ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the potential for trauma-informed environmental arts therapy to help reduce the pain and symptoms of a client suffering with a medically unexplainable physical illness. The author experienced how by releasing emotion in her own therapy, her chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) symptoms temporarily improved.
Research shows that childhood trauma and emotional suppression are common in people suffering from CFS/ME. A single case study inquiry involving ten, one and a half hour sessions is undertaken, to find out if releasing emotion in environmental arts therapy can help another female sufferer. The story of what happens during the inquiry is described here, along with the resulting significant improvements made to the symptoms, pain, and physical energy levels of the participating client.
This environmental arts therapy approach blends techniques for working with the bodily symptoms of trauma with a creative, dramatic, and metaphorical exploration in the ever-changing landscape of the natural world. The client’s therapeutic journey and recovery follows the Descent of Inanna, a mythic story in which a goddess loses all ability to function then recovers and becomes more whole.
It is hoped others will be inspired to work creatively in nature with clients suffering from physical illnesses.
