Increasing Personal Agency Through Classical Mythology

Abstract

Narrative letter writing is used in therapy as a powerful therapeutic tool. Letters written to the client can help rewrite his or her story, as well as help clients realize that they are their own agent of change. Women, feeling powerless in a male dominant society, may need to feel that they have the strength within to change. Providing the client a nickname can help maintain confidentiality, and can also strengthen his or her drive. Mythology can serve as a tool for therapists in selecting a nickname for the client. Matching a God or Goddess to a client can be a therapeutic tool.Narrative therapy has made letter writing and development of personal agency important steps in therapy (Freedman & Combs, 1996;Macdonald, 2001;White & Epston, 1990). In this article we outline how mythic figures and legends can be utilized to create powerful therapeutic letters for clients who are seeking help conquering addiction, depression, and family issues. In the real therapeutic examples below, we draw from Greek mythology, but we also present mythic figures from other cultures that could be useful with clients of various races and backgrounds. Family therapists recognize that metaphors and symbols can be powerful tools in the therapeutic setting. We believe melding the use of mythology as metaphors with the narrative technique of letter writing has the potential to tap hidden resources within the client.

Psychological significance of Chinese myth of Yi: Signing and symbolizing, cultural and personal

“…Freud, Jung, and their followers have demonstrated irrefutably that the logic, the heroes, and the deeds of myth survive into modern times (Maxfield, Connor, & Doll, 2009).…”