PODCAST · kids
The Good Enough Mother
by Dr Sophie Brock
The role of being a Mother offers us the potential for incredible expansion, growth, and power, while also being one of – if not THE – most challenging, undervalued, and taken for granted roles in the world. Motherhood Studies Sociologist, researcher, and single Mother, Dr Sophie Brock hosts The Good Enough Mother (TGEM) podcast with an aim to change how Motherhood is culturally defined and individually experienced. TGEM draws its name from a theorist and pediatrician Winnicott, who highlighted the ways ‘good enough’ parenting is actually what is best for our children – not perfectionism. The podcast centres the Mother as the starting point for conversations with experts and change-makers who are passionate about seeing social, cultural, and institutional change to better support Mothers and therefore our families, and communities.
Episodes
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130. Music and Matrescence: Connection, Identity and Regulation in Motherhood with Elizabeth McLean (PhD, RMT)
In this episode, I speak with registered music therapist Dr Elizabeth McLean about the role music can play in motherhood, not only in supporting connection between parent and child, but in supporting mothers themselves too. Elizabeth brings extensive experience working with infants, parents and...
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129. Motherhood as Leadership Training: Rethinking Ambition, Burnout, and Balance with Nicky Lowe
In this episode, I’m joined by Nicky Lowe - award-winning Executive Coach, Founder of Luminate Group - to explore the intersection of paid work, leadership, and motherhood. Nicky shares her experience of burnout after becoming a mother and how it reshaped both her life and her work. We discuss...
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128. Matrescence Through the Lens of Occupational Therapy with Hollie Swanton
In this episode, I’m joined by Mental Health Endorsed Occupational Therapist, Yoga Teacher, Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator and Motherhood Studies practitioner Hollie Swanton to explore matrescence, regulation, identity, and the transition into motherhood through the lens of occupational...
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127. When It Feels Like You’re Not Doing Enough
*The Motherhood Studies Certification is currently open for enrolment, starting May 6th: https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on a feeling that so many of us carry - the sense that we’re not doing enough. This can show up as the never-ending to-do list,...
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126. The Loving Moments and Bitter Truths of Motherhood – Maternal Ambivalence with Dr Margo Lowy
Have you ever felt two completely different emotions about motherhood at the same time? Moments of deep love and connection… alongside frustration, resentment, or overwhelm? Have you ever wondered whether something is wrong with you for feeling this way? Or noticed how often mothers feel pressure...
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125. Lessons From My Mum - Grief and Love
This episode marks a return to the podcast after a profound personal loss. In September 2025, my mother died suddenly. Since then, my world - personally, professionally, relationally - has shifted in ways I’m still coming to understand. In this episode, I speak gently and honestly about grief,...
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124. When It All Comes Up: The Body, Hunger, Perimenopause and Mothering - with Dr Cristina Cavezza
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…
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123. 'When Good Moms Feel Bad': IFS, Motherhood, and the Healing Power of Parts Work with Jessica Tomich Sorci
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...
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122. When Motherhood Feels Like Too Much AND Not Enough
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...
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120. In Conversation with Prof Andrea O’Reilly: The Revolutionary Emergence of Motherhood Studies
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...
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119. Perinatal Suicidality: A Conversation with PANDA CEO Julie Borninkhof and Dr Laura Biggs
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...
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118. My Matrescence Festival Talk & Some Motherhood Studies News
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…
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117. When a Mother Reclaims her Space: Tehla's Story and a Permission to Pause
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...
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116. Motherhood as Leadership: Transforming Through Matrescence with Babette Lockefeer
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...
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115. Shaping the Future of Postpartum Care: A Conversation with Julia Jones on Postpartum Education
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...
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How a Footnote Changed Everything: Last Call for The Motherhood Studies Certification, Legacy Edition
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...
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113. When Everything Changes: Motherhood, Grief, and Self-Care with Suzy Reading
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...
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112. The Rebellion and Refuge of Motherhood: Bodies, Boundaries and Power with Amanda Montei
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…
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111. The Care Career Conundrum (checklist): The Sociological Roots of Our Struggle
*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…
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110. Redefining Motherhood: A Conversation with Libby Ward from Diary of an Honest Mom
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...
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109. What Play Therapy Can Teach us About Ourselves and Our Children, with Dr Sam Casey
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…
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108. Harnessing Neuroplasticity to Transform Our Mothering, with Dr. Jennifer Hacker Pearson
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...
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107. Liberation from Patriarchal Motherhood? Reflections On Power, Agency & Motherhood Studies 2024
*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...
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106. Understanding Ourselves & Our Children as Mapmakers: Parenting for Humans with Dr Emma Svanberg
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...
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105. When Community Sparks Creativity: 'The Mum Who Found Her Sparkle' with Jessie & Mary
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…
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A little update from Sophie
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:...
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104. The Science of Baby Brain: Social & Biological Influences on Mothers with Dr Sarah McKay
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...
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103. How to Dismantle Patriarchal Motherhood? 8 Reflections
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…
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102. Using Compassion To Navigate Challenges In Motherhood With Zoe Blaskey
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...
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101. Breaking the Rules, Living in Our Values: A Conversation with Tracy Gillett of Raised Good
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...
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Invitation into Free Training - Private Podcast Episode
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...
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100. What is the Essence of 'Good Enough'? Bridging Child and Adult Psychology with Dr Tanya Cotler
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...
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99. Embracing Challenges Beyond The ‘Early Years’ of Motherhood with Amy Taylor Kabbaz
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...
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98. Birth, Trauma, and Maternity Reform: Alecia Staines on Her Decade of Advocacy
*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:...
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97. Nurturing the Next Generation: A Revolution in Infant Mental Health with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum
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...
