Welcome! Today's Unclassified Woman is Kristen Barnes from Melbourne, Australia. Kristen is in private practice as a registered psychologist and certified life coach. She has 25 years' experience in counselling, therapeutic coaching, and using her supervisory skills to help coaches and therapists value themselves and carve out a passionate life.
Kristen believes that you are most passionate and powerful when you simply dare to be yourself! Join us!
What you'll hear in this episode:
- Circumstances have combined to prevent traditional motherhood for Kristen.
- How she pursued motherhood via IVF and adopted embryos over a 20 year period.
- Unexplained fertility prevailed, even though she tried everything humanly possible to have a biological child.
- How Kristen fostered homeless adolescents in a mothering role.
- "It was meant to be."
- Her experience with an ongoing grieving process.
- Cultural expectations and stigmas that she has observed.
- "I felt like children were viewed as currency."
- How Kristen dealt with inappropriate comments and questions.
- Why you need clear boundaries around how you discuss the topic with others.
- "Small talk" vs. "Big talk"
- How the terminology used about childless/childfree women implies a minority.
- How we define the "value" of our lives.
- How mothering skills are incorporated into many roles that women play.
- The sacrifices and "settling" that can lead to losing yourself.
- Selfishness vs. self-care.
- Kristen has seen a dramatic increase in women in their late 30's whose window of opportunity for motherhood is closing.
- The assumptions that society makes about women and what they want
- Many support groups and communities have formed to support women without children and are doing marvellous work!
- Find out more about Kristen: www.kristenbarnes.com
Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed then please share with another woman who would find beneficial. For more episodes check out michellemariemcgrath.comÂ
