Maternal Ambivalence in Session: Helping Mothers Face Mixed Feelings Toward Their Children with Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy

This paper reviews some of the theoretical and empirical literature on maternal ambivalence and suggests that greater attention to this phenomenon in clinical work with mothers can foster more empowered mothering. Two clinical vignettes using Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) with mothers are presented as examples of working with maternal ambivalence in session. The vignettes demonstrate how techniques from this model can help mothers face and integrate complex mixed feelings toward their children. Such work not only helps individual mothers improve their well-being and relationships, but can also serve to counter internalized cultural ideologies and dominant discourses about motherhood.