Sirens in reverse: the therapist's voice in postmodernity

Abstract

This qualitative investigation and bibliographical foundation aim to present, based on the historical figure of the sirens mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, a metaphor that reflects the role of therapists with patients in postmodernity. The hero Odysseus ties himself to the mast of the ship to resist the seductive songs of the sirens. While the symbol of the sirens remains the same, postmodernity has amplified the seductive power of the sirens with swift and increasingly personalized information through marketing algorithms that govern everyday life. Therapy initially assists in giving people strength so they don't drown, but in the face of the initial situation, this is not enough. Therapists must act as reverse sirens, guiding the shipwrecked back to their ships so that all these postmodern Odysseuses can find their way home, to themselves.