WA16   If my body is ill, who am i? XXXX relief through expression of whole self.

@entity1 @entity158 @entity306
BACKGROUND: @entity1 rely on mobility and bodily capacity to define who they are. @entity306 has been written about how bodily incapacity towards the end of life affects a @entity1 's self-concept. Expressive Movement Therapy (EMT) (also called Dance Movement Psychotherapy) enables @entity1 to use creative movement/gestures to express themselves physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. This is the first known research about EMT in palliative care in the UK. AIM: To explore clients' experiences of EMT in a day hospice setting. METHODS: A phenomenological/case study approach explored four clients' experiences of EMT in depth. RESULTS: @entity1 used EMT to express how their ill bodies had become obstacles to defining who they are, causing a complex interaction between physical incapacity and emotional, social and @entity158 . EMT released tension by enabling @entity1 to grieve over these losses of self, and to re-integrate with their estranged bodies to express themselves as "me completely". CONCLUSION: This research provides a new understanding of the concept of 'total @entity158 '. It links physical suffering to emotional, social, @entity158 by showing that bodily incapacity prevents @entity1 from expressing their sense of whole self. EMT helps relieve this @entity158 by offering @entity1 accessible, creative ways to reconnect with their ill, estranged bodies to express themselves as an integrated complete @entity1 . The community needs to adopt a holistic approach, which does not just focus on parts of the body, but recognises the importance of helping @entity1 sustain their self-narrative as a whole @entity1 in all dimensions of their lives.
