Susi Ferrarello

Becoming a mother is a profound journey filled with contrasting emotions. This phenomenon describes the experience of holding opposing emotions simultaneously, such as joy and sadness, contentment and loneliness, or fulfilment and loss. Motherhood introduces women to a unique intersubjective and interpersonal space. They must navigate their desires, feelings, and motivations, along with their child's. As a result, feelings of contrast often arise, but they frequently go unnoticed or misunderstood.

Introduction Adjustment disorder (AD) has been defined as an individual’s emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event. Such reaction is a maladaptive response because it undermines the person’s normal functioning (1). It is one of the most common mental disorders in clinical practice, particularly in high complexity hospitals, where its prevalence reaches up to 18.5%.

1 Introduction Theorists working within the relational field have a broad and diverse understanding of what is meant by the relational turn. They do, however, share one main theoretical assumption: all put an “emphasis on the centrality of relatedness” (Mills, 2005, 157).