Footbinding: A Jungian Engagement with Chinese Culture and Psychology

In this book Shirley See Yan Ma provides a Jungian perspective on the Chinese tradition of footbinding and considers how it can be used as a metaphor for the suffering of women and the repression of the feminine, as well as a symbol for hope, creativity and spiritual transformation. Drawing on personal history, popular myths, literature, and work with clients, Footbindingdiscusses how modern women still symbolically find their feet bound through this ancient practice. Detailed case studies from Western and Asian women demonstrate how Jungian analysis can loosen these psychological bindings allowing the client to reconnect with the feminine archetype, discover their own identity and take control of their own destiny. This original book will be of great interest to Jungian analysts looking for a new perspective. It will also be of interest to anyone studying Chinese culture and psychology.

Shirley See Yan Ma is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Hong Kong and Toronto, Canada. She teaches Analytical Psychology in various cities in Asia, North America and in Zurich, Switzerland. She is an Honorary Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Hong Kong and founder/director of the Jung Centre, Hong Kong.