THE DEPICTION OF A HERO’S JOURNEY IN BONNY METHOD OF GIM SESSIONS

Abstract

This article examines a client’s psychological transformation through Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) sessions based on a developmental pattern of the archetypes in myths called the Hero’s Journey. Story patterns of myths and fairy tales represent the universal aspect of psychological development of human beings. The main character in the story often goes through the typical journey patterns such as hearing the call to adventure, leaving his hometown, fighting with enemies, achieving a treasure, and retaining his own kingdom at the end. GIM clients symbolically go through these stages. The client’s images of herself in this article transformed from a helpless orphan to a magician who has a miraculous ability to transform harmful creatures to harmless ones whom she then embraced. Viewing an individual GIM process through the lens of the Hero’s Journey’s structure may give a deeper understanding of the client’s process of movement toward individuation.