For many years I struggled with dissociation to the level of neurological and physical manifestations. I didn’t relate it to stress or trauma at the time, but when I attended a healing center during my divorce I was introduced to the book, “The Body Keeps the Score”.  I started seeing how my body had been holding all the pain of years, even back to childhood, that my mind had not yet processed.

It had been years since I had painted or done much in the arts, but I knew that was something missing in my life that would help give voice to the right brain and emotional parts that needed to speak and process where my left brain was stuck.

One of the most powerful experiences I had in my various healing sessions had to do with learning about the different organs of your body and the specific emotional pain areas they hold. I learned that anger is stored in your liver- and it fascinated me because I have always had unexplainable liver problems and struggled with getting angry at things that, well, should make you angry. It was like I turned all the anger around toward myself and couldn’t feel justifiable anger let alone release it. So, I had an idea during a therapy session one day to paint the anatomical liver. I thought if I could get in touch with my body I could begin to feel and release the emotional pain.

The series of drawings and paintings of organs are unto that- processing the pain and grief of disappointments. 

As I learned about these connections (listening to audio books while painting, etc.) I discovered that I have physical disease / conditions in these exact areas of the emotional pain component.

Liver-Gallbladder: Anger, bitterness, guilt, hatred, resentment, depression, frustration, indecisiveness, panic, taken for granted.

Lungs or colon: Crying, discouragement, rejection, sadness, sorrow, confusion, defensiveness, grief, self-abuse, stubbornness

Heart or Small Intestine: Abandonment, betrayal, forlorn, lost, love unreceived, effort unreceived, heartache, insecurity, vulnerability.