revolutionize and reclaim motherhood

revolutionize and reclaim motherhood

The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification™

2024 Enrolment now open

Course content access BEGINS 29th April 2024

Imagine if you were able to deepen and expand the support you provide to Mothers

Imagine being able to understand, name and speak about the social and cultural dimensions of Motherhood.

Imagine being able to validate and affirm Mothers’ experiences – and in turn, better facilitate their empowerment and transformation journey. 

Not only is it possible, but it’s also necessary. 

When we shine a light on what’s truly impacting the Motherhood experience, we can start to break the current rules and rewrite what it means to be a Mother - and in a way that works for us. 

We can finally start to create change.

“it's been completely life changing personally as a mother but also in my clinic, and I really couldn't recommend it enough.

…her course has really given me a vision and helped me gain the tools and even an understanding and the words needed to explain the process that mothers go through and how to really challenge belief systems that limits us as mothers. So I've been able to work much more profoundly with my clients and really help them see… how they can revolutionize their own motherhood journey, so that they feel more fulfilled and overall, happier and in their motherhood journey.

Laila

Naturopath and Nutritionist

 

MOTHERHOOD IS DIFFERENT TO MOTHERING

Mothering is the ‘doing’ work – the feeding, the bathing, the caring, the holding, the emotional labour.

Motherhood is the social and cultural construct that Mothers live their lives within.

So Mothers do their Mothering within the context of Motherhood.

Many of the support services available are focused on the act of Mothering. While this area of support is extremely important, if we focus on this one area without understanding the context that Mothers are mothering within, then we miss half the picture in creating sustainable, impactful, long-lasting change.

The factor that is most often invisible, but enormously shapes Mothers’ experiences is - society's unspoken rules.

Without learning about or acknowledging these societal rules, we can unintentionally perpetuate Mothers continuing to place these unrealistic expectations upon their own shoulders. Expectations none of us could ever meet.

But how do we change that?

By gaining a sociological understanding of Motherhood.

With this understanding, you will finally be able to see the whole picture. You will gain the ability to see and communicate the many factors that impact us, that are set against us and that are currently out of our control. 

A sociological understanding of Motherhood allows you to deepen the impact of your work and communicate in a new language with tools, concepts, understandings and frameworks.

This knowledge will change the way you support Mothers. But ultimately, it will challenge and transform the way you view Motherhood.

The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification ™

A sociological, evidence-based course for those who work with, or aspire to work with mothers.

In this program, you will:

  • Learn about the ways Mothers are often left feeling unsupported, overwhelmed, guilty, depleted, invisible, burdened, misunderstood, and craving connection and space – and learn what you can do to help them

  • Gain an understanding of Motherhood that goes beyond individually-focused information, and connects the personal Mother experience with the broader picture

  • Learn how the current, disempowering system of Motherhood was created, how it impacts individual mothers, why it continues in the way it does and how we can come together to make a difference for Mothers

  • Transform the way you view Motherhood and how you work with Mothers so you can feel more confident in providing a broader and more impactful level of support 

“I feel much more confident… I can place what I do within a much wider sociological context.

Sophie manages to encapsulate really complex ideas in a very understandable and accessible way, that you can then go and implement into your work with mothers, with families. I’ve been doing this work for a very long time, but I’ve never really had the language or the theories, or the references to back that up.”

- Ali Pember

Coach, counsellor, mindfulness and hypnobirth practitioner. Specialist in maternal mental health and wellbeing.

“In my work the certification program gave me vocabulary, concepts, and ultimately the confidence to go deeper into the work of Motherhood support.

As a coach for mothers as they journey into and through Motherhood, now this work is woven into everything that I do… It has transformed my work.”

Cayley Benjamin, Coach and facilitator of 14 years

“the course just went above and beyond what I thought. I’VE gained so much knowledge and such an amazing way to view the macro structures of motherhood and also the micro what's actually going on day to day.”

Grace Taylor, Doula.

Becoming a Mother can be an empowering catalyst for transformation and change

But as well as going through changes that we already know about – in our relationships, our careers, our sense of identity and physical changes – we enter into a new social role.

A role that…

… impacts our Mothering journey and everyday lived experiences

… is influenced by bigger factors that go beyond our ability to Mother the way we choose to

… keeps us living in, upholding and reinforcing rules that we did not write - until we decide to do things differently.

What’s inside The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification™?

The 8 foundational modules that form the certification are:

  • In this module, you will understand how and why Motherhood is social, learn about the theory of intensive mothering ideology and ‘The Perfect Mother myth’, then learn where these come from and how they impact mothers.
    You will also be trained in my concept of the Fish Tank of Motherhood™ to understand Motherhood sociologically (and be able to explain it to others), and the ‘Care/Career Conundrum’ concept that you can draw on in supporting Mothers navigating motherhood and paid work.

