Hi All - really interesting thread!

I am only new to the game and so don't think i fully understand the terminology of maternal transference and the implications for me in therapy and life.

I hope this doesn't upset people to share, but I am definitely someone who fits in the category of having a pretty great childhood with deeply devoted parents who did a great job of knowing and meeting my needs - close, affectionate, supportive. There wasn't any blatant neglect or abuse on their part. I simply was an extremely sensitive child who had a handful of difficult experiences that weren't ever acknowledged or talked about, which created needs that I managed myself, and struggled with internally and mostly blindly as a child

So I am realising in this process, that I wasn't entirely met, and therefore do struggle with things, some of which is caused by traumatic experience but also by unmet needs. Much of my struggle happened before the age of 15 and for various reasons I cut myself off from my parents, and very effectively hid my inner world of pain and confusion.

So I think if I had of given my parents the chance, they would of met these deeper needs - probably? Hopefully! But they wouldn't of had much of an idea that those needs were even there.

My T and I do talk a lot about my mother, and expectations on her to be like a mother, but to be honest I don't fully get this. Sometimes I do find myself wanting her to understand me, wanting care and gentleness from her, so all of that is motherly. Being held in mind is really critical to me and a big part of why I started therapy.

Not sure if any of that helps. all of that might read to some of you like I am too early in the process to really understand my own situation, ha! I'm OK to admit that, perhaps my upbringing wasn't as idyllic as I have long thought?

As an aside - when my T first mentioned a mother/child image I had a strongly negative reaction and almost asked her not to talk about it again, because it was alienating and a distraction. I didn't want to feel childish, and I didn't want her to be my mother. But as time wore on I got more open to this idea, realising I did have an 'inner child' with unmet needs, some of which I wanted to bring into the room. She's encouraged me to do this. So not sure if this counts as transference, or is a therapeutic tool for helping me reconnect with repressed emotions and to build trust with her as a T?