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Return & Contribution
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Hero's
Journey
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After completing our Youth Conference for the International Transpersonal
Association annual conference in Ireland, the mother of a teen
boy came up to me. She said, "Jeez, Bret, you're a
whiz with teens. What is it you do, anyway?"
I found
I was unable to tell her. I couldn't seem to put a finger
on what it was exactly I did that seemed to work so well.....
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Individuals
I realized at that moment I hadn't really thought or
synthesized my approaches, and during a long flight back home, it came
to me. Familiar with the Hero's Journey model, I realized that I
tend to overlay the model on each individual teen I work with. More
than that, however, I look at different levels of a youth to see where
they might be at different stages of the Hero's Journey in their lives.
In essence, I create a 3-D model with varying stages at varying levels.
It's kind of like the 3-D chess Kirk and Spock played on the original
Star Trek series.
For example, a youth might be at a certain stage in
his or her overall journey, i.e. the Call to Adventure. This would
mean that he or she has woken up to the concept that new ideas, beliefs
and thoughts are required. Perhaps, though, he is balking at the
difficulty of getting sober, stopping lying, or not running from his problems.
In his overall life, that is the stage and dynamics I would focus on.
What struck me on that plane flight was how I look
for parts of a youth's life where he or she might be further ahead.
First, I want them to experience success at a further stage, no matter
how small or simple that might be. Then, of course, I want to point
out that success to him, so he can experience and recognize how that feels.
We once
had a boy in a group home who, although he had been abusing drugs, cutting
school, getting arrested, etc., still managed to become an Explorer Scout.
The group home had a wilderness treatment model, and was about to go camping
soon after he arrived. Although he was the newest boy in the home,
and on one level the most 'asleep,' he quickly displayed his camping skills
at first opportunity. Since he is capable of Return and Contribution
in this one area, I would try to set him up to experience it as often
as possible. I would also try to help him discover how it feels
to help others, to teach something he is good at. This is how you
help him grow, and bring the success he feels at a lower level up toward
his overall journey.
Organizations
The Hero's
Journey can also be used as a group or program treatment model.
An agency, group home, or even foster homes can weave the model into their
existing program. Components of a program or sequences of promotion
in residential care can simply be framed so they follow the path of the
journey. For example, a youth who completes his time in placement
should be nudged/forced to give back somehow, perhaps speaking to a class
of younger children of his experiences. Rather than ending his placement
at his Culmination, the original, more healthy final stage has been reached:
Return and Contribution.
And, of course, the 3-D model can also be woven into
an existing program, working the classic Hero's Journey dynamics at all
levels. Let's take a look 3-D model...
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Back
to top
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top layer represents where the adolescent is on his/her
overall journey in life. Is he asleep to his real
problems? Has he woken up, but still struggles with
his Call? Does he realize the challenge but won't
accept guidance?
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next level represents where he/she is on a smaller level.
For example, a new boy in a group home has snowboarding
skills he can share with more senior peers who don't have
those skills. This allows him to experience Return,
at least at a micro level.
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yet another level, he refuses to take advice or input
from counselors, teachers, mentors, etc. Thus, this
is the aspect of his program you would focus on.
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| Here,
the youth has done well and is close to completion of
some sort, but is stuck in having trouble dealing with
the challenges still left. |
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For more information
on using the Hero's Journey, contact Bret.
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