| A chief focus of liberation psychology is the family: the building block of neighborhoods and source of community vitality. And the most overlooked and perhaps the most important family strength is spirituality.
Spirituality can be found in the mythos which is the glue that holds the family together, connects the family to the culture, and thereby strengthens individual family members.
Mythos refers to those structures in culture and family that are the organizing force, represent matter in the collective unconscious, and explain the mysteries of existence. Hardly ever is the family mythos articulated. It is arrived at through the experience of family traditions, celebrations, and holidays; responses to importanttransitional events; even things like daily routine or methods of raising or disciplining children.
For instance, the value of the individual family member is recognized in the birthday celebration. Other celebrations may recognize the role of the family member (e.g., mother's day) but we use birthdays to single out, celebrate and gift each person in the family. In some foster care situations (not to mention some family situations), individual birthdays may be forgotten or celebrations ignored. Affirming the intrinsic value of each individual is a spiritual stance -- and a countercultural one where individuals are increasingly recognized for their utility or potential as a consumer.
A helpful intervention may be to simply articulate the mythos: Everyone in this family is special and so are you!
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