Culture or cult? The mythological nature of occupational therapy

Abstract

The willingness of occupational therapists to act on their shared beliefs and values has created knowledge and techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation, and, thus, have entered into what might be called the 'mythology' of occupational therapy. These myths arose from a set of shared philosophical assumptions that provided a sense of cultural identity. In the present article the authors compare the occupational therapy process to a mythical hero's journey in which the occupational therapist uses narrative reasoning to guide the client (the hero) through a rite of passage to a kind of rehabilitative rebirth. By structuring therapy as an unfolding story, the occupational therapist creates personal myths for his or her clients. Unfortunately, there is a darker side to this process in which cultural identity distorts into membership of a 'cult', wherein expert practitioners become 'priests' or 'monks' possessing secret knowledge that cannot be readily explained to others, especially those from different cultures. It is argued that, by reflecting on and interacting with other cultures through shared mythologies, occupational therapists can learn to amend their values and beliefs accordingly. Myths could bring a sense of cohesiveness to a culture in which 'truth' is seen through these shared mythologies.