  • Here you will understand power and performance in Motherhood and learn to become a cultural assessor of the messages transmitted about Motherhood. Learn my unique concepts for explaining the ‘social system’ of Motherhood and how ‘Mum Guilt’ comes about and is part of the social construction of Motherhood. You’ll learn how the ‘Mummy wars’ have been created and sustained and how Mothers come to be socialised into The Perfect Mother Myth.

  • Creating cultural revolution for Mothers goes beyond a focus on individuals, and requires an understanding and resistance to institutionalised patterns of marginalisation. In this module, we talk about Mothers ‘on the margins’ in vulnerable groups to support you in connecting Mothers’ individual experiences back to broader cultural patterns and structural systems that they live within.

  • Dive deep into exploring what ‘identity’ means in motherhood and how becoming a mother can completely change our understanding of ‘self’ and who we are. This module challenges you to open your mind to new ways of thinking about ‘self’ and ‘identity’. It offers you my unique framework for understanding, talking about, and supporting Mothers in exploring their own identity in Motherhood.

  • After understanding how and why Motherhood is social and the different ways Mothers come to think about and experience their sense of self and identity, this module is all about relationships and the ‘family’. You’ll hear research on the challenges of gender inequality in the home, particularly in the context of the pandemic.

  • In this module, you’ll learn my framework of ‘Pressure Through Maternal Practice’. It covers how maternal thinking, the mental load and emotional labour are part of the social construct of Motherhood. You’ll be taught one-of-a-kind models and processes that you can draw upon to support Mothers through guilt and anger, and how to break free of The Anger-Guilt Trap.

  • After understanding all the ways Motherhood is constructed - often against us - here you will focus on a way forward in reimagining what Motherhood means and could mean within a revolutionised social context. You will learn about empowered mothering, feminist mothering, liberated motherhood, and how individual Mothers can be supported in drawing on their agency as Mothers - in what can often be a disempowering system of Motherhood. Learn about matricentric feminism (O’Reilly) and the value of applying this lens to your business and practice.

  • Alchemise this course experience into your own unique wisdom and teachings by engaging in reflexivity and learning the value of ‘rethinking’ (Grant) as a practice. You’ll learn how to respond to ‘imposter syndrome’, boundaries, fostering collaboration over competition, and how course knowledge can be integrated into the development and deepening of your skillset and practice.

 

AS WELL AS 8 DEEP-DIVE MODULES, YOU WILL ALSO GET:

A Close-Knit Online Community: Share your experience with others across various industries who are going through the same journey of rethinking and relearning what Motherhood means.

2x Fortnightly Live Classroom Calls: Get access to two classes (accommodating different time zones) where you can ask me any questions or simply join in a group conversation.

2x Fortnightly Community Connection Sessions: Reflect on and discuss course content with your community of peers studying alongside you, establishing and building relationships that will serve you long after the course finishes.

3x Guest Workshops Led By Embodiment Specialists: These embodiment specialists are also trained Motherhood Studies Practitioners and will lead workshops designed to support embodiment and integration of your learning. The workshops include:

  • Embodiment for Motherhood Practitioners: Holding Ourselves When We Are the Space Holders by Hollie Swanton

  • We Are the Volcanoes: Examining Mothering and Motherhood Through Poetry and Prose by Grace Gulley

  • Embodied Musicking in Motherhood by Elizabeth McLean (RMT, PhD)

2x Matrescence Masterclass Trainings: Access replays of two matrescence trainings delivered by Sophie, one an independent masterclass that covers the history of mastrescence, 5 ways matrescence as a concept adds to the field of Motherhood Studies, how matrescence is situated within a framework of tools for maternal empowerment, and a new way of conceptualising identity as applicable to matrescence. The other is from a seminar series delivered by Sophie alongside a panel of other experts for the Australian National University, that situates matrescence in the context of maternal wellbeing and the transition to motherhood, and provides a summary of the latest research emerging on matrescence.

Private Podcast Access: All of the module content is accessible via a private podcast that you can listen to on your podcast app, to help you listen to trainings on-the-go.

Self-Study Option: Those who enrol in this year's cohort will now have the option to access all content at once, along with following along with the live round with class and community calls. This means, if you'd like to, you could do the entire course immediately as its released - in both video and podcast format. This option is to support different learning styles and schedules.

Completion Certificate: Receive an emblem and certificate of completion as a certified Motherhood Studies Practitioner that you can use on your website and in your marketing.

