, support women through their own experience of Matrescence, including birth trauma and grief and loss.

I have learned to shift the internal dialogue of what society tells you motherhood “is” or “should” be, so that I can be more present in my own unique experience, focusing on my values and what’s most important to me and my wee family.

If I had a reference point of Matrescence prior to birth, I believe my postpartum period with Willow would have been a lot smoother, as it has been with my second baby Ziggy.

This is the very reason why I have created Maternal Wellness.

A compassionate space to empower, nurture and flourish.

Making sense of motherhood is something we are meant to do together - not in silence, and not alone.

With Gratitude,

Lisa x

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