Another inhabitant of middle earth joins me in my hypothetical therapy room, although in this case, as I will explore, I think a therapist's office would be the worst place for Fredegar Bolger to heal. In this episode I explore what the impact of his experiences might have been, and how as a therapist I might work with them.

Content notes for discussion of torture, the holocaust (briefly) incarceration and eating disorders/disordered eating.

My paper on Orcs (mentioned in the podcast) https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol22/iss2/ and if you have any thoughts, suggestions or comments you can find me on Bluesky - @karenpollock.bsky.social or email on [email protected]

Keywords -

mental health, Tolkien, trauma therapy, Fatty Bolger, resilience, healing, psychotherapy, literature, trauma, coping strategies