What warning do fairy tale archetypes offer counsellors?
This article was written for therapists, psychiatrists and mental health practitioners. Since other readers may also find it helpful it has been slightly modified.
Fairy tales have done more than just entertain children. Over time such narratives have offered us insights, contributing to the complex world of therapy. For example, Karpman (1968) developed the “drama triangle” with social scripts originally based on archetypal roles and those cute characters found in children’s fairy tale stories. We typically are presented with three distinct roles: (1) Victim; (2) Rescuer; and (3) Persecutor. These three roles are not necessarily permanent fixtures, i.e., they are interchangeable such that, for example, a “Persecutor” can become a “Victim” and vice versa. But in order for interpersonal conflicts to occur people in real life usually assume at least one of these three roles at any given time. Karpman’s formulation was based on the theoretical concepts of Berne’s (1961) notion of transactional analysis in which conversations between two people are viewed and analysed as a type of transaction or communication unit carrying meaning beyond just words uttered. Thought statements from Lac and Donaldson’s (2022) research, give us an inkling of how the three character roles within a drama triangle might look and feel. For example:
“Victim” (“damsel or bachelor in distress”): People do things to intentionally hurt and betray me, I feel helpless around other people.
“Rescuer” (“hero or heroine”): I put other people’s needs before my own. I like to rescue and fix the people in my life. I focus more on solving other people’s problems than my own problems.
“Persecutor” (“villain”): I have the upper hand when interacting with others. I punish others if they say something insulting to me. I take advantage of others before they take advantage of me.
Assisting individuals to disentangle themselves is critical because being entangled or participating in any drama triangle, consciously or unconsciously, is detrimental to a person’s emotional and psychological well-being (e.g., Karpman, 1968). In their development and validation of the Drama Triangle Scale, Andrew and Donaldson (2022) identify the Rescuer as having higher secure attachment (positive appraisals of self and others). On the other hand, the Victim, according to these researchers implies a lower secure attachment, that the Victim would have a fearful attachment style (negative appraisals of self and others). And that Villains or those with high Persecutor scores revealed a dismissive attachment style (positive appraisals of self but negative appraisals of others).
Essentially, there are no winners for those caught up or trapped in drama triangle scenarios. But for those wishing to exit there are ways out of such interpersonal conflicts as the literature suggests (e.g., Choy, 1990). Just as important, however, are warnings issued by, for instance, Hawker (2000), who cautions therapists against any temptation of entering into the counselling mix with their own unresolved personal emotions or agendas. In other words, in scenarios where there is a distinct drama triangle operating, tempting as it may be, counsellors and others must exercise self control by always remaining steadfastly outside the triangle. Being extra mindful and self-aware can help one avoid the seductive lure of joining in or identifying with one of the roles, whether Rescuer, Victim, Persecutor, or any combination thereof, which individuals often enact in interpersonal relationships. This “keep out” warning aimed at counsellors, is cleverly summed up in Andrew and Donaldson’s (2022) article title: Are You a Victim, Rescuer, or Persecutor? Your honest answer, in whatever scenario, will help shine a light on an ethical pathway that swerves away from joining any drama triangle, thereby doing clients no harm.
This article was originally published in Mind Cafe, September, 2022, Issue 84. (Some modifications were made to the original article to suit a general readership).
References:
Berne, E. (1961). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy. Grove Press.
Choy, A. (1990). The winner’s triangle. Transactional Analysis Journal, 20, 40–46.
Hawker, L. (2000). The drama triangle in the treatment of domestic violence. Transactional Analysis Journal, 30, 139–144.
Karpman, S. (1968). Fairy tales and script drama analysis. Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 7, 39–43.
Lac, A., C. D. Donaldson (2022). Development and Validation of the Drama Triangle Scale: Are You a Victim, Rescuer, or Persecutor? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(7–8).
