“In Unburdening Motherhood, Dr. Angele Close masterfully shares the insights of matrescence that bring to light intergenerational patterns and unresolved wounds that resurface in parenting, and then shows you how IFS offers a gentle yet transformative approach to healing these cycles. Together, IFS and matrescence empower mothers to create a legacy of compassion and connection for future generations.”

This book is a gift to mothers seeking to thrive in their parenting journey.

—Amy Taylor-Kabbaz Founder, Mama Rising and Global Matrescence Foundation

“IFS therapy has transformed my mothering, and here in your hands is THE definitive guide toward shedding our false skins and finding a safe home inside ourselves. This is a gentle guide to true liberation for mothers of all kinds.”

—Amanda Diekman, author of Low Demand Parenting: Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection with Your Uniquely Wired Child

“For every mother longing to feel whole, seen, and understood, this book is an essential, comforting friend.”

—Frances D. Booth LICSW, IFS Clinical Consultant and Lead Trainer

“In Unburdening Motherhood, Angele Close offers mothers something rare—permission to be fully human. Through courageous self-revelation and the lens of Internal Family Systems, she shows how the messy, painful moments of parenting—anger, shame, exhaustion, self-doubt—can become gateways to healing and self-compassion.

This is not another book that tells mothers to be perfect; it’s an invitation to remember that every moment of imperfection can open the heart.”

—Anne Cushman, author of The Mama Sutra: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Path of Motherhood

“Reading Unburdening Motherhood feels like walking through the dark forest of motherhood with a wise, funny friend who's been there. She gets the guilt, the mess, and the beauty, and offers IFS as a gentle map home to becoming the Self-led moms we were meant to be.

She reminds us that motherhood can be a powerful path to healing our deepest wounds.” 

—Tammy Sollenberger, LCMHC, author of The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self

“This is a practical roadmap for mothers ready to break free from shame, honor their own needs, and parent from a place of greater wholeness.”

—Jenna Riemersma, LPC, Certified IFS Therapist and IFS Clinical Consultant, best selling author of Altogether You and IFS Integration

“Close is brave and courageous, sharing so vulnerably and with such authenticity, clearly walking the talk. She gives readers not just validation for their experiences, but context and a clear map forward. IFS is distilled here in a way that is accessible, relatable, and immediately useful. This book is a gift for anyone navigating the complexities of self, relationships, and growth in Motherhood”.

—Chelsea Robinson, LCSW, Founder Mamas Modern Village

“Dr. Angele Close normalizes the real, messy emotional realities of motherhood while offering a clear path to healing and self-trust. As both a clinical psychologist and a mother, I found Unburdening Motherhood to be a compassionate and grounded guide that helps mothers to parent from their truest selves.” 

—Dr Hilary Claire, Clinical psychologist, author, and host of the Wild and Well podcast