Surrender,Healing,and the Mythic Journey

Abstract

Surrender is described as the voluntary giving up of defenses in service of the healing process in psychotherapy. Two forms of surrender are described. Cathartic surrender involves the client's allowing the therapist to have relational power and relinquishing the protective defenses that "encapsulate" trauma, thus permitting release of associated memories, feelings, and impulses. Primary surrender consists of reclaiming a basic life position of trust and the possibility of goodness in self and others. Surrender in psychotherapy and the healing that it promotes are compared to the sacred "wounding" and transformation that occur in the universal myth of the hero's journey. Elements that promote surrender in psychotherapy are discussed.

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