Grow Yourself Up

Cath was joined by scientist Concetta Ferretti in episode 99. Cath and Concetta talked about Concetta’s path to motherhood, how she used science to support her in thinking about birth, how she does this on an ongoing basis and all about how Concetta is growing herself up in motherhood. We talked about her relationship with her mother in law, how she manages it and how she got to this place. This is a conversation packed with realism and richness, hope you enjoy it.Concetta is a scientist with a background in Biology, a Ph.D. in Oncology, and research experience in chronic disorders. She is currently studying to become a Marriage and Family therapist with a medical specialization. She aims to understand how stress and early life experiences shape mental and physical health. Her work is trauma-informed and benefits from the latest findings in developmental neurobiology and interpersonal neuroscience. She shares her knowledge on Instagram, where she wants to empower mothers with science and wisdom to manage their stress and nurture their babies’ brain and attachment relationship.If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

In this episode Cath is joined by Anna Butcher. We talked about Anna's journey to motherhood, how she experiences mothering and how the act of becoming a mother is an intrusion into our lives (on multiple levels). There is some deeply personal storytelling illustrating the concepts being discussed and we focused on how control turns up for both Cath and Anna and the antidote to this. Anna Butcher is a counselling psychologist specialising in perinatal psychology and the experience of motherhood. She came to the field of perinatal psychology after becoming a mother herself and becoming fascinated in the magnitude of the process which is often simplified and misunderstood. Anna is a lover of psychoanalytic theory and practice, for its richness in exploring early life experiences, relationships with caregivers and what it is to be a person.She loves marrying these ideas with her new found enthusiasm for the journey into and process of becoming a mother. She is also an advocate for speaking about the darker sides/emotions of motherhood which psychoanalytic theory give voice to. Anna taught and trained psychologists for ten years and teaching remains a passion of hers. Anna is trained in perinatal and infant mental health as well as newborn behavioural observation and Watch, Wait & Wonder, a parent-infant psychotherapy approach. She runs monthly support groups for mums in Amersham, Buckinghamshire and you can find her on Instagram @mums_and_microwaved_teaIf you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

Cath was joined by author and medical psychotherapist Marchelle Farrell in episode 97. Cath and Marchelle chatted about Marchelle's childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, the systems her parents operated in, how those systems still operate today, privilege, power, relationships and so much more. We talked about Marchelle's path to motherhood, the power within mothering and how she learnt to let herself be held and supported and the role of her garden in this.Marchelle Farrell is a writer, medical psychotherapist and amateur gardener. Born in Trinidad and Tobago she has spent over 20 years attempting to become hardy here in the UK. She is curious about the relationship between our external and internal landscapes, the patterns we reenact in relation to the land, and how they might be changed. Her debut book, Uprooting, won the Nan Shepherd Prize for nature writing. You can contact Marchelle on Instagram and her handle is @afroliage and on twitter @afroliage (though she rarely uses twitter) or you can contact her via her website www.marchellefarrell.comYou can catch Marchelle at the following upcoming events around the UK:Saturday 27-28th April at the BOCAS Lit Fest in conversation with Safiyah Sinclair and running a nature writing workshop.Saturday 11th May at Nurturing Soils at the Platt Fields Market Garden Manchester in conversation with Amy Jane Beer of Right to Roam and running a nature writing workshop.Sunday 26th May at the City of Literature weekend of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival in conversation with Jessica J Lee and running a nature writing workshop.If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

In episode 96 Cath was joined by author Molly Caro May. This rich and beautiful conversation covered so much ground. They touched on Molly’s memoir ‘Body Full of Stars’, talked about Molly’s postpartum health experiences, breaking cycles in motherhood, rage and self responsibility.Molly Caro May is an author of two books, teacher, and holder of space. For 13+ years, she has facilitated personal story workshops for hundreds of people across the globe. She is trained in (Somatic Experiencing) and focuses on where language/voice and the animal body meet each other.Her mission is to democratise expression and explore, in good company, the healing alchemy between story and nervous system. She runs online workshops, in-person retreats and keeps the fire lit for her membership community 'The Loam'.You can learn more about her work at www.mollycaromay.com or on Instagram @mollycaromayIf you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

In today's episode Cath focuses on people pleasing. She looks at how and why it arises in our family of origin, how it manifests in the way we are in relationships and how it can turn up in parenting. She suggests ways in which to counteract this urge. And next week there will be more on this subject.If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

In this episode Cath is joined by author and journalist Lucy Jones. Cath and Lucy discussed Lucy's matrescence journey, her most recent book (Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood), how she makes sense (and continues to) of the huge transition to motherhood, what Lucy finds supportive, how we are all eco systems and some of the realities of mothering at this time in our history.  Lucy Jones is an award-winning journalist and the author of four books including the best-selling book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild (Allen Lane), a Times and Telegraph Book of the Year, and most recently Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. Her writing on science, health and ecology has been published in BBC Earth, The Sunday Times, GQ, the Daily Telegraph and the New Statesman. Lucy is a mother of 3 and lives in Hampshire in England.If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it.To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan

Cath was joined by Coach, Trainer and Supervisor Nicola Rae in episode 92. Cath and Nicola talked about Nicola’s path to motherhood, how she came into relationship with her needs, her divorce and how this relates to growing herself and much more. Nicola shared what she focuses on instead of focusing on being liked and how this gives her freedom. Nicola Rae is a Coach Supervisor, Life & Careers Coach, Coach Trainer and experienced Creative Strategist who works with ambitious brands and leaders to help them to fulfil their potential and speak-up and show-up with heart and make a meaningful difference in the world.Nicola is the founder of 'A Life More Inspired' where she combines her 20 year corporate communications/marketing experience with a values-led and compassion-centered coaching methodology rooted in Neuroscience, Positive Psychology and Transactional Analysis.Her uniquely positioned supervision and coaching practice helps move her clients into possibility, overcome challenges and step into a more fulfilling way of working, leading and living.Nicola works with both organisations and individuals and is committed to bringing nuance to the personal growth, wellness and coaching space, so that it is development for the many and not the few.Nicola is trusted by a number of innovative and industry leading brands including being the resident life coach for the global creative agency D&AD, Career Coach for the women’s only private members AllBright and a Coach Trainer for Optimus Coach Academy. In addition to working with Warner Music and Google alongside her thriving private client-led coaching practice.Social media - https://www.instagram.com/nicolaraewickham/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaraewickham/https://nicolarae.substack.com/https://www.alifemoreinspired.com/weekly-letterWays to work with Nicola:As a private client 121. In her coaching subscription, ROOOTED. In her supervision 121 practice which is for coaches and mentors. If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it. To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan 

Cath was joined by Kate Codrington in this episode. Cath and Kate talked about Kate’s path to motherhood, perimenopause in early postpartum, how Kate cares for and supports herself in her life and more. We also talked about breaking free from what the patriarchy says we are allowed and how we can empower ourselves with play, creativity and joy.Kate is a mentor, author, speaker, facilitator, artist and podcaster. The author of 'Second Spring: The Self-Care Guide to Menopause', which is part of the 'menopause cannon' according to the New York Times. Kate mentors people in perimenopause and beyond, 1-2-1 and in groups, and is a nature-based Yoga Nidra meditation guide, and hosts 'Life - An Inside Job' podcast. Kate has been a therapist for more than 30 years and creates multi-level art textile projects. When she’s not doing these things you’ll find her playing in her compost heaps. Her second book, 'The Perimenopause Journal, will be out in September 2024. To find out more about Kate, click the links listed below.Website: https://www.katecodrington.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_codrington/If you're enjoying this podcast. Please leave a review and rate the podcast, this really helps others to find it. To sign up for the journal prompts and Nurture.Heal.Grow (on Substack) please head to www.cathcounihan.com or @cathcounihan on Instagram. Follow Cath on social media here:Instagram: @cathcounihanSubstack: Nurture.Heal.GrowFacebook: Cath Counihan