BONUS: Practitioner Resource Pack: Upon completion, you will gain access to a bonus practitioner resource pack to equip you with information, templates, worksheets, speaker documents, client-facing materials and other resources. These resources will help you take everything you’ve learned in the certification out into the world and to seamlessly integrate it into your work with Mothers. You receive a licence agreement that enables you to use and distribute these resources to your clients.

  • Erryn - Nurtured Mothers Wellbeing

    I have LOVED every element of Sophie's Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification. Sophie has an obvious passion in supporting mothers and those in mother work, and has a high level expertise in the area of Motherhood Studies. The certification has supported in deepening my knowledge and understanding of Patriarchal Motherhood (the fish tank of motherhood) in a clear and helpful way to be able to pass on to those I support. I cannot see the world in the same way I did prior to completing the Motherhood Studies Certification. I thank Sophie for opening my eyes.

  • Bhumi Mehta - Hope From Therapy

    I never realized how much of the patriarchy I had internalized around mothering. I came into motherhood with a set of rules for being a good mother. And when I couldn’t live up to those expectations, there was a sense of failing. I found Sophie through an article and then began listening to her podcast the Good Enough Mother. It gave me a language for what I was feeling. The course allowed me to dig deeper into what the literature says about the motherhood journey and along the way I got to voice all the things I was feeling with a group of women on their own journey to understand and support mothers. I am using the tools I have gained from this course in my counseling practice: Hope From Therapy.

  • Sasha Kerman

    I found the course to be exceptionally well laid out, thought provoking and well held. There is a wonderful mixture of theory and also learning through self reflection and group discussion. The work is applicable to every stage of motherhood and across all different mediums of work as it explores the fundamental roots of the systems and narratives that we live in. I hope to repeat the course and delve further into each topic.

  • Nadja Dinneen – Nadjas Family Acupuncture

    The concepts and theories Sophie has shared with us has been incredibly important because what this offers women is a reason for why they may be feel so angry disconnected and lost. By understanding the impact that the social system of motherhood has had on us we can then begin to say no, not this and begin to align with new values and beliefs that do support mothers, her children, families, communities and the world at large to thrive!!!

  • Casie Walker, Clinical Psychologist

    This certification program expanded me, my knowledge and practice in the best ways.

    It provided education, literature, many catalysts for reflection, and opportunities for connection that absolutely have added dimension to the way I practice in my clinical work and how I make sense of and weave this together with my drive for activism for social and cultural change for women and mothers. Sophie is an amazing teacher and role model in this space.

  • Emma Mehlhopt

    This course has exceeded my expectations. I find myself thinking about motherhood through this sociological lens on a daily basis with nearly everything I do in this area of life.

    The concepts, theories and knowledge I have obtained will be incredibly useful moving forward, personally and professionally.

“From day one of this course, I felt like I made a great decision taking this course… I could find my own voice and what I value in my life, as a mother, as a woman, and as a person. ”

Sakie, working mother of 3 children, Japan.

“I really loved it, it was exactly what I was looking for. And in fact, I feel I have a better understanding and framework to work with when learning about motherhood and working with mothers and being a mother myself.”

Dr Jodi Pawluski, Neuroscientist and Therapist

Are you ready to deepen the way you work with and support Mothers?

Hear more from past certification participants

  • “My perspectives of myself, my children, the people around me, other mothers and the broader society in which we mother has shifted and evolved – thanks to Sophie and the other women in this course."

    Sophie’s knowledge and articulation of deep, broad, varied and diverse topics, concepts, histories, intersections and contexts is phenomenal. As is her access to leading motherhood scholars and academic material.

    This certification includes a lot of content, nuance and complexity, distilled in a uniquely digestible way.”

    — KRISTY OLIVER, AUSTRALIA.

  • "This course has given me the language and the concepts that I can share with mothers to help them understand and navigate their motherhood."

    The motherhood studies certification is for any practitioner that wants to next level your work in the mothercare space. This certification looks deeply into how our modern day mothering practices have developed, and how mothers have come to form their identity due to this. This course has given me the language and the concepts that I can share with mothers to help them understand and navigate their motherhood. It has also been the perfect space to allow me to reflect on my own motherhood experience.
    - RACHAEL, SOCIAL WORKER, A MAMA IS BORN, AUSTRALIA

  • “Every mother or person who works with mothers should know this!"

    Working with Sophie was an amazing experience. She has an awe-inspiring depth and command of this knowledge.

    The course both centered and enlightened me.

    I felt the concepts that were discussed and their applicability to my own motherhood journey so deeply and appreciated their universality.

    I look forward to the potential to bring motherhood studies further out in the world, with Sophie and my fellow practitioners.”

