The Mother Wound Test

A Mother Wound is a cluster of symptoms that include:

Being unsure of your choices.

Finding fault in what you do, say, or think.

Being critical of others, especially the ones closest to you.

Not knowing how to communicate directly or effectively.

The first step in understanding the Mother Wound is determining whether you have one. After that, you can delve deeper into the various types of Wounds, how they form, and why they form, among other aspects.

That’s why it is best to begin with a Mother Wound quiz to get your bearing.

When you take a test or quiz on a topic you want to explore, especially about yourself, it can serve as a guide, a tutor, or an invitation to discover which direction to take.

The Mother Wound Quiz I created will capture the essence of how you’ve been affected by your nurturing experience.

Is this the definitive Mother Wound test? NO

What this quiz does reveal is whether your outlook and approach to life have been hampered by what a Mother Wound can imperil.

Does this test gather enough information to be accurate? YES

Even though we are complex and individual beings, there are very clear reveals that point out whether you are carrying a wound.

You may be fully aware of your Mother Wound, curious about it, scared of it, or already on a journey to embrace and learn from your Mother Wound.

What if I Have A Mother Wound?

To be honest, we all carry a Mother Wound. The crucial question is whether it has been left to fester. Has it been confronted? Has it been overlooked? It is essential to understand what your Mother Wound is, how it was formed, when it developed, and if any healing has taken place.

When we know a Mother Wound is affecting us, there are 2 real options:

1. Take the opportunity to direct your resources toward caring for and addressing the needs of a Mother Wound. Resources and support that may have already existed will become clear when you choose to heal. We learn what to look for and how to nurture ourselves
   

   This means shining a light on what has been hidden in the shadows. It involves getting to know and embracing the parts of yourself that have been ridiculed, blamed, and discarded. To understand your wound is to allow yourself to step into the darkness so you can see the light. It requires courage, love, and transformation- not for the faint of heart.

2. We hunker down, dismiss, ignore, power through, or collapse and give up. This is a terrific survival mechanism that has helped you cope for years and years, making it hard to let go of or trust there is something else
   

   This means pushing through exhaustively, clinging on, maintaining appearances, and feeling like a depleted imposter. Deep down, you sense you are more than this, yet you struggle to believe it is truly possible for you.

Why Understanding the Mother Wound Matters

If you neglect your inner world, shaped by those who cared for you in your youth, and do not listen to your inner voice, you risk losing one of your greatest and most powerful senses—your awareness, guidance, and ability to find peace within yourself.

If you sense something is lacking, if your relationships feel unstable, and if you feel as though you are struggling alone through wet, spongy, and muddy ground, understanding your Mother Wound is the beginning of something new, a beacon of light on solid ground.

When you explore your attachment patterns, this sparks a journey of transformation and personal growth, particularly when you integrate your relationship with your body into the process.

How the Mother Wound Can Show Up in Your Life

• You find yourself putting yourself down, criticizing yourself or those close to you, believing that this is just who you are, and then berating yourself for not being a better person, you are acting from your Mother Wound. Not knowing how to separate your actions from your reactions makes you feel trapped in your own prison.

• Communication is lacking in your relationships, and you feel left out or abused; you are repeating what you learned and how you expected to be treated. Until you can be exposed to and learn who you are, what you say, and what you believe is of value, you will continue to find and repeat old patterns that lead you to believe that is all there is, so why try for more. 

• You feel as though you are too much, so you must remain small and hidden to be acceptable and safe. Your wise little one discovered this excellent survival strategy, and it worked! At that time. Now, it’s time to acknowledge that you made it; you are here and grown up. Thank that little one and allow yourself to know that this strategy is no longer needed. What is needed are aligned supports that enable you to be as big or small as you need and want to be.

Signs You’re Ready to Begin Healing

You feel restless and decisive as if you’ve had enough.

Do not ignore this energy or your body; it is communicating with you, asking that you listen to it.

You want to feel better.

All your hard work seems like it’s for not, but it’s been accumulating and building, and the results of your hard work are waiting for you. You are now ready to listen and receive what you only know intellectually.

You want to open your heart.

Your heart has been hurt, closed, and shut down, and for good reason. It’s time to trust there is more and know you cannot do it alone. This is how your heart can open. Listen and trust. Your heart is resilient and pure, always there, forever present, wanting your attention and never abandoning you.

You want to heal in community.

Your heart truly opens in relation to others and in community with others. You shut down from the pain or inflicted by another, and being with others is how it can open again. Of course, at first, this may be scary, and unfamiliar but deep down, you know that is where healing hurt really happens.

You are resolved to do what it takes to connect with your own power.

Imagine having that belief; now, feel the desire to connect to your own power in your body. Breathe into it. Notice your posture. Feel the promise, the resolve. Be with that and see where it wants to take you.

What Happens When You Take the Mother Wound Test?

Once you take the test, you will be given an assessment of how you’ve been affected by a Mother Wound.

You will have a clearer sense of where you are in the spectrum of Mother Wounds.

This will be followed up by some options for support, depending on your results.

Take the Mother Wound Test

If you’re ready to have a deeper understanding of how the Mother Wound could be affecting you in your life, relationships, and work, I invite you to take this quiz.

When you take a test or quiz on a topic you want to explore, especially about yourself, it can serve as a guide, a tutor, or an invitation to discover which direction to take.

The Mother Wound Quiz features a series of seemingly unrelated questions that evaluate whether a nurturing figure in your life has emotionally wounded you.

If you have less than 5 minutes to answer 10 simple questions about yourself, much can be revealed.

Take the Mother Wound Quiz here.

What’s Next?

If you are ready to move beyond the Quiz, I invite you to start by taking my eCourse for Daughters of Critical Mothers.

My recently published Guidebook on Overcoming the Mother Wound is a supportive resource that includes resources, art and writing prompts, and more.

With love,

CHI Creative Healing Integration™