Between worlds: The myth of Tiresias in the psychodramatic exploration of gender fluidity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/psicodrama.v34.810Keywords:
Psychodrama, Therapeutic alliance, Gender identity, Symbolic processesAbstract
This qualitative single-case study examined how the myth of Tiresias functioned as a symbolic mediator within an individual psychodrama psychotherapy process involving a gender-fluid client. Rather than serving as a model of gender identity, Tiresias gradually emerged as a transitional symbolic space through which conflicting self-experiences could be expressed, explored, and psychologically integrated within the therapeutic relationship. Through symbolic role-taking, dramatic enactment, and collaborative meaning-making, the client developed an increased capacity to engage with ambiguity, sustain dialogue between different self-states, and relate more flexibly to psychological complexity. The findings suggested that the therapeutic value of myth lies not in defining identity but in creating a symbolic and relational space through which identity can be explored and negotiated. The findings highlight the contribution of psychodrama to contemporary gender-affirming psychotherapy and its broader relational and socionomic implications.
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