Discovering the Inner Mother: A Guide to Healing the Mother Wound and Claiming Your Personal Power

Webster, facilitator of workshops based on her personal healing method, debuts with a comforting if diffuse explanation of her methods for alleviating “intergenerational trauma” among women. She defines the “Mother Wound” as the effect on women of the “pervasive, patriarchal, capitalist cultures rooted in colonization and destruction of the earth that have come to dominate much of the world,” which manifest as “a set of internalized limiting beliefs and patterns.” She discusses various ways this plays out—silencing women’s voices, placing women in reductive roles—and provides prompts for how the reader may respond. To do so, Webster uses composite examples of her workshop students that illustrate her teachings, followed by discussion questions. For instance, Webster tells the story of a woman whose mother raised her as a “surrogate spouse” and “family mediator,” distorting her sense of independence as an adult. Webster then uses this case study to spur readers to question how “principles of patriarchy” have affected their own life. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of guidance here, and Webster mentions—but never shares—her “seven-step process” to “support other women in healing the Mother Wound,” which gives the book at times the feel of being a marketing extension of her workshops. Women who grapple with self-limiting beliefs may glean some insights from the examples given, but the dearth of concrete advice is a disappointment. (Jan.)