Psyche and Soma in Domestic Abuse: A Somatic and Depth Psychological Inquiry

Abstract

Concerned with the experience of individuals affected by domestic abuse (psychological abuse), this dissertation engages a somatic and depth psychological theoretical framework to conduct, interpret, and synthesize a comprehensive literature review by employing a hermeneutic phenomenological method. This inquiry was undertaken to explore how the field of domestic abuse and the disciplines of somatics and depth psychology might benefit from a psyche and body-centered historical examination of domestic abuse. The interpretive portions of the research observe the continuity and discontinuity of embodiment through psychological and cultural shifts beginning in the 1600s to 2024. Also reflected are modifications in perceptions and the approach to domestic abuse individually and collectively based on the evolution of women’s roles, the relationship between men and women, and the emergent research on personality development and pathology applied to the context of domestic abuse. The findings suggest that early life, childhood, and adult psychological and somatic (kinesthetic and visual) experiences may shape and be reflected in people’s self-identities, relationships, and culture, and may be disrupted by experiences of domestic abuse (psychological abuse). The author concludes, however, that after disruption in one’s identity, due to abuse, somatic experiences may serve as a connection back to one’s self-identity, renewed embodiment, and healing.