Purgation (9)
I believe the answer is:
catharsis
'purgation' is the definition.
(catharsis is a kind of purgation)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for catharsis that I've seen before include "purging process" , "emotional event" , "Emotional release" , "Emotional purge" , "Process of releasing pent-up emotions" .)