Gender-Based Trauma:
The Journey Through Hell to Resilience
*Special Note: Due to the time difference in Zurich where Ursula will be, each of these sessions will meet live, on-line on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to Noon EDT (all sessions will be recorded).
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Unveiling Gender-based Cultural Trauma
February 13th
We will unravel the construction of victimhood, the culturally shaped norms and notions concerning femininity, sexuality and gender and analyze how these cultural master narratives contribute to the conspiracy of silence regarding the cultural trauma of violence against women, the grooming for a life of sexual exploitation, culminating in mass rapes in wars, sexual violence in refugees camps and sex trafficking. We will explore what the alienation from the feminine principle of relatedness contributes to the cultural trauma of violence against women.
Losing Soul-Retrieving soul. A Journey through Hell.
February 20th
We will look at trauma through the mythological lens as a forced descent to the deepest, darkest regions of one’s being, the archetypal experience of the underworld, of hell. Diving into the myth of Medusa provides a lens to broaden the evocation of images to approach the unimaginable and paradoxical nature of trauma.
Whither the Soul After Soulmurder?
February 27th
We will explore how the trauma of sexual violence impacts the psyche. A case vignette with pictures will illustrate the process of transcending trauma, of re-membering what was dis-membered. The role of the symbolic and spiritual dimension for the healing journey will be discussed.
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Wrap- Up and Discussion
March 6th
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In this final session, Ursula and Loralee will lead a question and answer discussion with participants to engage with the major themes and material that is resonant.
About the Teacher
Ursula Wirtz, Ph.D.
Ursula Wirtz, PhD, has a doctorate in literature and philosophy from the University of Munich, graduated from the C.G. Jung Institute Zurich and works as a clinical and anthropological psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst in private practice. She is the author of numerous publications on sexual violence, ethics and the interface of psychotherapy and spirituality. She is a training analyst, supervisor and faculty member of ISAP Zurich.
