“When I became a mother, I felt something I hadn’t expected: I was learning to mother without being mothered, carrying a grief I could barely name. Every late-night feed, every first smile, every first word, and every moment of doubt reminded me of what I had lost — and of the support I never had. Motherhood and grief are both identity-altering experiences. When they intersect, whether weeks or decades apart, the impact can be profound.”
Adina Belloli is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, motherless mother, and co-founder of The Motherless Mothers. Losing her own mother at six months shaped her personal and professional journey, inspiring her lifelong focus on supporting women navigating early motherhood without maternal support.
In 2024, alongside Louise Kirby-Jones, she founded The Motherless Mothers charity and community to ensure that women who become mothers without mothers of their own feel seen, supported, validated, and connected. From this work, she developed the Grief-Aware Care™ framework that recognises maternal loss as a key determinant of wellbeing and guides both professional practice and systemic change.
Adina’s experience spans clinical, policy, and research settings, including published research for the World Health Organization and contributions featured in a book on advances in child psychotherapy. She combines evidence-based expertise with lived experience to advocate for relational, loss-informed care that addresses the emotional and psychological challenges of motherhood.
An American mother of two living in London, Adina holds degrees in psychology, psychotherapy, international healthcare, public policy, and economics (BA, MA, MSc). She holds a professional postgraduate certification in supporting women who have experienced maternal loss. As a graduate chartered member of the British Psychological Society (GMBPsS, GBC) and an affiliate member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), Adina has dedicated her career to empowering disadvantaged children and women worldwide. Her philanthropic work has been featured on BBC, CNN, and other outlets, earning recognition and awards.