Your Biofeedback Practitioner's Hero's Journey

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By Rob Kall (about the author) Page 1 of 3 page(s)

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For Futurehealth: Rob Kall - Writer

Joseph Campbell described a mythic pattern that any hero, any person going through a process of growth and increased personal awareness experiences. This model works very well for biofeedback practitioners, describing the stages, steps, experiences, problems, opportunities, challenges and rewards you can expect to encounter on your path to becoming a master of the world of biofeedback. Futurehealth pres. Rob Kall, M.Ed. with his 33+ years of biofeedback experience as a practitioner, researcher, inventor, clinic founder, manager, walks you through all kinds of considerations you might not think of but should know from the onset of your work.

The hero's journey at its simplest is broken down into three stages-- departure (from the ordinary world,) initiation and return. (Suggested readings on the hero's journey, also called the monomyth, are listed at the bottom of this page.)

Here's a more detailed overview, so you'll see the bigger picture and understand how to use this to see how it fits with your personal experience

In the departure phase, you start out in the ordinary world, and then, you receive a call. It could be brought to you by a herald archetype or it could come from within. Very often, people reject the call.. at least until it becomes more adamant.

Upon receiving the call, with intention to respond to it, the hero finds a mentor. The mentor helps the hero face and pass the guardians of the threshold. The hero must cross the threshold to begin the journey into the new and special world. This is a firm commitment upon the path. The threshold guardians act to dissuade or intimidate the hero from crossing the threshold initially, and later, try to get the hero to quit the journey before completing his or her mission.

Thoreau has a phrase to describe people who fail to heed their calls: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."

Crossing the Threshold

original image from 1866 Harper's bazaar below. Processed by Rob Kall

Crossing the threshold puts you in the initiation phase. Here, you begin the process of being reborn as a new person, more aware, with new strengths, resources, powers... or magic. The hero often starts by entering a cave, going underground or under water or into darkness. This is symbolic of the fact that the hero is "in the dark" on the basic realities of the new, special world.

Crossing the threshold sets the hero off on the road of tests and trials, preparing the hero to approach and face ordeals-- conflicts with dragons-- that test the hero's new skills. These are challenges that must be overcome for the hero to continue on the journey.

Your Biofeedback Practitioner's Hero's Journey

Departure

Your ordinary world

* Psychotherapy, Psychiatry, Counseling, Teaching, Medicine, behavioral medicine, Hypnosis, Physiology, Coaching, MFT, Social Work, Nursing, Massage, Meditation, Spiritual Work

Your call:

* discovery of the amazing potential and attractive philosophical underpinnings of biofeedback
* Self responsibility
* you have a positive personal experience
* You like the idea of offering clients enhanced self awareness and empowerment
* alternative approach to healing: instead of drugs, surgery, talk
* fascination with technology
* need of a family member
* need to be more consistent with a personal belief system
* Desire to start a new, independent career
* Desire to build job skills that can get you hired
* disgust with managed care
* Desire for a new profit center
* Burnout
* New Career

Your Mentors

1 | 2 | 3

Rob is the organizer founder of the Winter Brain, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology and StoryCon Meetings. He is president of Futurehealth, Inc., Publisher of more...)

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and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.