Talk Through Motherhood: Why Group Therapy Might Be the Most Powerful Thing You Do for Yourself This Year

By Nadia Bari, Qualified Counsellor | Talk & Survive

There's a particular kind of exhaustion that lives in motherhood. Not just the physical kind — the 3am feeds, the relentless school runs, the mental load that never quite switches off — but the emotional exhaustion of feeling like you're supposed to be fine. More than fine, actually. Grateful. Glowing. In love with every moment of it.

And when you're not? The silence around that can feel deafening.

I've sat with many mothers over the years who describe the same thing: a creeping sense of disconnection, from themselves, from their partners, from the version of themselves they thought they knew. Postnatal depression, anxiety, grief, identity loss — these are not rare or shameful experiences. They are part of motherhood's fuller, more honest picture. And they deserve to be spoken about, out loud, in a room where someone truly hears you.

That's exactly why I'm so proud to be launching Talk Through Motherhood, a group therapy programme for mums, in partnership with Artists' Apothecary and held at the heart of the Dagenham community.

What is group therapy, and why does it work?

Group therapy is not a support group where people talk and go home. It is a structured, professionally facilitated therapeutic space where the group itself becomes part of the healing. When you sit in a room with other mothers and hear someone else name the thing you've never said aloud — the rage, the guilt, the grief for the person you were before — something shifts. You realise you are not broken. You are not alone. You are, in fact, remarkably human.

Research consistently shows that group therapy can be just as effective as individual therapy for a wide range of mental health concerns, and in some ways more so. The shared experience creates a kind of validation that no single therapist can fully replicate. You are witnessed not just by a professional, but by peers who truly understand — because they are living it too.

For mothers in particular, this matters enormously. So much of maternal mental health struggles in silence because of the very real fear of being judged, of seeming like you're not coping, of someone deciding you're not a good enough mother. The therapeutic group container offers something different: a held, confidential, non-judgmental space where honesty is not just allowed but encouraged.

What might you bring to the group?

Mothers come to spaces like this for many different reasons. Some are navigating postnatal depression or anxiety that crept in quietly and never quite left. Some are processing a traumatic birth or a pregnancy loss. Some feel overwhelmed by the loss of their identity — the career woman, the free spirit, the social person they once were. Some are simply, profoundly lonely, surrounded by people and yet unseen.

You might not know exactly what you're carrying. You might just know that something feels heavy. That is enough. You don't need the right words or a diagnosis or clarity. The group will help you find the language in time.

Why in-person, and why in Dagenham?

Online resources have their place, and I am grateful for every app, hotline, and virtual space that has reached mothers who wouldn't otherwise have access to support. But there is something irreplaceable about sitting in a physical room together. The cup of tea. The eye contact. The moment when you walk in not knowing anyone and walk out feeling known.

Kingsley Hall Church and Community Centre on Parsloes Avenue is a warm, welcoming, accessible space — and it is deliberately local. East London mothers should not have to travel far, spend a lot, or navigate complex waiting lists to access meaningful mental health support. Talk Through Motherhood begins on Wednesday 22nd April, running 11am to 1pm, at £20 per session or £105 for a block booking.

A word on asking for help

Motherhood has a way of making us feel like asking for help is a failure. It isn't. It is, I'd argue, one of the most courageous things you can do — for yourself, and for the children watching you navigate the world. When you allow yourself to be supported, you model something profound: that you matter too. That your inner life is worth tending to. That struggle does not have to be a secret.

If any of this resonates with you, I would gently encourage you to take a small step. Email me at nadia@talkandsurvive.org to ask a question, to find out more, or simply to say you saw this and something in you responded to it. That small step is often where everything begins.

You don't have to talk through motherhood alone.

Talk Through Motherhood begins Wednesday 22nd April 2026, 11am–1pm at Lester Lounge, Kingsley Hall Church and Community Centre, Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham, RM9 5NB. Transport links: bus routes 145, 364, 5, 62, EL2. £20 per session | £105 block booking. Email nadia@talkandsurvive.org for enquiries.