Abstracts

Wounds From the Womb| The Impact of Trauma on the Fetal Psyche

by Naris Kesheshe




Institution: Pacifica Graduate Institute
Department:
Year: 2017
Keywords: Mental health; Counseling Psychology
Posted: 02/01/2018
Record ID: 2155139
Full text PDF: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10258142


Abstract

This study explores the phenomena of birth and life in the womb and the possibility that much of the psychological suffering experienced throughout the lifespan is a result of deep wounds felt in the maternal womb. The findings of this thesis were honed from a heuristic process of investigation, and the analysis was informed by the theories and approaches of depth psychology. This thesis conceptualizes the human psyche by exploring Jung?s structure of psyche and his notion of the conscious and the unconscious in correlation with development of the fetus in utero. Using Jungian and object relations theory alongside the science of fetal development, it is found that trauma occurring before birth impacts psychological well-being of children later in life. This thesis sheds light on the importance of nurturing and caring for unborn children and brings awareness to this essential fact in the clinical world of psychology.