    — DR HAYA ZEDAN, SAUDI ARABIA.

  • “Learning from Sophie, and the community of people who were on the course, was transformative both professionally and personally."

    The course surpassed all my expectations and as it went on, it became clear that it was an investment and experience of a lifetime.

    After a few weeks, I began to have a shift of vision in how I viewed the world around me, including my personal life.

    Midway through the course the content hit a chord within me that was deep and very personal. Sophie, and the community, were marvelous in how they supported me through that period of growth and integration.

    My outlook is forever impacted by the content, relationships, discussions, and reflection I engaged with during and since the course.

    THIS is the course to invest in for yourself and your future projects with mothers and families.”

    — EMILY ADLER MOSQUEDA, USA.

  • "I have loved every second of this course."

    It has really opened my eyes up to more than just what i believed motherhood/matrescence to be.

    It has given me insights into different cultural perspectives on motherhood and also helped put names to a lot of the different experiences I have had since becoming a mother and allowed me to feel 'normal' again.

    Thank you Sophie for all your work and effort that goes into creating a course such as this.
    - MIKAHL, AUSTRALIA

  • "This course has been incredible."

    It’s allowed me to work through my own experiences of Motherhood, while learning and understanding how I can vastly improve the support I offer mums I work with. Sophie’s ability to break down and explain big and complex theory’s is amazing. Her knowledge and kindness both carried me through the course feeling fully supported.

    BEA CHRISTIE, COACH, AUSTRALIA

  • “This course is truly the missing piece I was searching for.”


    — AMY O’BRIEN, AUSTRALIA.

  • “This course has been amazing. It has given me a language to explain everything I have felt over the last few years. It has healed me in so many ways."

    I have made contacts with amazing women. Most importantly though, I have felt more like me! Time to think, reflect, process... I cannot thank you enough.”

    — JULIA D’ORAZIO, AUSTRALIA.

  • "It exceeded my expectations, the course content was so detailed, thought provoking, and transformative."

    Thank you Sophie for the wonderful experience throughout the certification.

    I got more out of this experience than I imagined, both personally and professionally - it's stretched me in a personal capacity, prompting a lot of reflection and understanding about my own motherhood journey, as well as deeply enriched my business and understanding of how to best support the mothers I work with, but I think most importantly what I've learned though the certification is already impacting individual mothers, helping them to have meaningful shifts in perspective and make changes that benefit themselves & their families.

    GEORGIE STEPHEN, NATUROPATH & SOS FEEDING THERAPIST, AUSTRALIA

  • “This course has changed my whole being, entirely. I will never view the world the same again.”

    — AMY EWENS, AUSTRALIA.

  • "There is nothing else like this anywhere else and I am so glad I decided to enrol and learn from Sophie."

    The Motherhood Studies Practitioner program was simply amazing!

    Dr. Sophie Brock is a wealth of knowledge and holds such a gentle space for all women coming to this program, to share, to learn to grow and to be acknowledged.

    I learned so much from all of the modules and was able to understand both my own experience as a mother more deeply and how I could better support my clients professionally.

    If you are looking to explore motherhood studies - this is the place!

    MARISA BURGESS COACHING

  • "It is uniquely both rigorous and profound."

    I am ever grateful to you Sophie for the depth, richness and inspiration of this certification course.

    It has transformed my work with mothers in a way that supports their lived experiences with academic research and theoretical frameworks that demystify the constructs and complexities of motherhood.
    KAMYA

  • "trust that heart pull and know that what your heart is saying that is saying YES you want to be part of this course - follow that lead "

    I definitely felt feelings of imposter syndrome… connecting with other women in the course who I felt had way more experience than me in their fields and in their motherhood journeys, but what I really want to say to the women who might be questioning their own worth of whether this is the right thing for them: trust that heart pull and know that what your heart is saying that is saying YES you want to be part of this course - follow that lead - because that is the potency of you and your essence… you have something important to offer to Mothers.

    I hope your fear of not-enoughness is not going to hold you back from stepping into this course and having a transformative experience, like I did.

    STEPHANIE JADE, AUSTRALIA

  • This course was by far and away the best investment I have made - both personally and professionally. "

    Not only have I gained the language, theories, concepts and references to deepen and expand the work I do in supporting mothers, but I also learnt so much more about myself personally, and has liberated me on levels that I could not have foreseen or expected.
    Sophie is so gifted at summarising and encapsulating very complex theories and concepts so that they are much more digestible and relatable, so I feel so confident and empowered to be able to implement my learnings into my own practice and work with mothers.
    A truly transformative and expansive experience!

