back to home
Biography
For more than 20 years I've been interested in understanding how early experiences affect later development. I'm grateful that my personal and professional interests have complemented each other over this time.
I studied psychology at the University of London and then went to Cambridge University where I gained a Ph.D. on the effects of post-natal depression on the mother-infant relationship. During my Ph.D., I began my training in psychotherapy, at The Institute of Psychosynthesis in London. This involved my own weekly psychotherapy for many years. Before and after my graduation, (I received Diplomas in Counselling and Psychotherapy), I saw many clients - most of whom expressed their wish that their feelings had been accepted by their parents. This sowed a seed which later led me to want to work directly with parents.
I worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Exeter for two years. Holding newborn babies and finding out how much they already knew and were learning about the world, was enlightening. Afterwards I taught about The Therapeutic Relationship on an M.A. course.
After my move to Australia in 1998, I trained in HypnoBirthing and gave birth to my daughter using this method. It led me to give birth full of trust and free from fear.
I found out about Aware Parenting during my pregnancy. I was familiar with the principles of secure attachment (including the importance of mirroring, attunement, and empathic connection), but was amazed to learn that babies could heal from stress and trauma from birth onwards. After my daughter's birth, I put into practice all the classical attachment parenting principles, but didn't ever give my daughter the opportunity to heal. After three months I started to distinguish between her need for emotional release and other needs. I saw what a difference this practice made in her sense of presence, and the connection between she and I.
I passed The Aware Baby on to friends and also saw the differences revealed there, in terms of sleep, awareness, calmness, and specific behaviours such as biting. I started an Aware Parenting support group.
I began to write articles about Aware Parenting, wanting to increase popular understanding about this option that parents have. I arranged for Aletha Solter to visit Australia to give a series of talks. I became a Certified Aware Parenting Instructor in 2005.
In 2006, having updated my HypnoBirthing training with calmbirth, I gave birth to my son. Like my daughter, he was posterior, but using Janie McCoy King's lifting technique, he was born in two-and-a-half hours.
Aware Parenting the second time round was much easier, for example in differentiating between my son's needs for food and his needs for emotional release. I was much more comfortable with his feelings right from the start.
Every day I learn more about my children and Aware Parenting. My daughter Lana is now eight, and my son Sunny is three and a half (as of March 2010).
I love contributing to more people carrying their babies, listening to their baby's needs, and accepting their children's feelings. To understand that there is no such thing as misbehaviour in children, and in seeing that many of children's behaviours indicate a need for closeness combined with healing crying, raging or laughter.
For me, Aware Parenting, calmbirth, Nonviolent Communication, and Elimination Communication all share a common theme - presence. As a parent, I am to live more in the present moment and with that alive presence that gives so much joy, and I enjoy encouraging other parents to do so too.
In recent years, I have been immensely enjoying the work of the Field Center, and have completed their Course, Field Center Certified Facilitator training, and Field Center Coach Training.
Marion Badenoch Rose
B.Sc. Ph.D. Dip.Couns. Dip Psych. GSPP.
Certified Aware Parenting Instructor.
Field Center Certified Facilitator. FCCC.