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1.6 Archetypes Overview
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Overview of Archetypes

Attributes and Needs

In the early 1900s, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung put forward the idea of psychological archetypes – innate, universal prototypes, each with its own group of associated memories, ideas, and interpretations. Jung taught that these archetypes, these primordial images, are built-in parts of our psyches, just like a liver or a heart are built-in parts of our bodies.

There have been many criticisms and reevaluations of Jung’s work over the years, but this core idea remains useful: we all carry within us certain sets of energies or tendencies that seem to work in patterns. For example, a caretaker archetype has to do with a desire to help others, to behave in ways that might be described as parental, compassionate, self-sacrificing, even saintly. On the other hand, a rebel archetype might be described as rejecting normalcy, breaking rules, and always pushing for the new or the less-popular.

It can be helpful to remember that a person is not a single archetype. Many different archetypes are alive in all of us, but often a person will move from within just one or two archetypes at a given moment or in a given context.

If we can recognize the archetypes from which people are moving, we can communicate more effectively with them. Thinking in terms of archetypes allows us to move out of judgmental reactions (“This person is saying such foolish things and making such ridiculous decisions!”) and into deep listening instead. As we listen deeply, we can begin to identify who within them is speaking, and thus become able to speak directly to that archetype, beginning by validating its needs and desires, rather than contradicting or agreeing with it. (By “validate,” we don’t mean “say that it’s correct.” Instead, when we validate, we are communicating that we see that an idea isn’t random or foolish, but instead emerges logically from the person’s understanding/approach. In short, we are telling the person that what they are saying/feeling/thinking makes sense given their situation and perspective.  

Once we have validated the archetype(s) from which a parent is speaking, we can begin to engage in processes and dialogues that invite parents to explore other archetypes and expand possibilities for new beliefs and/or actions.

Some people teach that there is a permanent, set number of natural archetypes that are grouped in certain ways. The truth is that there’s no “official” or “right answer” in terms of how many archetypes “actually” exist and what they should be called. The archetypes identified below are ones that often appear in parents, and that are useful for birth workers to be able to identify and validate. In BfW, we often consider the first four archetypes listed here to be “childlike” archetypes, and the last two to be “adult” archetypes. While the childlike archetypes tend to be inflexible, with one-note ways of understanding and responding to events, the adult archetypes are defined by their ability to seek out a variety of strategies and choose which might be most useful in a given situation.

The archetypes discussed below are Innocent, Orphan, Caretaker, Victim/Judge, Hunter/Huntress and Love Warrior.

Innocent (Sometimes also called “Child” or “Innocent Child”)

How to spot them:

Examples of things we may hear from the Innocent archetype: 

Ways to Respond:

Validate the parent. Meet them where they are without making their magical or childlike thinking wrong, and then gently, slowly begin to expand the possibilities for other ways to cope, take action, or try something new. A Child/Innocent greatly benefits from exploring their inner knowing and being gently encouraged to follow their inner map.

Orphan 

How to spot them:

Example of things we may hear from the Orphan archetype: 

Ways to Respond:

Foster interdependence. Validate the parent’s frustration at not having people show up for them the way they hoped, and then encourage them to explore people, times, and events in which they were able to count on others. Begin to expand the network of people they can rely on, and help them understand that human fallibility isn’t a reflection on them, and doesn’t mean that trust is an inherent mistake. If you push the Orphan to change too fast, you risk alienation. Validating the orphan might look like thanking them for their patience when human error brings them a challenge.

Caretaker 

How to spot them:

Examples of things we may hear from the Caretaker archetype:

Ways to Respond:

Validate the importance and rewards of caring for family, friends, and others. Inquire into where the need to caretake others arises. Support them in giving even small doses of their caretaking gifts to themselves and meeting their own needs so that they have the energy reserves to be able to give to others. Invite them to find a way to pass up an opportunity to help someone, and notice how the world still turns and the person still gets through the situation.

Victim/Judge

How to spot them:

Examples of things we may hear from the Victim/Judge archetype: 

Ways to Respond:

The Victim needs to feel seen and heard. Validate and acknowledge the parent’s efforts, expectations, and emotions without blaming others. The Judge needs their positive intention to be recognized - to keep the self safe, accepted, loveable. The Judge loves to hear that the parent  is learning...it helps the Judge feel satisfied that they don’t need to keep beating the parent over the head with shame about not following the rules.

Hunter/Huntress 

How to spot them:

Examples of things we may hear as the Huntress archetype emerges: 

Love Warrior 

How to spot them:

Examples of things we may hear as the Love Warrior archetype emerges: 

Ways to Encourage the Emergence of the Huntress and Love Warrior: