What is Ending When Our Lineage Ends With Us? With Dr. Jennifer Mullan

Women Without Kids

Dr. Jennifer Mullan of Decolonizing Therapy on non-motherhood as part of our intergenerational healing. In the episode we discuss:

-The intersections that are at play when we talk about intergenerational healing

-Different ways of thinking about what is “ending with us” when we don’t have kids

-The concept of the “soul wound” - and how this is passed on down the generations

-The trauma done to peoples - and lineages - across the globe by colonization, and the survivalist coping mechanisms that we have inherited from this

-Jennifer’s definition of “family dysfunction” - and how this is often a manifestation of these coping mechanisms

-Her experiences of family therapy, and how the focus is often on the child who is “acting out” - versus looking at the whole family system

-Why ambivalence about having children can reflect an intuitive pull not to pass intergenerational patters - or “curses” - on to a new generation

-“Parenting” in our activism or other community work - and prioritizing this over having kids

-What we are opting into when we “opt out” of having kids - whether this is a conscious choice or not

-How the pillaging of Mother Earth has impacted our capacity for mothering

-Jenn’s family’s response to her not pursuing motherhood - and her rage at their insensitivity around this

-The need for specific care and lifestyle options for older women without kids

Learn more and Dr. Jennifer Mullan and her work HERE and follow her on Instagram for updates about her forthcoming book, Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma & Politicizing Your Practice.

You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE.