FEMALE BODY AND SUBJECTIVITY IN THERAPY

FOCUSING AS A THERAPEUTIC PROPOSAL AGAINST THE CULTURAL FRAGMENTATION OF THE FEMALE BODY EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This essay addresses the relationship between female embodiment, subjectivity, and its treatment in therapeutic settings from a phenomenological perspective, with a particular focus on focusing as a therapeutic approach. Through a critical reflection on cultural constructions in Western society, it examines how these have shaped women's experiences with their bodies, leading to a disconnection from bodily sensations. The essay highlights how gender influences the symbolic construction of embodiment, where the female body has historically been normativized and reduced to a reproductive function, limiting women's autonomy and agency over their own bodies. Within this context, the benefits of focusing are explored. This therapeutic approach, developed by Eugene Gendlin and grounded in the phenomenological insights of Merleau-Ponty, may facilitate reconnection with fragmented bodily experiences. It suggests that through focusing, women can regain a more authentic relationship with their bodies, challenging restrictive cultural constructs and promoting emotional and subjective well-being. The essay underscores how this therapeutic method not only holds profound clinical implications but also contributes to the creation of meaning derived from bodily sensations, empowering women to recover autonomy and expand their capacity for action in everyday life through their embodied experience. Lastly, it discusses how focusing can serve as a key approach in Clinical Psychology to comprehensively address female subjectivity, fostering a transformative and liberating therapeutic process.