Therapeutic improvisation in Cambodia: Moderated exposure, the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes, and the quest to weave the “world’s longest krama”

Cambodian mental health workers found that incorporating visits to the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes into Testimonial Therapy (TT) for Khmer Rouge survivors could both aid memory retrieval and prove emotionally overwhelming. To mitigate this, counselors improvised by adding a second site where patients could weave the 'world’s longest krama,' demonstrating how cultural memory sites can be dynamically adapted to support trauma healing and identity renegotiation. This study highlights the potential of therapeutic improvisation in using culturally significant spaces to address complex post-traumatic experiences.

Lesley, E. (2023). Therapeutic improvisation in Cambodia: Moderated exposure, the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes, and the quest to weave the “world’s longest krama”. Memory Studies, 16(3), 593–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506980231162334