Description

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Jen sits down with Shelly Sharon—certified Hakomi therapist, complex-trauma practitioner, and author—to explore a topic that quietly shapes so many women’s midlife journeys: the mother wound. 

Together they unpack what it really means to carry emotional wounds from a complex mother-daughter relationship, how those patterns show up in adulthood, and what it takes to finally begin healing. 

Shelly shares her own story of growing up with a mother who struggled with mental illness, how she learned to re-parent herself, and why so many women in midlife begin to feel old pain rising to the surface. The two dive into guilt, grief, boundaries, ambiguous loss, and the difference between closure and completion. 

This episode isn’t about blaming your mother—it’s about reclaiming your wholeness and realizing it’s not your fault.  

💬 Key Takeaways 

• What the “mother wound” really is and how it can shape your relationships, self-worth, and even your career.
• Why midlife often becomes the time these buried wounds demand attention.
• The emotional difference between closure and completion—and why completion is more achievable.
• How to grieve the relationship you wish you’d had, even if your mother is still alive.
• The power of acknowledging unmet needs without shame or blame.
• The “apology ache” and learning to live without the words you may never hear.
• Shelly’s gentle mindset shift for daily awareness: “Am I making an excessive effort to be loved, seen, or appreciated?”
• Why healing starts close in—one doable, compassionate step at a time.

 
🧠 Midlife Edit Moment
 

“Strong women can break sometimes too. It’s okay not to be okay.”
 Healing isn’t about perfection—it’s about giving yourself permission to sit with what’s real and finally put down the weight that was never yours to carry.

 
🔗 Connect with Shelly Sharon
 

• Website & Blog: shellysharon.com
  
• Private Podcast: Birth Rite Series
   — three short episodes offering insight and practical guidance on healing the mother wound
• Substack: Women of Ash and Honey – Shelly’s reflections and essays
• Instagram: @unmothered_women
   

 
🪞 Mentioned in This Episode
 

• Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel — explores the “apology ache” and unmet maternal needs
• Start Close In by David Whyte — the poem Shelly quotes as inspiration for beginning where you are

 
💌 Join the Midlife Edit Community
 
If today’s conversation resonated, make sure you’re subscribed to The Midlife Edit on your favorite podcast platform—and share this episode with a friend who might need it.

✨ Let’s make midlife our comeback tour, not a crisis.