ScapeCoat Retreat

Early in my training as a therapist I was introduced to an amazing book, Women Who Run With The Wolves. In it Clarissa Pinkola Estes, a Jungian analyst storyteller tells us about the 'wild woman', the wise and ageless presence in the female psyche that gives women their creativity, energy and power.

This book had a profound impact on me, it’s an incredibly powerful book that I have returned to over and over again. I have used it many times with my students on courses, and also with clients in therapy.

Clarissa describes how when a woman’s relationship with her wildish nature, her psyche is damaged. This can show in her life as lacking energy, inspiration, or creativity. Having poor boundaries, being unable to set limits, giving one’s creative life over to others. are signs that the psyche is wounded.

In one chapter Clarissa describes working with a group of indigenous women creating what she called ScapeCoats. She describes how on these coats the women painted and stitched and stuck with glue their stories, their ‘battles’, their wounds. A ScapeCoat honours an ancient way of working. A creative work of naming the disarray in the psyche, of looking at the wounds, and of making visible the life battles you have won. In doing so the women felt a deep sense of healing and a renewed connection to their inner wild woman nature. A renewed strength and vitality returned to their psyche.

When I read this I knew instantly that I wanted to do this work with women! But back then the time wasn’t right. I needed first to develop and deepen my own connection to myself, until at last a few years ago I designed and ran the first workshop. It was amazing!

Working with art is an important part of this process. Working with art can be a healing process in itself. Art is a way of expressing that which needs to be expressed, that which needs to be made visible from our deepest subconscious levels.

The craft of ‘making’ is also an important part of the work. The creative materials, the craft of stories, the craft of the hands – all these help the making of something, a something that arises from the deepest aspects of our selves, of our psyche.

To be able to retreat from the outer world, to be nurtured and emotionally held something that I find women often find hard to access, but which is important to this process.

So I designed this workshop as a full day and evening to allow women to retreat, to let go and to have freedom and rest from the demands, roles and noise of their everyday life.

When the coats are made, and ‘owned’ a deep healing and integration can occur. When this happens, energy, creativity and vitality can return.

We have a shared lunch, and then in the evening we end with a celebration and a shared feast! A feast is a special meal, a human cultural ritual that marks an event. This is such an important part of the day where we relax, and eat together and celebrate your work and your journey.

I have run these workshops for three years, and this year will be my fourth. Each workshop is slightly different in response to the women and the needs of group each time.

They are amazing workshops!

The next ScapeCoat workshop is on Saturday 26th March 2022.

I provide all creative materials and a comfortable space in which to work. Groups are small to allow for a supportive experience. No special skills with art or sewing skills are needed.

The event runs from 9.30am to 10 pm, and costs £135 - this includes all food, drink, the coat and creative materials.

If you’d like to book or find out more please email me at anidelaprida@sky.com.