THE WISDOM OF THE BODY

Healing the Body, Healing the Self: Guided Imagery and Psychotherapy in Medicine

by Leslie Davenport, MS, MFT

Leslie Davenport

“I don’t recognize myself: My body doesn’t feel the same at all. And suddenly there is a division between myself and the people I love. I’m in the ‘heart attack’ club now, and my family has no idea what this is like. Friends are becoming strangers, and strangers in cardiac rehab are becoming friends. Everything has been hijacked: my vitality, my spiritual beliefs (this doesn’t happen to someone like me!), my financial security, my future. I have no idea who I am anymore. And I’m terrified.”—Daniel

Daniel’s story is familiar to me. Having offered psychotherapy with guided imagery to hundreds of patients with severe illness and injury, I have seen how multiple losses—physical, spiritual, and psychological—stemming from a health crisis deconstruct a core sense of self, leaving them feeling like a stranger in a strange land.

Guided imagery has proven to be a valuable tool for helping patients find a safe harbor within themselves during these extremely stormy times. Guided imagery, which incorporates relaxation (more…)