    HARRIET MANDAK, HOLISTIC LIFE COACH & SPIRITUAL MENTOR

  • "It was one of the greatest, if not the greatest journey and learning I've ever gone on. "

    I'm very emotional the course is finished. It was one of the greatest, if not the greatest journey and learning I've ever gone on.
    Everyone will have a special place in my heart after our time together in the container you created and held so supportively for us.
    — LISA COLLINS, IRELAND

  • “This program has been one of the most influential experiences in my life."

    I feel confident moving forward working with mothers and I have a better understanding of myself and my practice.

    This coursework unveils the work that needs to be done from a social justice standpoint, and pushes ourselves to self-reflect and connect with others.
    — RACHELLE DECOUD, USA

  • "I highly recommend it to anyone who's on the fence or considering it, you will not regret it."

    I completed Sophie's motherhood studies practitioner certification recently, I decided to do the course after absolutely loving her podcast and feeling like there was so much important insights and information that was coming out of it that I really wanted to dig deeper and learn more to add that to my own practice caring for mothers and families.
    And the course just went above and beyond what I thought.

    I've gained so much knowledge and such an amazing way to view the macro structures of motherhood and also the micro what's actually going on day to day. And I'm just so I'm just so glad I did the course.

    Thank you, Sophie and I highly recommend it to anyone who's on the fence or considering it, you will not regret it.
    GRACE TAYLOR, DOULA

  • "The impact of this course for me on a personal level was completely worth the time and money alone. It is hands down the best training I’ve ever undertaken.”

    I feel like my inner world has been blown apart… I feel like I’m seeing in colour.
    I embarked on this course months ago to benefit my practice, better service my clients & to grow my offerings. Honestly? I’ve come away with SO much more.
    It’s felt life changing.
    The impact of this course for me on a personal level was completely worth the time and money alone.
    It is hands down the best training I’ve ever undertaken.
    — FERN BISHOP, RESPONSIVE SLEEP SUPPORT AND POSTNATAL CARE, UK.

“It has been a truly expansive experience for me, it has absolutely exceeded all of my expectations”

Stephanie Jade, Holistic Mothercare Practitioner and Feminine Embodiment Leader

“This course you’re doing, Sophie, is so important and so amazing, it really is. I just wish everybody would take it – and not just Mothers.

Social workers, doctors, nurses. I wish everyone would take a… mandatory course on Motherhood, because I think everyone would think, ‘Wow I had never realised that, I never thought about that, how different my perceptions are now… So it is an intervention into the master narrative, what you are doing.”

— Professor Andrea O’Reilly, Maternal researcher and scholar who coined ‘Motherhood Studies’

it’s time to use our collective power to reclaim and revolutionise Motherhood

Harriet Mandak, Holistic Life Coach & Spiritual Mentor

“This course was by far and away the best investment I have made - both personally and professionally.

Not only have I gained the language, theories, concepts and references to deepen and expand the work I do in supporting mothers, but I also learnt so much more about myself personally, and has liberated me on levels that I could not have foreseen or expected.

Sophie is so gifted at summarising and encapsulating very complex theories and concepts so that they are much more digestible and relatable, so I feel so confident and empowered to be able to implement my learnings into my own practice and work with mothers.

A truly transformative and expansive experience!”

Your investment in The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification ™

Full course + certification

ONE PAYMENT OF

$4299 AUD

OR

12 MONTHLY PAYMENTS

$365 AUD

*Those who pay in full receive a bonus 30min mentoring session with Sophie to be redeemed in 2024. hose who pay in full receive a bonus 30min mentoring session with Sophie to be redeemed in 2024.

I work to build in accessibility across my business, through differently priced offerings and by making payment plans available. With the 12 month payment plan on the certification I keep the additional fee at a minimum to cover the cost of processing and admin. 

However as a business owner with no external source of funding or financial support, those who join my programs early, or are able to pay in full, offer me security and capital to invest in my business systems and the setting up of my support. This makes a big difference in future planning for my life and work, so I offer the pay in full bonus as a 'thank you'. 

I appreciate your understanding and investment of your interest and energy, regardless of whether you end up deciding to enrol in any of my programs.

On the ‘thank you’ page after enrolment there is a special offer of purchasing a 3 hour mentoring package with Sophie, usually $1200 discounted to $900

Guest workshops

  • Embodiment for Motherhood Practitioners: Holding ourselves when we are the space holders

    Hollie Swanton

    Occupational Therapist and Founder of The Gathering Place

    Hollie will cover what embodiment is and why is it important within Motherhood studies, how to weave embodiment knowledge and tools into your learning experience within Motherhood studies, and explore what our emotions, our senses and mind body patterns have to do with embodiment. Hollie will also teach and offer you some foundational psychosensory tools that you can take with you in your life and work.

  • Embodied Musicking in Motherhood

    Elizabeth McLean (RMT, PhD)

    Music Therapist and Director of Vital Voices

    A workshop delivered in two parts to creatively explore and integrate your Motherhood Studies course learnings. Experience a musical-based, embodiment experience both individually and within a group setting. You'll learn about the role of music listening, intentional playlist creation and musical mantras in support of emotional regulation as a mother. Experience how music can be used as an everyday tool to process and transform maternal anger and guilt.

  • Examining Motherhood and our Mothering Through Poetry and Prose. A Social Emotional Arts Practice

    Grace Gulley

    UCLA Social Emotional Arts Facilitator

    Within this intimate writing circle, we will examine mothering and Motherhood through poetry and prose. And while, yes, it’s called a writing circle, it’s so much more than that — writing is merely the doorway into our inner worlds. During our time together, we will use poetry, discussion and prompts to explore our experience of being a mother and our own position on the wheel of revolutionizing Motherhood. No writing experience is necessary!

 Frequently asked questions

 

  • ‘Practitioners’ include social workers, counsellors, doulas, midwives, coaches, occupational therapists, psychologists, GPs, lactation consults, breastfeeding counsellors, activists, writers, and any others who are passionate about maternal advocacy.

    The training is also appropriate for those considering university research and study, wanting to gain foundational understanding of maternal scholarship that complements interdisciplinary fields of education, social work, psychology, sociology, midwifery, nursing, and media and communications, among others.

    Participants who join range in experience from being brand-new to motherhood-support, to having decades of experience.

    If you aren’t sure if this course is right for you, send me an email at info@drsophiebrock.com and I can give you any extra information you need

  • The amazing thing about the participants who have joined in the past is the wide range of skills and backgrounds they have. This has varied from scientists to people already working in motherhood support services to mothers who are at the beginning of their journey into this work and want an in-depth holistic view from the beginning.

    I can’t tell you if it’s right for you or not, but I do believe that if there is something calling you to do this work then there is likely something here for you.

    I have condensed this highly-academic work into accessible concepts and language so you can learn and benefit from it in your own life and in your career or business endeavours. There is no requirement for formal education to benefit from and understand the materials in this course.

    If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, send me an email at info@drsophiebrock.com and I will share any extra information you need to help you make the right decision for yourself.

  • Matrescence refers to the developmental stage and transition into/through becoming a Mother. It's a concept that has been extended, adapted and drawn upon as a tool to teach practitioners to integrate and use to support Mothers.

    Motherhood Studies is a discipline and area of study, rather than a concept. Motherhood Studies encompasses maternal theory, scholarship, and concepts. Motherhood Studies gives you training in the broader cultural context of Motherhood, with some concepts taught relevant to specific maternal experiences, such as grappling with identity, guilt, ambivalence and anger.

    You will get a lot out of doing both types of courses. They are connected in their focus on mothers, but distinct in the type of content and training offered.

  • You can access two ways: through the e-learning online platform OR through the Motherhood Studies Private Podcast.

    On the e-learning platform, each learning module contains a series of short video lectures. These lectures are all that you’re required to complete in preparation for the short-answer assessments to gain your certification.

    The live classrooms and community connection sessions are held on Zoom. Live classrooms will be recorded and available to watch on New Zenler.

    All module content (and accompanying download material) can be accessed through the private podcast that you will be set up with once the course begins.

  • The course offers 8 modules of content along with live classes and community calls, with built in breaks to support those with school-age children (trying to accommodate some holiday periods) and offering you time to ‘catch up’ AND ‘catch your breath’ to help embody and integrate your learning.

    The course runs over 6 months.

    Here is a breakdown of what is on every week (all times are AEST then change to AEDT in October - timezone is Sydney, Australia)

    • Cert begins - 29 April
    • 29th April - content first released
    • 6th May – Introduction calls with Sophie (10am; 8pm)
    • 13 May - module 1 class (12pm; 8pm)
    • 20th May – community call (10am; 8pm)
    • 27th May - module 2 class (10am; 8pm)
    • 3rd June – community call (10am; 8pm)
    • 10th June - module 3 class (12pm; 8pm)
    • 17th June – community call (10am; 8pm)
    • 24th June - module 4 class (10am; 8pm)
    • 1st July – Embodiment workshop (10-11.30am)
    • 8th July - BREAK
    • 15th July – BREAK
    • 22nd July – community call (10am; 8pm)
    • 29th July – module 5 class (12pm; 8pm)
    • 5th August – BREAK
    • 12th August – Embodiment (practice – no call)
    • 19th August – Embodiment Workshop (8pm)
    • 26th August – Module 6 class call (10am; 8pm)
    • 2nd September – community call (10am; 8pm)
    • 9th September – module 7 class (12pm; 8pm)
    • 16th September – BREAK
    • 23rd September – BREAK
    • 30th September – BREAK
    • 7th October – BREAK (and daylight savings starts)
    • 14th October – module 8 class (10am; 8pm AEDT)
    • 21st October – Embodiment Workshop (12pm)
    • 28th October – closing calls (10am; 8pm)

