Ritual as Therapy, Therapy as Ritual

Abstract

Summary This article comments on the relationship between ritual and therapy with an exploration of two rituals, one from public life and one from clinical practice. Part one focuses on the bar/bat mitzvah ritual (coming-of-age ceremony for 13 year old Jewish adolescents) as a naturally occurring “therapeutic opportunity,” and part two, on the way several leading therapists have used variations on the theme of ritual ceremony to create their unique formats for therapy. In particular, Michael White's use of Barbara Myerhoff's (1986) idea of “definitional ceremony,” and Lynn Hoffman's use of Tom Andersen's (1987) “reflecting team” idea are highlighted. An illustrative case story is presented and the article ends with a review of parallels between ritual and therapy.