“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.”
Hi! I’m Adina, an accredited child and family psychotherapist, motherless mother, researcher, and co-founder of The Motherless Mothers (TMM) charity and community. Losing my own mother at six months old profoundly shaped both my personal and professional journey, inspiring a lifelong commitment to supporting women navigating early motherhood without maternal support.
In 2024, alongside Louise Kirby-Jones, I founded TMM to ensure that women who become mothers without mothers of their own feel seen, supported, validated, and connected. Through this work, I developed the Grief-Aware Care™ framework, which recognises maternal loss as a key determinant of well-being and guides both professional practice and systemic change. My research focuses on improving recognition and support for motherless mothers within maternity and perinatal mental health services.
My 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. I combine evidence-based expertise with lived experience to advocate for relational, loss-informed care that addresses the emotional and psychological complexities of motherhood.
I am an American mother of two living in London, holding degrees in psychology, psychotherapy, international healthcare, public policy, and economics (BA, MA, MSc), along with a professional postgraduate certification in supporting women who have experienced maternal loss. I am a graduate chartered member of the British Psychological Society (GMBPsS, GBC) and an affiliate member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to empowering disadvantaged children and women worldwide. My philanthropic work has been featured on BBC, CNN, and other outlets, earning recognition and awards.