Women’s Journeys of Becoming: Developing a Conscious Relationship with the Feminine

Abstract

Current literature on identity theories and personality development reveal gaps in perspective and understanding regarding the role and significance of the unconscious. Guiding me to this research, I wondered of the ways in which the process of change can be better supported by mental health care professionals in a manner that enhances both personal and collective well-being. Grounded in an animated paradigm—one that acknowledges the inescapable vitality of the unconscious—the purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding about women’s experiences of transformation during emerging adulthood from within the context of a modern patriarchal society (one that is characterized by the overvaluing of the masculine principle—Logos, structure, the capacity for judgment and discrimination of opposites—often to the exclusion and/or denigration of the feminine—Eros, the function of relationship and the capacity to relate). The central question which guided this study is as follows: What is the experience of women in the first half of life developing a more conscious relationship with the feminine? This research involves two self-identified female research participants between the ages of 20 to 29 whom identify as Canadian, middle-class in terms of socioeconomic status, and have recently undergone significant and personally meaningful changes in their observable appearances and personalities. The two women’s personal experiences of transformation are explored through video-recorded semi-structured interviews. Their personal stories are amplified using mythological images from various cultures and times, uncovering archetypal threads. Insights gleaned through the women’s stories along with relevant psychological literature provide significant implications and recommendations for the broader fields of educational psychology, mental health care, and counselling psychology.