Janice Williams Mother Daughter Counselling & Coaching

29/07/2025

In my latest blog, I share part of my own story, being relegated to a role in my family, and explore the limiting roles many of us were assigned in our families: The Good Daughter, Lost Child, The Helper, Peacekeeper, The Scapegoat.

These weren't roles we chose, but scripts we were handed as children that can follow us into adulthood. If you've ever felt like you were just playing a part instead of being yourself, this one's for you.

https://janicewilliamscounsellingservices.com/daughters-family-roles-and-the-search-for-self/

21/05/2025

Reposted from Lori Gottlieb.
Here’s a mistake parents make…

Many parents feel that being a good parent means giving their kids the childhood they didn't have and always wanted.

But we need to remember that our kids are not extensions of us, but their own unique people.

We can't heal our childhood wounds by treating our kids as if they have the same interests, goals, desires, or emotional makeup as we do. That will only wound them and perpetuate the cycle.

The best way to heal our childhood wounds is to work on them ourselves and to let our children be who they are and fully embrace them ❤️

09/05/2025

Mother’s Day holds joy for some, and heartache for others.

Some are grieving a mother.

Some are grieving a child.

Some are grieving what never was.

Some are navigating a complicated relationship, holding both love and pain.

I’m holding space for your grief, your longing, and all the love underneath it.

You are not alone.

Janice ❤️

05/05/2025

Mother's Day marketing would have us believe that all mother-daughter relationships are filled with breakfast in bed, perfect gifts, and heartfelt moments. But what happens when your relationship doesn't match the glossy advertisements?

My new blog explores the complex reality behind mother-daughter relationships - the generational disconnects, emotional triggers and patterns that create tension. I share why seemingly small comments can trigger big reactions, how unmet emotional needs create walls, and practical ways to navigate Mother's Day when feelings are mixed.

The truth is, not all mother-daughter relationships look like the perfect pictures we see on social media. There are real challenges, yet also possibilities for growth and connection when we embrace authenticity.

Tap the link.

Understanding emotional triggers, generational differences, and practical ways to handle Mother's Day when feelings are complicated.

24/04/2025

Anzac Day 25 April

“This month marks 110 years since Australian and New Zealand forces landed at Gallipoli, where they faced fierce resistance from Ottoman Turkish defenders.

What was meant to be a decisive strike turned into an eight-month campaign of hardship, bravery, and loss.

By the end of 1915, the Allied forces withdrew, with the lives of more than 8,000 Australian soldiers lost. The campaign left a profound mark on Australia, shaping our national identity and cementing 25 April as a day of remembrance.

On Anzac Day, we honour the courage and sacrifice of all Australians who have served in times of peace and war.” Australian War Memorial

Image: Australian War Memorial |
Australian soldiers arriving at ANZAC Cove in 1915.



Janice ♥️

🌹

17/04/2025

Sometimes we rush into conflict with the people we love the most, especially in mother-daughter relationships. We want to be heard, to help, to fix, to prove. This blog explores the power of pausing, not reacting, and letting go of the need to be right.

https://janicewilliamscounsellingservices.com/letting-go-of-right-healing-the-mother-daughter-battlefield/

02/04/2025

"Unpopular Truth. You can be genuinely kind, loving, considerate 

and still possess the power and ability to use your voice, 

stand in your truth, 

and let others know when they’ve got you messed up.

Being kind does not mean being silenced and accepting of others’ disrespect or poor behaviours.”

Author Unknown

✨️ Being kind to each other doesn’t mean ignoring hurt or staying silent to keep the peace.

✨️ You can love each other and set boundaries.

Janice 🧡


   

04/03/2025

My latest blog is about the impact of bias and gender roles on the mother-daughter relationship. When mothers seek emotional support from their daughters, daughters often struggle to set boundaries without guilt, leading to resentment, conflict, and exhaustion. Why does this happen? How do cultural biases and gender roles reinforce these patterns? And how can mothers and daughters break free?

Tap the link to read my latest blog.

Mothers seek emotional support from their daughters, who struggle to set boundaries without guilt, leading to resentment, conflict, and emotional depletion.

19/02/2025

Wake up! Life is too short to ...

Always play it safe.

Be “right” instead of happy.

Carry a grudge.

Do “just enough” to get by.

Engage your mouth when angry.

Forget what really matters.

Give up on your dreams.

Have a chip on your shoulder.

Impose limitations on yourself.

Just work for the money.

Keep walking on eggshells.

Leave words unspoken.

Make mountains out of molehills.

Not try, for fear of failure.

Obey all the rules.

Pretend to be someone you’re not.

Quit when the going gets tough.

Risk nothing, do nothing.

Sweat the small stuff.

Try to please everybody.

Use blame, shame or guilt.

Value things more than people.

