ERETM1 :: 03. Autonomy

Embodied Relating Exploring Trauma & its impacts on our relationships series

This is the third and final week of the first module, and we shift our focus to autonomy.

What is autonomy?

From the American Psychological Association:

autonomy n.

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2. in self-determination theory more specifically, the experience of acting from choice, rather than feeling pressured to act. This form of autonomy is considered a fundamental psychological need that predicts well-being.

From this academic paper:

The definition of self and others can be regarded as embodying the two dimensions of autonomy and relatedness. Autonomy and relatedness are two basic human needs and cultural constructs at the same time. This implies that they may be differently defined yet remain equally important. The respective understanding of autonomy and relatedness is socialized during the everyday experiences of daily life routines from birth on.

As stated above, the idea of autonomy is a social construct, however that doesn't diminish it's importance for our own psychological well-being as well as the wellb…