“It Goes with the Territory”

Abstract A qualitative, phenomenological methodology was used to explore and describe the experience and meaning of maternal guilt for eight women with one or more preadolescent child. A thematic analysis of the in-depth interviews revealed six common themes that were validated by the participants as representative of their experiences of maternal guilt. These findings help to articulate the nature and essence of what appears to be an essential component of the mothering experience for many women, and also provide some direction in terms of clinical practice.

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