Art Therapy and Gender. A Room of One´s Own: About Boxes, Ties and Shipwrecks.

Abstract

This article sprouts from the space of one´s own metaphor as the appropriate frame of reference for the art-therapeutic accompaniment of women, individually or in groups, especially those who have suffered severe trauma along their lives. This frame of work involves diverse aspects such as the links between the configuration of the female subjectivity and de development of a healthy concept of one´s self, from a Winnicott perspective; the construction and experiencing of gender identity; the relationship with one´s own image and body as well as with the internal and external look on those constructions or the connection with solitude as a personal empowering space. The article tackles issues such as how to enable the art therapy to accompany the recovery of resilience skills and the discovery of one´s legitimate and safe own space to enable the individual to exercise its freedom and creative potencial.