Intro to Mother Loss


A compassionate 60-minute introduction
to the long-term effects of early mother loss

We know that opening the door to memories of early loss can be a delicate process. 

Taking the first step needs to be a gentle act of self-care.

Our Intro to Mother Loss series is a place where daughters can ease into exploring the effects of mother loss on their adult lives. 

  • If you came from a family that didn’t talk about your mom or her death — you’ll learn about the impact this can have.

  • If you lost your sense of safety and security when your mom died and have been trying to reclaim it ever since — you’ll find a community that understands how this shapes a daughter’s life.

  • If you’ve been hoping for a place where you can share your story freely, without fear of judgement or pity, you’ll enter that space here.

  • Or come just to listen — there’s never any pressure to participate.

Hello Friend,

I’m Hope Edelman, author of the book Motherless Daughters and the founder at MotherlessDaughters.com.

Losing my mom Marcia to breast cancer when she was 42 and I was 17 was a life-altering event. It was like a shock wave through my family, shaping how I viewed the world, who I could become, and how I was do it.

Talking about it openly was hard. I didn’t know any other girls who’d lost a mom, other than my sister. And my family wasn’t the expressive type. So I kept my grief, all my thoughts and feelings, buried for a long time. When I first started talking about them, I did it in a whisper. I was that frightened by the sound of my own voice.

Over the years that followed, it became easier to prop open that door to the past. But I remember how intimidating it felt at first.

If you’d like a very gentle, low-pressure introduction to this topic and our larger community, I invite you to join one of our upcoming Mother Loss Series live events.

This new Mother Loss Series is grouped into sessions according to your age at time of loss. That’s because losing a mom is such a different experience at different points in a daughter’s development. 

I’ll be there live at every session, to share more than 30 years of research and experience in the field of mother loss, to answer your questions, and to receive your stories with curiosity and compassion.

xo Hope

Intro to Mother Loss Event Details

One-time, 60-minute virtual events

  • $29 per session

  • Includes follow-up worksheet + journal prompts + replay link

  • Each age group has its own session, offered twice.

    • Our August series will take place early to midday Sundays, to accommodate attendees in the UK and EU.

    • The October series will take place later in the day (US time) so daughters in Australia and Asia can join in. 

  • We’ll spend the first 30 minutes together in a trauma-informed, recorded informational session.

  • The next 30 minutes (not recorded) will be for optional story sharing and a Q&A. 

    (Please note: Adult Mother Loss is part of the October series only)

Midday Series — 11 am PT / 2 pm ET:

- August 3: Mother loss up to age 12

- August 10: Mother loss in the teens (ages 13-19)

- August 17: Mother loss in the 20s

Evening Series – 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET:

- October 19: Mother Loss Up to Age 12

- October 26: Teen Mother Loss (ages 13-19)

- November 2: Mother Loss in the 20s

- November 9: Adult Mother Loss (age 30+)

What will we cover in each session?

  • Developmental stages and what children understand and when

  • Mother loss as an attachment trauma: what does this mean?

  • How children grieve (hint: it’s different than adults!)

  • The importance of the surviving caregiver (fathers, grandmothers, aunts)

  • The tasks of adolescence vs. the tasks of mourning

  • The quest for independence 

  • Identity formation at a time of stress

  • Managing adolescent guilt and regret

  • Emerging Adults as the “forgotten mourners”

  • Dependence vs. independence: one foot in, one foot out

  • Caretaking and responsibility: always too young

  • Managing guilt and regret

  • Balancing grief with the tasks of daily life

  • Caregiving and caretaking

  • Isolation and loneliness

  • Managing guilt and regret

Note: This session is offered in October only

Does your age at time of loss bridge two age groups? Not sure which session to attend? You’re welcome to choose whichever feels right to you. Or join more than one!

Any questions? Email us at info@hopeedelman.com. We’d love to hear from you!