Constructing a Safer Space for Queer Aesthetics in Psychotherapy: a Cooperative Inquiry Approach
Journal Title: Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy - Year 2019, Vol 22, Issue 3
Abstract
Introduction: Given the presence of various aggressive behaviors towards queer aesthetics in society (e.g., Trans murders, institutional microaggressions), we questioned how the psychotherapy office (symbolizing in itself a part of society) can become a safer space for queer aesthetics, both referring to the client and the psychotherapist. We aim to respond to the dissatisfaction towards psychological services, articulated in cyberspace and in social meetings, by persons who engage themselves in wearing gender stereotype defying clothes. The research plan was preregistered, according to the norms of registering qualitative papers, at the following address https://osf.io/83w6z. Objectives: Our objective was to check if the psychotherapy office could ensure a safe space for queer aesthetics (both for clients and therapists). If the office was not a safe enough space, our purpose was to trace possible causes and solutions. Methods: Six young psychotherapists or psychotherapists in training (including the author) participated in meetings, for one and a half month, in a non-positivist cooperative inquiry (CI; action research; family). We engaged ourselves in cycles of reflection and action on the problem of constructing a safer space for queer aesthetics in our offices. We used propositional, presentational, practical and experiential knowledge. Results: We reported on six cycles of reflection and action (Society’s dominant attitude; Cisgender aesthetics; University and training; Therapist’s queerness; Multiple selves analysis; Nonverbal self-disclosure and sartorial courage). Conclusions: We found that the psychotherapy office was not perceived as a safe enough space for queer aesthetics, neither by clients, nor by psychotherapists, and that cis-normativity in sartorial decisions limits sartorial agency. Among other pragmatic and moderate conclusions, we consider the need for the integration (in an experiential pedagogy frame) of gender studies in the psychotherapy training, by considering the positive attitude towards queer clothing, as part of the therapeutic alliance with a variety of clients, as a common factor in psychotherapy, the depathologization and depsychologization of the aesthetic factor in psychotherapeutic interventions.
Authors and Affiliations
Daniel A. Petre
Keywords
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