Ruth Stivala has carried out research on ‘Peeking through the window of teenage motherhood: the lived experience of teenage mothers and their mothers’ as part of her Master’s in counselling degree with the University of Malta.

The aim of this research was to explore the meaning teenage mothers and their mothers give to the experience of teenage motherhood. Data analysis yielded four main themes, showing that participants’ experiences are very time dependent.

Various emotional, psychological and social implications characterised each phase of these experiences. Within the fluctuating reality, both teenage mothers and their mothers developed a redefinition of the self and of the other.

Other key findings concerned the maternal role as well as the dynamic patterns of the developed relationships within the new reality. Furthermore, this study highlighted the centrality of the good mothering concept and the cultural dimension as a fundamental attribute for a more holistic understanding of the phenomenon under study.

The findings yielded significant implications for the counselling profession and pointed out the need of further training for counsellors and supervisors. This study concluded with a number of recommendations for further research.