  • Time commitment to complete content only: approx 1 hr/ week (none during break time)


    Time commitment to complete content + engage in a live call: approx 2 hrs/ week (none during break time).

    ……

    There are 8 modules of content, each one containing short lectures totalling approximately 1.5 hours per module.

    The course is specifically designed and structured in manageable pieces to guide and support you in completing the content.

    A new module is released every 2 weeks. The week the content is released, you’ll have access to 2x 1-hour community connection sessions. The alternative week, you will have access to 2x 1-hour online classrooms.

  • Content is released slowly to support your learning and there are breaks scattered throughout the course to give you time and space to catch up and managing competing commitments of your own work, mothering, and navigating holidays if you have children in school.

    Once the content has all been released and we finish the live round of the course, you also have an additional 6 months to finish the content or complete the course at your own pace.

  • I have now introduced the ability for you to opt-in to an ‘all access’ option after you enrol. This gives you access to all course content at once, in both video and podcast format. You will still have access to all the live calls that are part of the course.

    This option may work well for those who have a set period of time in which they can dedicate to study i.e. a week off their paid work, and would like to complete all course content at once rather than paced out over the 6 months.

  • I’m based in Sydney, Australia and typically there are course participants from a range of countries across the world. To try best accommodate these varying timezones there are 2x calls weekly in AM (10am/12pm) and PM (8pm) Aus times.

    Zoom calls are also recorded and available to watch as a replay if you cannot attend them live.

  • In order to receive your certification you need to watch or listen to all module content (excluding call replays) and complete a short answer assessment at the end of the course.

    You receive the assessment questions as we work through each module so you can answer them as we go if you’d like.

    This assessment is designed to support you in your own learning reflection and integration of content.

    I’ll assess your results and email you with any clarifications required, along with your certification and ‘Motherhood Studies Certified’ logo to use in your marketing, if you wish to do so.

    You then receive access to the bonus module of practitioner resources.

  • The course isn't accredited by any official body or institution, no. That's for various reasons. I do see a lot of benefits in keeping my course run independently so I can be very intentional and flexible about the content I want to include and/or change.

    It is recognised by some professional associations - you'll need to check with yours specifically to see if it counts towards CPD points. I've had past students claim approx 22 hrs of CPD as nurses, midwives, social workers and psychologists.

    If you would like more information and/or support in submitting an application to your company/workplace/agency for funding to complete this course, feel free to email info@drsophiebrock.com.

  • There are a limited number of both full and partial scholarships available. Please read through the application criteria before submitting your responses. Applications close April 19th 2024 and applicants will be notified of outcomes by April 20th, 2024. Head here to apply: https://forms.gle/BjczKuioY3r5RtuN9

 "I'm very emotional the course is finished. It was one of the greatest, if not the greatest journey and learning I've ever gone on. 

Everyone will have a special place in my heart after our time together in the container you created and held so supportively for us."

— LISA COLLINS, IRELAND

“This program has been one of the most influential experiences in my life. I feel confident moving forward working with mothers

And I have a better understanding of myself and my practice. This coursework unveils the work that needs to be done from a social justice standpoint, and pushes ourselves to self-reflect and connect with others."

— RACHELLE DECOUD, USA

WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO

The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification™

YOU WILL GET:

8 Deep-Dive Modules Forming the Certification

A Close-Knit Online Community

Private Podcast Access for Trainings On-The-Go

The Option to Access All Content at Once & Learn At Your Own Pace

3x Embodiment Workshops for Learning Integration

2x Fortnightly Live Classroom Calls

2x Fortnightly Community Connection Sessions

Completion Certificate and Emblem

Bonus Practitioner Resource Pack

2x Matrescence Masterclass Trainings

Sakie

“From day one, I felt like I'd made a great decision taking this course. They way the course is structured, how accessible the material is, and of course, the actual content were exactly what I was looking for… One of the best parts of this course is that it is so thoughtfully designed for mothers in a variety of situations and life circumstances. The content was so valuable and helped me understand the real struggles that come with motherhood, and where those struggles come from. It enabled me to find my own voice and gain a deeper sense of what I truly value in my life.   

