Sitting in the mess: Miss Havisham, a representation of frozen trauma

ABSTRACT

In this case study, the character of Miss Havisham, from Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, is explored as a representation of frozen trauma. Support is offered for the usefulness of fictional case study to therapeutic understanding and practice, and some of its limitations noted. The frozen nature of traumatic experiencing is elucidated and defined from a person-centered perspective. A brief synopsis of the story and character of Miss Havisham is offered, and the relevance of her early life considered together with her environment and her social context as a Victorian woman. A case is made for a body response to working with trauma which draws upon Gendlin’s focusing approach and Prouty’s model of Pre-Therapy. Limitations of both are noted. Using fictional case study as a creative method of inquiry, its potential for offering real world understanding around trauma theory is established. The primacy of the body in experiencing trauma, and healing from it, is affirmed. A resonance is illuminated between current thinking around traumatic wounding and healing, and a relational therapeutic approach which has the organism at its heart. Insights have arisen from the therapist’s exploration of ‘tidy[ing] up’ the mess and real change has been experienced in practice with clients.

KEYWORDS:

• Frozen trauma
• Miss Havisham
• person-centered
• focusing
• Pre-therapy
• case study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).