Why I Chose Motherhood Over a Doctorate

There was a time when I believed the next step in my professional journey would be a doctorate. It felt like the natural progression — the outcome of years of studying, refining my skills, and building a career rooted in compassion, curiosity, and discipline.

In many ways, pursuing a doctorate made sense.

It was predictable.

Respectable.

Aligned with the version of myself who had always pushed for more.

But when I found out I was pregnant, something shifted.

Not in a dramatic way — but in a quiet, grounding way that made me pause long enough to ask a question I had never actually considered:

Is the path I’m on the path I want — or simply the one I assumed I should follow?

Written by Celna Sousa, MSW, RSW, CCTP - Owner and Founder of Mind and Ocean