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Myth and Legend in Family Therapy: Maintaining the Distinction Between the Sacred and Secular in Family Process

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Abstract

Family therapy has blurred the distinction between the sacred (myth) and the secular (legend) with resultant ethical implications, and has also created problematic cross-cultural considerations with its use of “myth.” The objectives of this paper are (a) to briefly introduce the evolution of the concept of “myth” in folklore; (b) to identify specific problems resulting from the current utilization of the term “myth” by family therapists; and (c) to demonstrate how appropriate usage of the concepts “myth” and “legend” from folklore theory radically decreases the confusion created in comparison to the present reliance on the term “myth” alone.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Georgia, USA

    Kimberly Ann Holle

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  1. Kimberly Ann Holle
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Correspondence to Kimberly Ann Holle.

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Kimberly Ann Holle, MS, MSW, LSW, LCDC -III, CADC, graduated from the College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, in June, 2005. Ms. Holle now resides in Columbus, Georgia, USA (kimmers.1212@aol.com).

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Holle, K.A. Myth and Legend in Family Therapy: Maintaining the Distinction Between the Sacred and Secular in Family Process. Contemp Fam Ther 27, 507–519 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-005-8236-8

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