Hero’s Journey
Keywords:
Myth, narratives, mental disorderAbstract
In this article we introduce a framework, based on the Hero’s Journey® narrative (frst
described by Joseph Campbell in the Hero with a Tousand Faces), and its application
to the experience of persons with long-term mental health challenges, their recovery
process and path toward well-being. We outline the stages of the Hero’s Journey and their
application as a therapeutic framework for people living with long-term mental health
challenges, highlighting the transformational power of this narrative for those individuals.
Further, we present preliminary fndings of the implementation of the Hero’s Journey®
Path to Well-Being curriculum (Dorio Burton & Becker, 2015), inspired by Campbell’s
work. Findings are encouraging in that they suggest that an intervention based on the Hero’s Journey shows promise for providing people with long-term mental health challenges
an alternative self-narrative, building hope and empowerment as they identify and utilize
their “Inner Hero” in daily life.
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