Just a heads up: this may be the most chaplainy thing I’ve posted on this blog. There’s a lot of terminology here meant for spiritual care professionals, but for those not in professional chaplaincy, hopefully this post will also give some ideas about the things we do besides “show up and pray”!
I’ve spilled a lot of ink about Disney’s Encanto on this blog. I’ve talked about family systems and the enneagram (twice) and some fun side theories. But today, I want to talk about using people’s favorite characters from Encanto to help them explore their spiritual and emotional issues. For the record, the assessment tool below is one that I actually tried in our emergency department waiting room a while back. Presenting the tool as a fun informal survey, I went around asking patients and their families their favorite Madrigal family members; then, if they were open to it, I kept talking with them based on the concepts and interventions below. The lists below are not exhaustive, and I’ve been adding to this every time the topic of Encanto comes up in patient care situations. Also, you may notice that there’s some repetition on the table —”anxiety” and “reflect on support systems” show up on like four or five of them—, and that’s by design; some themes simply carry across characters. This is also far from scientific, but for patients who have seen Encanto, it’s a starting place…
| Favorite Madrigal | Associated Traits/Concepts | Possible Interventions (Not an Exhaustive List!) |
|---|---|---|
| Mirabel | isolation, fitting in, loyalty, wanting to help, uniqueness, coming of age | reflect on support systems, clarify values, affirm worth/uniqueness/growth |
| Isabela | authenticity, perfectionism, creativity, performance, keeping up appearances | clarify own goals and hopes, reflect on identity and affirm authenticity/vulnerability, offer creative activities |
| Luisa | stress, responsibility, inner turmoil, confidence, strength, helping | reflect on sources of stress and comfort, clarify what it means to rest, make a self-care plan, guide meditation/prayer |
| Dolores | secrets, awareness, shyness, belonging, advocacy, repression | reflect on own identity and value, identify role in family, encourage telling own story |
| Camilo | mischief, creativity, humor, novelty, challenging authority | use humor to deepen rapport, develop tools to cope with boredom, explore relationship with mentors and authority figures |
| Antonio | shyness and confidence, communication, trust, wisdom, fear, belonging | explore identity and support systems, encourage advocacy for self, reflect on goals and dreams beyond immediate family |
| Abuela | loyalty, ingroup/outgroup thinking, anxiety, loss, order, control, tradition | reflect on history/legacy, affirm role in family, celebrate family’s achievements, explore individual identity, identify personal goals and hopes beyond family, identify and facilitate traditions/rituals |
| Pepa | anxiety, control, fear, stress | identify main stressors and coping strategies, reflect on the idea of control and how it is maintained, develop and encourage self-care strategies, practice deep breathing and mindfulness |
| Bruno | isolation, feeling out of place, fear of hurting others, helping | reflect on past trauma (or maybe make a referral), explore styles of advocacy for self, explore individual identity beyond family/community, identify points of connection with others |
| Julieta | helping others, meeting needs, healing | explore family dynamics and feelings about role in family, reflect on responsibilities and methods of self-care, identify and facilitate traditions/rituals (especially if food is involved) |
| Agustin | loyalty, awkwardness, protection, humor, belonging | offer humor (dad jokes!), explore feelings of responsibility and loyalty, discuss support systems with emphasis on found family and family of origin |
| Felix | humor, energy, deescalation, authenticity, novelty, confidence | explore role in family and affirm humor, offer creative activities, discuss self-care strategies and methods of navigating individual stress apart from larger family stress |
Some of the conversations that resulted from this were heartbreaking, while others were hilarious. Here are a few examples with details altered or left vague to protect patient privacy:
Camilo
A disproportionate number of preteen boys answered “Camilo,” which totally fits where they are developmentally, so I spent a lot of time that day talking about boredom and how we can navigate it. For the record, Camilo, Luisa, and Isabela were the three most common answers.
Dolores
One person emphatically answered “My girl Dolores!” I was a little taken aback to hear someone so passionate about the Madrigal wallflower, but then again, learning to speak up for herself is a big part of Dolores’s arc. It was clear from this person’s tone that speaking up for herself was one of her core values as well, so we talked about the importance of advocacy while in the hospital and how that might look for this person.
Isabela/Mirabel
Similar to the Dolores example, a funky dressed teenager talked about Isabela’s finding her own voice and her authentic self, and we used Isabela’s arc to explore that teen’s own journey from performance-focused perfectionism into self-discovery and self-expression. Another patient actually answered Mirabel but then gave a similar reason for the selection: just looking at her clothes and hearing her snarky streak, Mirabel clearly has self-expression down, and this patient valued self-expression highly.
The Adults
Most people stayed away from the adult family members (Abuela, Julieta, Agustin, Felix, Pepa), but one parent talked about relating to Bruno, so we identified some points of connection and support.
Luisa
When a patient’s older sister said she loved Luisa, I asked if she felt like she had anything in common with the mightiest Madrigal. She immediately looked down and sighed, so we started talking about the stress in her life and developing self-care strategies. Later in the day, I had a similar interaction with a group of nurses who talked about Luisa and specifically identified the stress of trying to help everyone; it seems caregivers and healthcare workers in particular can relate to Luisa!
Antonio
The Antonio answers pointed to the fact that this is not a perfect tool! Several people referenced Antonio out of a desire to have his gift (talking to animals) rather than his personality or growth as a character.
So yeah, it’s not a perfect tool by any means, but the Encanto assessment opened some fun and occasionally poignant doors that day. That being said, I’m aware this tool probably has a limited shelf life. Popular movies come and go, and I’m sure Encanto will soon be replaced as the most talked about movie among children, adolescents, and parents, and hopefully we can develop similar tools for whatever that movie is! I really believe it’s important to stay aware of pop culture as a chaplain, and you know what? Let’s talk more about that next week…