Motherhood: The Myth of Not Being Enough

Episode 93: Why do so many devoted mothers feel like they are falling short? In this episode of State of Mind, host Debra Sloss explores the emotional pressure mothers face when real parenting collides with idealized images of what motherhood is supposed to be. Psychotherapist and author Jessica Tomich Sorci joins the conversation to share an Internal Family Systems perspective on maternal mental health. Through her “Mom Parts Method.” Jessica helps mothers understand the inner voices and reactions that can emerge in parenting — including self-criticism, anxiety, anger, guilt, resentment, and grief — as parts that are trying to protect or communicate something important. Amber Reis and Karen Mcwilliam bring lived experience to the conversation. Amber reflects on parenting a neurodivergent child while coming to understand her own neurodivergence, and discusses how that awareness helped her reconsider her needs, limits, and self-judgment. Karen shares about parenting through postpartum depression, rage, trauma, and shame, and what it has meant to move toward repair, self-forgiveness, and compassion. Together, the guests offer a compassionate look at why motherhood can feel so painful for many women — and how learning to understand and befriend our Mom Parts can help create more connection, healing, and joy. Broadcasts: 8/2/26 & 8/10/26 Producer & Host: Debra Sloss LMFT Guests: Jessica Tomich Sorci LMFT, Amber Reis and Karen McWilliam 🎧  LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE Never miss an episode! Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Amazon Music  / YouTube Podcasts / Pandora  / TuneIn Enjoyed the episode? Leave a review to help others discover us.  📚 ACCESSIBILITY Transcription. Read the full English transcript of this episode here: English Transcription – Episode 93: Motherhood: The Myth of Not Being Enough Closed Captions. Prefer to watch with captions? View/Listen on YouTube and turn on the closed captioning feature in the settings. 🤝 ENGAGE WITH US Join Our Email List Want to know our topic each month? Sign up here. Suggest a Topic or Share a Story Do you have a story or topic idea? Email: debra.stateofmind@ksqd.org Follow Us Facebook & Instagram: @stateofmind.radioandpodcast 🎙️ SHARE YOUR STORY Record your 1–3 minute message about a personal mental health experience or recovery resource for an “In Your Voice” segment. Call: 831-824-4324, Or record on your phone and email to debra.stateofmind@ksqd.org. ❤️SUPPORT OR UNDERWRITE Love State of Mind and KSQD? Become a supporter or underwrite the show to reach a thoughtful audience. Learn more at KSQD. 🧠ABOUT STATE OF MIND State of Mind is an all-volunteer produced mental health and wellness podcast and radio show hosted by psychotherapist Debra Sloss. Through intimate, story-rich conversations with guests and experts, we explore the complexity of being human and how to live well. Learn more at stateofmindmedia.org. Produced with support from KSQD Community Radio.  🙏 SPECIAL THANKS Audio Production: Austin Gautreau Community Coordination: Evelyn Campbell Story Coaching: Patrice Vecchione Research: Melony Dominguez & Sara Isenberg Transcriptions:  Niharika Naik Marketing: Grishma Jain, Joanne Quan & Esmeralda Montero Content Distribution: Loan Tran Theme Music: Adrian Legg & Favored Nations Entertainment RESOURCES * Indicates a Monterey Bay Area Resource  Online Communities Mom Parts Community – An online community for mothers interested in understanding and working with their “Mom Parts” through an Internal Family Systems lens. Publications When Good Moms Feel Bad by Jessica Tomich Sorci – A book exploring how mothers can understand guilt, anxiety, anger, shame, and self-criticism through the Mom Parts Method and move toward greater compassion, confidence, and connection. Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman and Molly McIntyre – A supportive resource for mothers experiencing intrusive thoughts, anxiety, shame, or distressing emotions in the postpartum perio