Marjorie received a tonsillectomy at age 8. The session begins with Marjorie in a high state of arousal, experiencing startle and fear. Diane immediately begins building a container of support by encouraging outer orienting and safety by choosing her seating arrangement. Marjorie was caught in a fight/ flight response to the surgery and surrounding events as she was confined and sedated. Diane introduces a competent protector to accompany Marjorie as she revisits the memory fragments and sensations. After regulating the high arousal and pendulating parts of the overcoupled emotional states, Marjorie‘s autonomic system settles and her breathing shifts. The video shows how, after finding a felt sense of safety, she is able to surrender to the anesthesia, titrating a memory of lilacs with the ether. Integration of this experience results in a transformation of the underlying distress to self‐defense behavior and containment of her arousal in a fluid, powerful expression.

This video is 1 hour and 22 minutes long.