I am truly in awe of how Dr. Sophie delivers the content. The way she teaches, the way she speaks, and the way she designed the course were perfect. I could feel her generosity of spirit, her deep compassion, and the genuine respect she has for mothers everywhere. I cannot wait to share all of the wisdom and knowledge I gained in this course with other women so that they can benefit from the wonderful lessons in the same way that I did.”

It’s time to revolutionise motherhood support. We are the ones who can make a change.

To make waves in Motherhood support, we need to understand and name the driving forces behind the experience. 

Without this, our support will continue to be surface-level. It won’t allow us to work towards creating lasting change.

Thankfully, we are living in a time where we can challenge what it means to be a Mother.

We can push back on the cultural and societal rules and expectations that we no longer want to uphold.

We can work to create a world where Mothers are empowered, liberated, supported, and valued, making a real difference in each other’s lives.

The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification ™ contains the knowledge, information, and community to help you with this. We aren’t meant to journey through this field alone.

The work contained within this course supports us in claiming our own power, transforming how we experience being Mothers, and deepens our impact in how we support others.

This is the certification to work towards revolutionising motherhood.

why study with Dr sophie brock?

Embarking on learning like this can be equal parts exciting and daunting! Being able to trust that a person facilitating online learning such as this is qualified and experienced is important. I take my role as an educator and facilitator seriously, and hold this space with a deep level of respect, sensitivity, and awareness.

I have spent 10 years in this space of Motherhood-research and have a PhD in Sociology specialising in Motherhood Studies from The University of Sydney. In my research I developed theory for understanding how Mothers’ lives are shaped by the social and cultural construct of Motherhood. I’m also a Mother myself. 

I’m experienced in teaching both in person and online, having created courses and delivered programs to hundreds of passionate mothers and professionals. Through my role as a social scientist, I know that this work is ongoing, expansive, and exploratory. I remain open, curious, and ever learning.

My passion and focus is in supporting those who work with mothers to develop, integrate, and adapt a sociological lens of Motherhood into their businesses, careers, and professions. My hope is that through sharing this knowledge, Motherhood Studies Practitioners can become beacons of light for Mothers. Beacons of light who do not represent another pedestal for which we need to strive, but who illuminate parts of Motherhood that have been overshadowed and silenced for too long - including our power and voices. Beacons of light who signify hope and possibility - who Mothers can turn to when they are feeling alone, isolated, challenged, and not enough. 

By gaining this knowledge, I hope that students of Motherhood Studies can advocate for and champion Mothers and the reimagined possibilities of what Motherhood can mean - for us and future generations.

“Choosing the red pill In The Matrix movie (1999), Morpheus offers Neo a choice: ‘You take the blue pill,’ he says, ‘the story ends’. With the blue pill nothing will change, your life will be the same or ‘You take the red pill (…) and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.’

With the red pill you will have access to a deeper truth or in other words, you will continue to learn about the invisible conditioning messages that were set in the world to break them and get freedom.

Taking this motherhood studies certification was like choosing the red pill.

After the training, I could not see motherhood and mothering with the same lens.

It is an eye-opening course about our socialization as mothers and women. How the social construct of motherhood can be oppressive and how mothering can be a place of agency, power and resistance.

The certification brings the language, the concepts, the bigger narrative which contributes to supporting other women along their mothering journey.

I do believe that the web of motherhood studies practitioners that are spreading certification’s learning are planting invisible seeds of change.

In the movie Neo chooses the red pill and joins the rebellion.

Are you ready to join the web of invisible seeds of change?”

Margarida Sousa, Portugal.

Your investment in The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification ™

Full course + certification

ONE PAYMENT OF

$4299 AUD

OR

12 MONTHLY PAYMENTS

$365 AUD

*Those who pay in full receive a bonus 30min mentoring session with Sophie to be redeemed in 2024.

I work to build in accessibility across my business, through differently priced offerings and by making payment plans available. With the 12 month payment plan on the certification I keep the additional fee at a minimum to cover the cost of processing and admin. 

However as a business owner with no external source of funding or financial support, those who join my programs early, or are able to pay in full, offer me security and capital to invest in my business systems and the setting up of my support. This makes a big difference in future planning for my life and work, so I offer the pay in full bonus as a 'thank you'. 

I appreciate your understanding and investment of your interest and energy, regardless of whether you end up deciding to enrol in any of my programs.

On the ‘thank you’ page after enrolment there is a special offer of purchasing a 3 hour mentoring package with Sophie, usually $1200 discounted to $900