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Maternal ambivalence is distinct, rooted in an immutable, primal mother-child bond.

Ambivalence is often misunderstood as negative, but it connects rather than splits relationships.

Ambivalence in mothers can be reparative, transforming challenging moments into deeper love.

The psychological understanding of ambivalence needs a reset. I define it as the coexistence of contradictory feelings toward someone that occur in relationships and interactions. For too long, ambivalence has been misapprehended and saturated in negativity, becoming an untapped dynamic with the potential to offer so much. The maternal space is calling for this, an opportunity for transformation and repair, a way to improve our perception and understanding of the troubling and loving moments of mothering.

Claiming the term ambivalence

In contemporary language, the saying “two or more truths can exist at one time” is gaining traction. When I first heard this expression in everyday conversation, I felt heartened. Finally, people are beginning to grasp my understanding of ambivalence, even though the word has yet to be attached to this meaning. Hopefully, our language is carving a space for the inclusive and rather than the limiting binary or: despair and hope, happiness and sorrow, delight and disappointment.

Despite this forward movement, the word ambivalence is still mired in misapprehension. It is widely misunderstood as a negative energy and often interchanged with indifference, which is a........

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