ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the myth of happiness as portrayed in the media's depiction of the self-knowledge industry. If the self-knowledge industry is to have a fair chance at reaching potential clients who could benefit from its services, one need to distinguish fact from fantasy in these archetypical portrayals. The chapter looks at several common therapist archetypes such as king/queen, warrior, magician, lover, fool, and shadow depicted in the media, distinguishing reality from artistic license. The common theme of the chapter is a call for clarity on three levels. First, therapy is a complex relationship that is difficult to represent through current media conventions. Second, the media reflects the extremes of therapy to entertain. Finally, therapy as a profession is better served by increased education and demystification of the therapeutic process and efforts to de-stigmatize therapy so clients can give honest accounts of their experience in therapy to challenge harmful stereotypes.
