| Description |
The following thesis project is a critical analysis of Greek mythology, particularly the myth of Asklepios as The Wounded Healer, and why the best therapists often embody this archetypal energy in alchemical transformation. Mythology has been used to inform practice in the helping professions throughout history, and in our era still is used as a metaphor for how we think about helping and healing. Mythos is a philosophy of thought that combines not only reason, or that of logos, but the innate feelings behind them. Renowned psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, referred to myth as the expressions of the collective unconscious which are rooted in the psyche. The mythic approach is one that addresses the world in a narrative and indirect way. Subjective aspects, such as individual feelings and personal experiences, become pertinent to the mythology. There have been a number of various treatment interventions that have been used in clinical practice to help patients who have experienced trauma in their lives. Such therapeutic interventions may include art, dance, or music amongst others as a method to express oneself through creative means. Another intervention is that of literature which can be found in the practice of depth psychotherapy. The essence of catharthism is the purification or purgation of emotions through an expression of an art form. Depth psychotherapy combines the approaches of psychology and mythology to help a client that is psychologically suffering to uncover the meanings embedded in their unconscious minds to promote healing by becoming conscious of repressed traumas, thoughts, and feelings. This particular Greek myth of Asklepios examines the ideology of the wounded healer archetype. The wounded healer, after recognizing and healing from their own traumas, is compelled to help others realize that they can do the same. |
