What Good Are Archetypes?
March/21/2009 07:16 AM Filed in: Ethics &
Archetypes
Why are
archetypes such a useful vehicle for exploring
ethics, roles and boundaries in a bodywork (or other
holistic health) practice?
Archetypes are universal energy patterns that we can all relate to. An example of an archetype is the "Leader". Leaders exist in all cultures throughout the history of human-kind. Natural leaders have certain traits and characteristics where ever you find them; they can't help but gravitate into leadership roles, even if they resist! Of course some people who end up in leadership roles don't necessarily have the archetype of the "Leader", and they may be ineffective leaders, or even corrupt leaders. The role of the "Leader" includes guiding those who are led into effective and empowering ways of living.
Because archetypes are universal, we can study and learn about them outside our personal experience. By looking at these patterns in a detached way, we can gain clarity first and then apply that clarity to illuminate our life experiences.
In bodywork practice, there are several archetypes we run in to all the time! We have all known many “Victim” and “Child” types; we know the discomfort and upset they can generate when they hook into our tendency to rescue or nurture. They can create all kinds of havoc with our boundaries, emotions, and ethics! The Ethics and Archetypes course provides a good basis for identifying the archetypes in our clients and ourselves, so we can begin to recognize the patterns in our clients (and ourselves) from a few early clues.
It is much easier to maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries if we can see the situation developing before we get hooked in. And the better we get at this, the more effective (and happy) we can be in our massage and bodywork practices!
Archetypes are universal energy patterns that we can all relate to. An example of an archetype is the "Leader". Leaders exist in all cultures throughout the history of human-kind. Natural leaders have certain traits and characteristics where ever you find them; they can't help but gravitate into leadership roles, even if they resist! Of course some people who end up in leadership roles don't necessarily have the archetype of the "Leader", and they may be ineffective leaders, or even corrupt leaders. The role of the "Leader" includes guiding those who are led into effective and empowering ways of living.
Because archetypes are universal, we can study and learn about them outside our personal experience. By looking at these patterns in a detached way, we can gain clarity first and then apply that clarity to illuminate our life experiences.
In bodywork practice, there are several archetypes we run in to all the time! We have all known many “Victim” and “Child” types; we know the discomfort and upset they can generate when they hook into our tendency to rescue or nurture. They can create all kinds of havoc with our boundaries, emotions, and ethics! The Ethics and Archetypes course provides a good basis for identifying the archetypes in our clients and ourselves, so we can begin to recognize the patterns in our clients (and ourselves) from a few early clues.
It is much easier to maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries if we can see the situation developing before we get hooked in. And the better we get at this, the more effective (and happy) we can be in our massage and bodywork practices!