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<p>This autoethnographic study examines a personal journey of using tattooing as a creative modality to reclaim my body, affirm my gender identity, and heal from past trauma. Drawing on detailed blog entries (2017–2022) and relevant literature in trauma, art therapy, and Queer embodiment, the study weave narrative vignettes with academic analysis. Thematic sections illustrate how tattoos became a powerful form of agency: turning “invisible injury into a visible mark” to recover ownership of my body, inscribing a living record of my gender transition, and transforming suffering into “positive narrative coping” through art. Throughout, reflexively connect these experiences to broader theory, noting that for many survivors and Queer individuals, tattoos provide “reclamation and anti-normative healing” against stigma. Implications for creative arts therapies are discussed: therapists are encouraged to honor clients’ tattoo narratives as embodied art with therapeutic value. This study contributes new insight into how tattooing, an often-overlooked art form, can function as a profound tool for empowerment and meaning-making in trauma-informed, gender-affirming therapeutic practice.</p>

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Inked Identity: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Tattoos as Body Reclamation, Gender Affirmation, and Healing

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月7日

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  • Wednesdae Reim Ifrach

摘要

This autoethnographic study examines a personal journey of using tattooing as a creative modality to reclaim my body, affirm my gender identity, and heal from past trauma. Drawing on detailed blog entries (2017–2022) and relevant literature in trauma, art therapy, and Queer embodiment, the study weave narrative vignettes with academic analysis. Thematic sections illustrate how tattoos became a powerful form of agency: turning “invisible injury into a visible mark” to recover ownership of my body, inscribing a living record of my gender transition, and transforming suffering into “positive narrative coping” through art. Throughout, reflexively connect these experiences to broader theory, noting that for many survivors and Queer individuals, tattoos provide “reclamation and anti-normative healing” against stigma. Implications for creative arts therapies are discussed: therapists are encouraged to honor clients’ tattoo narratives as embodied art with therapeutic value. This study contributes new insight into how tattooing, an often-overlooked art form, can function as a profound tool for empowerment and meaning-making in trauma-informed, gender-affirming therapeutic practice.