Mama Village
Mothers Groups
Are you ready to focus on your motherhood experience from an emotional perspective?
Clinical Social Worker Karen O’Mara has expertise working with hundreds of mothers over nearly 30 years as a counsellor and group facilitator in the areas of perinatal and breastfeeding support, grief and loss, trauma, baby sleep science and breastfeeding as a NDC practitioner with Possums Clinic, a Parenthood and Family Relationship Guide with Elly Taylor’s Becoming Us, and a Circle of Security Parenting program facilitator.
In my work with mothers and their partners, there is clear evidence that many of you struggle with the adjustment to motherhood, loneliness, isolation, depression and anxiety. It’s all completely normal.
The Mama Village mothers groups are a little different to other groups around Brisbane where you might have changing facilitators each week presenting on a topic of their expertise, often baby-focused.
Brisbane-based Mama Village mothers groups focus on your emotional experience as a mother by bringing women together to have honest, raw and vulnerable conversations. There are often such high expectations to be perfect mothers, many times women place fake smiles on their faces and tell inquiring people that ‘motherhood is great, I love it!’ But what if you don’t? What if you don’t feel bonded to your baby? What if it’s boring? What if you feel you are failing at everything?
What if I told you there's a safe place to talk about the hard stuff of mothering? What if I told you there would be no judgement? What if you didn't have the pressure of living up to society's expectations of you being a perfect mother?
We've lost our villages and we were never meant to do this mothering gig alone. We survive motherhood with other mothers.
What if I told you that there's a way for you to find deep connections with other mums?
Sounds good, doesn't it?
This is your opportunity to invest in you, to be guided by a mental health professional, where you will find yourself in a place where you have a sense of relief that you are not alone in your feelings, thoughts and experiences.
This is time for you. Your emotional experience matters enormously.
You will feel heard and supported, develop tools and strategies to assist you in becoming the best parent you can be, and most of all, you will build lasting friendships to carry you through the years to come.
What’s involved?
A 4-week Mama Village mothers group program designed by Clinical Social Worker Karen O’Mara, with a focus on matrescence (the transition to motherhood), mental health, good enough mothering and relationships.
There is no set age range for babies in these groups, however, as a guide, approximately from birth to 6-9 months would be suitable for the type of discussions held. The numbers are kept small to a maximum group of 8 mums who have booked in for each 4-week session, to ensure that women feel safe to disclose difficult emotions and topics in these group settings. We often find due to illness and other commitments some weeks the number of group members will be reduced further.
90 minute group session including:
evidence-based program written and developed by a clinical social worker
facilitated discussion of topics where mums can have raw, vulnerable conversations and focus on their emotional experiences of motherhood
connection with other mums for ongoing support
coffee/tea and morning tea
Where are the Mama Village mother’s groups held?
The Mama Village mothers' groups are held at Gather, by Kindred at 130 Bennetts Road, Norman Park.
Gather is little sister to Kindred Midwifery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology at East Brisbane. Kindred has been providing collaborative clinical care since 2017, with a core foundational value in promoting community amongst health professionals and families alike. As their practice expanded and their desire to continue to build this community grew, they wanted to have a space they could dedicate to this. And thus, Gather was born.
My private practice has been based at Kindred since 2022 at East Brisbane, and is now located at Gather at Norman Park.
Your investment
When you attend the Mama Village mothers groups you will leave feeling less alone and isolated in your mothering, you will have evidence-based information, tools and strategies to assist you in becoming the best parent you can be, your child will feel connected to you and you will be supported and nurtured by a qualified and experienced health professional who has worked with families for nearly 30 years. You will also have access to bookings for counselling with Karen, or other allied health sessions such as acupuncture, dietetics, osteopathic treatments, sleep consultations, breastfeeding support with IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) or postnatal midwifery support, all located at Gather, by Kindred.
Your investment for the Mama Village mothers group is $250.
Early bird special is only $225 (savings of $25!) which is available until 16 April 2026.
Payment is to be made upfront for the 4-week block. No joining after a 4-week block has commenced. Please see subsequent available blocks if you have discovered us while one has already started.
How to join the
Mama Village?
The next 4-week block of Mama Village mothers groups starts on:
Thursday 30th April 2026 from 9.30am-11am
The mothers groups fill quickly, so if you would like to grab the early bird price, please click the below button and scroll in the calendar to the start date to secure your place.
I warmly invite you to contact me should you have any questions about the groups - you can do so here: contact us and I will reply to your email as soon as possible.
“I joined the Mama Village and was intrigued by the way Karen laid out the sessions. Having fact based, up to date information, while being encouraged to speak freely & openly in a non-judgemental environment gave me the reassurance that none of us are alone in the journey of motherhood. The Mama Village gave me a whole new perspective on motherhood & the importance of looking after yourself as well as your baby. Being around other new mums who are experiencing similar challenges is reassuring, especially in the tough times of Covid where we were shut off from friends & family. The Mama Village made me feel heard and understood in a time when I felt very alone. It gave me a voice as a woman again & not just an emotional new mum. The Mama Village also gave me the courage and conviction to follow my instincts, even when others feel that they know better. I feel very lucky to have met so many wonderful mums, with beautiful bubs and I'm grateful to call some of these amazing women friends.”
Rhi, mother of Locky, 18 months
Karen O’Mara
Karen O’Mara is a clinical social worker with more than 25 years experience working with families and is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. Karen has worked extensively in the areas of grief, loss, trauma, crisis, breastfeeding and parenting support counselling. She is a qualified NDC (neuroprotective developmental care) practitioner with the Possums Program and a Becoming Us Parenthood and Family Relationships Guide. Her interventions include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Narrative Therapy, psychoeducation and engagement with other perinatal services. In counselling sessions, Karen uses an attachment and family systems approach to looking at problems holistically. She is known to hold you in a non-judgemental space that allows you the opportunity to speak your truth and find your own way forward, without any direct instruction or advice. Karen believes in your ability to build on your own strengths, as she guides and supports you.
