Shifting Narrative Identities in Motherhood is a workshop focused on the ways in which our personal, familial, cultural, and historical perceptions of motherhood influence our sense of self after birth and into the role of “mother.” In this workshop, we will look at the narratives around motherhood and our roles as they were inherited. We will explore how those narratives have influenced us and how our personal narratives and our sense of self may have shifted in the transition into motherhood. We will explore the loss of identity, changed relationship to self, and new identities in the transformation after birth. Using narrative therapy theory and methods, we will co-create an alternative and unique narratives, expounding on the personal and political potential there is in the role of “mother.”

During the workshop, there will be time for personal exploration, sharing, writing and group discussion around the topics related to personal, familial, and cultural perceptions of motherhood. We encourage you to bring a notebook and also any pictures that you would like to share related to your birth, your experience as a mother, or any stories and items related to your important roles and identities “outside” your life as a mother.