Wait for the other shoe to drop.

Xperience life as a spectator.

Yearn for the “good old days”.

Zip right through it.

Meiji Stewart, PuddleDancer Press

Used with permission

www.janicewilliamscounsellingservices.com

25/12/2024

Christmas might be your worst time of year, or your best. It might mean nothing to you except reruns of Love Actually. Either way, everything feels a bit hectic. It’s okay to feel the overwhelmitude.

It’s good to remember that Christmas carols have lovely bits in them sometimes, like the phrase “deep and crisp and even”, or that bit where kids all yell “Hey!” in ‘Jingle Bells’.

And to remember that art galleries are free and quiet.

And that any one of the people you’re rushing past could be your next new friend, talking and laughing in a place you haven’t been yet.

That there is nothing so pure as the attention focused on a busker by a child under the age of five.

That second-hand bookshops smell nice.

That ice is water you can ti**le in a way that makes you feel a bit posh.

That cheese exists.

That the word “lugubrious” is lovely. A slow, beautiful sound that takes its time to describe the way sorrow expresses itself through the human face. Perfect.

That two people can play chess without speaking the same language and still know intimately how each other’s mind works.

That sometimes clouds look like the sea.

That some people are truly awful but those people have to deal with being awful, and it’s probably easier to just know that sometimes you’re accidentally rude to your family on the phone; and one time you laughed at a kid who got dacked at music camp and you always wonder what happened to him.

That there is no sound quite so exciting as the squealing, splashing, whistle-blowing hubbub of the Australian public swimming pool over summer.

That there’s a couple, a young man and a young woman, who are probably not a couple at all but who work in a cinema near where I live – it’s dark in there, of course, and they wear black clothes and look completely exhausted. That they have a half-hour lunch together, slumped against a wall on the footpath in the sun and talk sideways at each other. They laugh lazily and chat and sometimes they sit in silence with their eyes closed. That the other day he was reading to her from a science-fiction book while she listened, drawing circles on the concrete with a twig. That they probably didn’t know each other six months ago.

That caterpillars turn into butterflies. FOR REAL! THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS!

That in nature, paths form. That’s amazing, when you think about it, because it means a bunch of people, or wallabies, or echidnas, or whatever, have to go the same way without talking about it beforehand. And aren’t paths lovely and welcoming and comforting? Do wallabies think that, too?

That most people are good at something. Lovely handwriting. Being nice to animals. Drying the dishes. Keeping secrets. Everyone’s better than you are at something and you’re better at something than they are. This is why society works and also why arguments start when more than one person is required to set up Ikea furniture.

That we all look up at the same moon each night.

That sometimes, and this can happen at any time, toast is the answer. That’s just a fact.

So be kind to yourself over the next little while. The metaphor of the new year will be along any minute to trick us into thinking we can turn over a new leaf and greet the future as people who won’t overschedule or run late or say the wrong thing or forget to put the bins out. Meanwhile, embrace the imperfect. Enjoy the quiet moments and revel in the fact that the tinsel will be replaced by hot cross buns in no time.

by Lorin Clarke, writer

Janice ❤

18/12/2024

For Christmas ⭐ I wish you peace, joy, and connection with those you love 💞
 
May your New Year 💥 be bright and filled with wonderful opportunities.
 
Office Closure:   24 December 2024
Office Reopens: 2 January 2025
 
Sending you all warm hugs.
 
Janice 🎄 🧡
 
🎄

17/12/2024

Feeling unseen or pushed aside by your family, your mother, or your daughter this Christmas?

The holiday season can heighten these emotions, making it an especially challenging time. Here's some tips 👇

👉 Set Boundaries. Decide what feels right for you and communicate it clearly. Let your mother know how much time you’ll spend together, whether it’s 2 hours or 3 hours, you decide.

👉 Take a Break. Go for a walk, find a corner to read or go to the bathroom for 15 minutes can help you recharge.

👉 Adjust Expectations, Let go of Perfection. Focus on moments, not the whole day. Have realistic expectations for the day, and for your relatives. The day doesn’t have to be perfect to hold moments of joy.

👉 Focus on What You Can Control. Shift your energy to things you can influence, like your reactions and choices, rather than trying to change others’ behaviour.

👉 Plan Visit Another Day. Plan visit 1 or 2 days before or after Christmas. There'll be less stress with less family members around.

👉 Plan Your Own Time. After family time, do something for You. Meet up with friends, go to the beach, or take a walk in the park to recharge.

Your feelings are valid.

You deserve to feel valued.

You can’t pour from an empty cup so prioritise your emotional wellbeing this season ❤️

See my Blog for more tips

https://janicewilliamscounsellingservices.com/tips-for-mothers-and-daughters-to-reduce-holiday-conflict/

Janice 🎄

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