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Membership Meeting
with George, Viney PsyD, MFT
"Hermes and the Art of Psychotherapy": A Mythological imagination for
Procuring Therapeutic Movement. "
Note: Presented on Zoom.
Mythologically speaking, the Greek god Hermes is the archetypal image par excellence through which to see, understand, and conduct the art of psychotherapy. This presentation will explore the qualities, agency, and details of his myth and stories to reveal relevant psychological subtleties that can guide our therapeutic work. Hermes was the magician with his magic wand and messenger god of eloquence, communication, connection- making, and synchronicity. With his winged sandals and helmet, he was the tricky and quick-witted helpful companion to those on a journey, whenever we are between “here and yonder." He was also known as “psychopomp” or “guide of souls” and in this aspect he is the patron archetypal figure informing therapeutic efforts to assist clients in finding meaningful connections within and also to others, in getting their lives in movement when they are stuck, and in safely transitioning from one chapter of life to another. Hermes appears at the crossroads of our lives when we are lost and confused and there is no clear path forward. We will develop an imagination, psychologically and poetically speaking, of how archetypal Hermes operates in therapy to propitiate healing psychological movement and how we can facilitate and support Hermes’ epiphanies of insight, message-bringing, and creativity in our work with clients as they endeavor to understand and address their symptoms, behaviors, dreams, stories, and life journey. As we shall see, Hermes and his therapeutic ways, helps clients, and us as well, live with greater imagination, culture, relatedness, and meaning.
Educational goals include:
• Better understand the root metaphors/departure points of Jungian/Archetypal Psychology
• Learn how myth, poetic image, and story can inform/shape/heal psychological experience
• Begin to discern how Hermes can guide clinical interventions, the therapeutic process, and procure healing movement
• Learn how seeing/approaching client material and therapeutic dynamics through the imagination and activity of Hermes can bring meaning and orientation to therapist and client alike
• Acquire a poetic, metaphorical, and intuitive wit for working with clients’ dreams and stories to cultivate clients’ greater imagination and consciousness
• Gain a greater appreciation of the therapeutic value of story and storytelling when these find connection to clients’ experiences and lives
Learning Objectives
In successfully completing and attending this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Be able to use Hermes’ two techniques of joining and matching quickly with clients to gain therapeutic rapport.
- Learn the definition of synchronicity and identify/recognize synchronicities that occur in therapy and in clients’ lives that offer meaning and guidance.
- Learn how to see therapy through the lens of the myth of Hermes to successfully engage in clients’ material and experiences and constellate healing.
- Learn three ways to help clients attend, attune to, connect with, and care for the dreams/memories informing their life stories, clinical pictures, and identities.
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