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96. The Economy of Motherhood and Being Played the ‘Fool’ with Tess Wilkinson-Ryan
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…
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95. Decoding Cultural Messages of Motherhood and The Good vs Bad Mother
In this episode I reflect on the context of Mother's Day and how cultural messages are communicated to us about motherhood and how this affects our sense of self and identity. I reflect on developing our skill of perceiving and picking up on the cultural messages we're sent, placing them within a...
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94. Undoing & Recreating: A Mother's Journey from 1 to 2 Children with Emily Adler Mosqueda
In this episode I speak with Emily, bilingual/bicultural mamá of two, pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, Clinical Assistant Professor and Supervisor of graduate speech-language students, and the author of "Unexpected: A Postpartum Memoir." Emily shares the challenges she went through in...
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93. The Gift of Maternal Ambivalence: Embracing Complexity to Build Connection with Dr Margo Lowy
In this episode, I talk with author and psychotherapist Dr Margo Lowy, exploring the concept of maternal ambivalence – an often-silenced but integral part of the mothering experience. Maternal ambivalence is defined as many conflicting feelings or contradictory feelings that can exist at the same...
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92. When you feel like you’re drowning in Motherhood - with Amanda Connell
Often, there can feel as though there is a conflict between the ways we would like to parent, and the social and structural forces that shape and influence our everyday lives as mothers. Amanda Connell from Spilt Milk Psychology joins me in this conversation to discuss the ways so often, our...
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91. The Importance of ‘Failing’ Our Children
In this episode I speak to some criticisms of the concept and application of ‘good enough mothering' as an approach to parenting. Some of us can have a reaction of: 'good enough?, why would I want to be JUST good enough as a parent?'. For those who identify as perfectionists, who feel the 'high...
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90. Getting to know our new babies, and our new selves with Julianne Boutaleb
This episode takes sections from podcast episode 32 with Julianne Boutaleb – a consultant perinatal psychologist and Director of Parenthood in Mind. Julianne speaks about the processes of attachment between a mother and her baby, the early attachment needs of a baby, self regulation and...
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89. Moving Beyond The Perfect Mother Myth – what next? (re-release)
There is a piecing-back-together that we are called to do after we go through a journey of pulling apart the version of motherhood we've been sold. To ask: well, what DO I want for my motherhood? If I understand the perfect mother myth, and how we're 'swimming' within a culture that sets us up…
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88. How culture 'creates' Motherhood and why it matters (The Fish Tank Model)
This episode is a training Sophie delivered, translating the predominant theoretical finding from her PhD research - the 'fish tank of motherhood' model. This model offers us a way of understanding what the 'social construction of Motherhood' actually is, how it shapes our experience as mothers,...
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87. For Mothers During The Festive Season (re-release)
In this solo re-released episode I reflect on the ways the festive season brings with it an amplification of the perfect mother myth. I explain how and why the festive season and other celebrations intensify the pressures mothers face, and give voice to the often-invisible load that women carry…
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86. Reclaiming our Motherhood from the ‘shoulds’ this holiday season with Anna Mathur
Today’s conversation is with author, psychotherapist, speaker, and Mum of three, Anna Mathur. Anna and I dive into reflecting on the complexities of motherhood over the holiday season, and consider how we can prepare ourselves for the increase in emotional and mental labour that can come with…
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85. Somatic Tools for Congruent Parenting with Yara Heary
This conversation is with psychologist and motherhood coach Yara Heary. Yara shares ways to come home to our bodies in those moments when mothering can bring up hard feelings, using somatic tools for nervous system regulation which can help to connect with ourselves and our children in a way that...
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Ep 84. Mothering ourselves through shame and perfectionism with Catherine Counihan
This conversation on shame and perfectionism is with mother and psychotherapist, Catherine Counihan. Catherine and Sophie both share from their own personal stories of mothering their daughters to look at some lived examples of how the perfect mother myth, shame and perfectionism can play out in...
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Our movement towards Motherhood Liberation... can we 'jump out' of the tank?
In this short episode I share some of my reflections about the creation of my latest program The Liberating Motherhood Experience. This is a program that I've been thinking about for many months but it's been within the space of a week that the program structure has landed with me (while…
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83. Creative Community Making for Mothers with Rachael Rose
Today I speak with doula, mentor and women’s circle facilitator Rachael Rose. Rachael works to build community around motherhood, and is driven by a desire for mothers to feel less alone as they journey through rites of passage such as pregnancy, birth, postpartum, launching and running a…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The role of being a Mother offers us the potential for incredible expansion, growth, and power, while also being one of – if not THE – most challenging, undervalued, and taken for granted roles in the world. Motherhood Studies Sociologist, researcher, and single Mother, Dr Sophie Brock hosts The Good Enough Mother (TGEM) podcast with an aim to change how Motherhood is culturally defined and individually experienced. TGEM draws its name from a theorist and pediatrician Winnicott, who highlighted the ways ‘good enough’ parenting is actually what is best for our children – not perfectionism. The podcast centres the Mother as the starting point for conversations with experts and change-makers who are passionate about seeing social, cultural, and institutional change to better support Mothers and therefore our families, and communities.
HOSTED BY
Dr Sophie Brock
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Good Enough Mother have?
The Good Enough Mother currently has 130 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Good Enough Mother about?
The role of being a Mother offers us the potential for incredible expansion, growth, and power, while also being one of – if not THE – most challenging, undervalued, and taken for granted roles in the world. Motherhood Studies Sociologist, researcher, and single Mother, Dr Sophie Brock hosts The...
How often does The Good Enough Mother release new episodes?
The Good Enough Mother publishes regularly with 130 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Good Enough Mother?
You can listen to The Good Enough Mother on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Good Enough Mother?
The Good Enough Mother is created and hosted by Dr Sophie Brock.
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