Tattoos as unpopular communication within the psychotherapy profession

The tattoo, specifically on the female body within the psychotherapy profession, is an unpopular communication and often read as hypersignificant. This article seeks to open up thinking about the lived experience of the female tattooed therapist. The participants had all experienced tattoo prejudice and discrimination within the profession. The purpose of this article is to offer insight into the intersection of personal identity, professional practice, and societal norms. Tensions between resistance and conformity, in relation to perceptions of professionalism and femininity, are investigated in order to understand limitations and injustices inherent in patriarchal culture's treatment of tattooed female bodies in professional spaces. This article navigates the issue of external scrutiny but also internalized pressure to conform to societal expectations in relation to personal "choice" about concealment of tattoos in the consulting room.