ABSTRACT
Traditional ideas about gender and psychotherapy are breaking down in the 21st century as the structures of analytic practice encounter feminist critique, while traditional notions of binary gender identities crumble. Ideas will be drawn from social constructionism, feminist theory, and art criticism, as much as from psychotherapy practice. The arts therapies are in the business of finding meaning and engendering change. The presentation of gender, from mobile phone ‘selfies’, to the daily onslaught of gender stereotypes in the public media, affects our internalised self-images. The arts therapies aim to be a safe context to explore or challenge received messages. Our practice is both our laboratory for research and our principal instrument of research. Whether working directly with clients or in the context of supervision, at times the practice of art psychotherapy is slightly ahead of society’s rhythm and at times is responding to cultural shifts. Our practice may also be a cauldron fomenting revolution in the lives of individuals and how they position themselves. This chapter is based on learning from young people and their families, adults who have struggled for years and from the author’s own direct experience.
