Experiencias de danzaterapia de mujeres que han sufrido cáncer de mama. Un estudio fenomenológico

Abstract

ResumenObjetivo: Este estudio se dirige a identificar, describir y analizar los posibles cambios en la experiencia vivida del cuerpo propio y los cambios en las relaciones interpersonales de las mujeres con cáncer de mama derivados de su participación en encuentros grupales de danzaterapia.Método: Ésta es una investigación cualitativa de orientación fenomenológica con utilización del método de danzaterapia de María Fux para las vivencias grupales. Se describen aquí las experiencias de ocho encuentros y se aporta un análisis de las descripciones basándonos principalmente en Merleau-Ponty y María Fux.Resultados: Las participantes han podido expresar dolores y tristeza por las situaciones que les han ocasionado el cáncer de mama y sus entornos relacionales; ellas han podido experimentar momentos de creación y entrega a las sensaciones rítmicas del cuerpo y del entorno vivencial con distintas emociones vividas por separado y conjuntamente; ellas han experimentado recuerdos y sensaciones de su niñez y adolescencia; finalmente, ellas han redescubierto su cuerpo sensible, mediante resignificaciones del cuerpo marcado por la ausencia de la mama y mediante sentimientos de mayor aceptación e integración de lo vivido en nuevas gestalts.Conclusiones: Este proyecto todavía está en marcha, pero ya es posible concluir resultados: las vivencias aportadas en la danzaterapia han AbstractObjective: This essay aims at identifying, describing and analyzing possible changes both in the experience of the body and in interpersonal relations of women with breast cancer, which result from their participation in Dance Therapy group meetings.Method: This is a phenomenologically oriented qualitative research using Maria Fux´s dance therapy method for group experiences. Eight meetings are described here, and an analysis of descriptions based primarily on Merleau-Ponty and María Fux is provided.Results: The participants have been able to express pain and sorrow over the circumstances that breast cancer and its relational environments have brought to their lives. They have been able to go through moments of creation and surrender to the rhythmic body sensations and experiential environment with different emotions lived separately and jointly. They have revived memories and sensations of their childhood and adolescence, and finally, they have rediscovered their sensitive body through body resignifications marked by the absence of the breast, and by means of feelings of greater acceptance and integration of lived experiences in new gestalts.Conclusions: This project is still under way, but it is already possible to conclude that the life experiences provided in dance therapy have allowed these women to improve their integration and welfare. Likewise, they have felt positive changes in the perception of their

Body image experience of women with breast cancer: A meta‐synthesis

“…The body image of women was also constituted by sexuality [60]. The effects of surgery [38] and chemotherapy for breast cancer compromise sexual practice [36, 42, 46–48, 52, 61] generating feelings that they have become undesirable, inadequate, and unattractive [41, 53, 62], ashamed of their changed body [38, 50, 55, 60, 63, 64], and avoidance of nudity [32, 39, 53, 56, 64]. Additionally, women expressed difficulties regarding sensitivity in the surgical area [32, 57, 60] and reduced sexual desire [46, 55].…”

“…Some women experience resignation in the face of a changed body image and the new body image [31, 32, 35, 39–41, 44, 49, 51, 53, 60, 63–65, 69, 71]. Some expressed the feeling of becoming a new person [32, 63], with a transformed but integrated body image [49]: “I have accepted it gradually… at the beginning when I looked at myself in the mirror I used to feel horrified” [39].…”

“…Some studies have described resignation linked with a feeling of relief for being alive after breast cancer treatment [31, 40, 41, 44, 53, 63]. Resignation can also be demonstrated in cases where women reported having learned to live with the changes [44], moving socially, and showing their bodies regardless of social judgement [32, 51]: “I go swimming, sauna, everywhere.…”