Hermes represents the power to use language and images skillfully, to probe multiple levels of meaning, and to value surprise and synchronicity.
—Thomas Moore, Soul Therapy
Therapy is largely about narrative and image. It helps if the professional therapist is sophisticated about both of these things, as well as about transference, which this presentation will explore in some original ways.
In its origins, the word “therapy” means service or care, not making better or curing. One person offers intentional listening, care, and observations about what he or she sees and hears with another person who is open to becoming more complex and individual.
Therapy can happen in both professional and lay contexts, as when a parent deals with a child who is acting out, or when a teacher helps a student handle emotions and relationships. Here, the relationship is much like what the Irish have called Anam Cara, a guiding, caring friend.
In this time together, we will engage each other in memories of therapy and issues that can get in the way. We will also explore ways to prepare for this work and ways a therapist or caring layperson can care for himself or herself.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Appreciate the origins of the word “therapy” and its root meaning.
- Develop a sophisticated understanding of narrative, image, symbol, and myth in the context of therapy.
- Learn skills for creating a vessel or container in which another person may feel free and supported in exploring one’s past and one’s possibilities.
- Describe implications for clinical counseling and the therapeutic process.
