Using the Hero's Journey and Role Theory Together When Working with Veterans Living with Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Theoretical Analysis

This theoretical paper examines possible therapeutic intersections between the hero’s journey as outlined by Leeming (1998) and Landy’s (2009) role theory with the aim of serving Canadian male veterans living with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CR-PTSD). The story of the hero’s journey is not new to drama therapy. Both Landy (1993) and Silverman (2004) cited it as influencing their work, however, this research synthesizes elements from both of them. Specifically, Leeming’s hero’s journey stages provide a similar therapeutic framework to that of Silverman’s (2004) The Story Within. The theoretical analysis portion of this research uses literature on CR-PTSD to support connections between Leeming’s hero’s journey stages and implementation of Landy’s role and counterrole using roles taken from the Role Profiles card sort (Landy & Butler, 2012) in one analysis. The purpose of this theoretical analysis is to examine the potential of combining Leeming’s stages with Landy’s concepts of role and counterrole through dramatic exploration of archetypal roles. The analysis suggests that combining these three frameworks could potentially foster positive therapeutic outcomes for veterans by creating opportunities for them to find meaning in their experiences of living with PTSD. However, the nature of using them together is highly adaptable, flexible and not restricted to the theoretical arguments contained in this analysis. Strengths and limitations of this research are discussed, and recommendations for future research are addressed