Jan-Feb 2025 Mental Health Book Club
Book Selection: Mother Hunger: How adult daughters can understand and heal from lost nurturance, protection, and guidance
Author and psychotherapist, Kelly McDaniel, highlights the role of a mother's love in setting the stage for how their daughters grow and attach in their relationships to themselves and others. The term "mother hunger" is described as insufficient love and nurturing that "invisibly eats away" at one's insides, "slowly digesting any strength, dignity, or agency" in adult children. McDaniel argues that hunger pains need relief which insecurely attached women attempt to feed using food, sex, work, alcohol or other external sources to numb the longing for love that's missing. Discussion topics include:
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Exploring the transmission of insecure attachment from mothers and daughters
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Identifying the impact of a maternal relationship on nurturance, protection, and guidance
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Exploring adaptive and maladaptive surrogate sources of comfort
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Identifying opportunities for re-parenting the self​
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”...if essential elements of maternal nurturance and protection were missing, you didn't stop loving your mother - you simply didn't learn to love yourself."
Book Club Schedule
* Tuesday, Jan 07, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm - Chapters 1 & 2
* Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm - Chapters 3 & 4
* Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm - Chapters 5 & 6
* Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm - Chapters 7 & 8
* Tuesday, Feb 04, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm - Chapters 9 & 10
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Location
All book club discussions will meet in-person on the second floor of the Outdoor Therapeutics Main Office at 1707 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD 21702.
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Your Host
Krista Bajgier, LCSW-C, is a certified nature-informed trauma therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in training. She will help guide group discussion about the book chapters from week to week and offer attachment-based activities to help group members connect book content to their lived experiences and to help participants identify resources for achieving security. She encourages participation from anyone interested in finding a strength-based strategy for self-parenting. Kris enjoys hosting these therapeutic discussions because she believes in the idea that group environments can build confidence and self-esteem. Community - even short-term experiences of belonging and connection - are beneficial for emotional well being.
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Book Club Costs
Participation in this club is $60 for the entire 6-week program. Participants are required to purchase their own copy of Mother Hunger which ranges from $12-20 online. Books can also be obtained from local libraries for free with a library membership.
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Registration
Anyone participating in this group must be registered by December 27, 2024. Please contact info@outdoortherapeutics.com if you have questions before committing to the group.
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