Jungian Theory
I would like to preface this page with the disclaimer that I am not a Jungian Analyst yet. I am a training candidate at the Philadelphia Jung Institute.
I came to Jungian work through a series of events. As you've probably noticed on my other pages I am an Art Therapist. My training as an Art Therapist primed me for symbolic psychological work. After graduating I began clinical supervision with a Jungian oriented Art Psychotherapist and Professional Counselor. During this time I picked up terminology and framework inspiration in a very organic manner. This growth period led me in the direction of pursuing my own analysis. I began to realize that Jungian Psychology was the missing puzzle piece in my practice framework and life.
My personal description of Jungian theory is that it is a multidimensional and paradoxical way of approaching and looking at human growth and development, spirituality, history, culture, literature, religion, art, architecture, music, dreams, the world, the universe, etc. Jungian psychology (although he did not refer to his work as Jungian. He referred to it as Analytical Psychology) was developed by Swiss Psychologist/Psychiatrist Carl Jung. It creates a web of connection between all of existence through varying dimensions of consciousness both collective and individual. In simple terms it looks at all of existence both personal and collective through a symbolic, archetypal, and spiritual lens.
What does this have to do with our therapy work?
The biggest part of psychotherapy is relationship. Without relationship transformation cannot take place. We begin by bringing ourselves into the room. (I don't mean I tell you about personal content in my life, but that you get a sense of who I am, and that both of our psychic energies are swirling in the space.) This relationship container allows for complexes to be revealed, explored, and ideally transformed. We'll look at the symbolic nature of your dreams, artwork, and narative to highlight connections, patterns, and underlying psychic pathways. The purpose of all this is to help you find the unconscious answers within yourself, to integrate the fragmented bits, and to create space for wholeness to occur.
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." - C.G. Jung
Important links and resources:
Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts: http://cgjungphiladelphia.org
Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts: https://irsja.org
C.G. Jung Page: http://www.cgjungpage.org
This Jungian Life (Podcast): http://www.thisjungianlife.com
Speaking of Jung (Podcast): https://speakingofjung.com
Women in Depth (Podcast): https://lourdesviado.com/category/womenindepthpodcast/
Jungianthology (Podcast): https://jungchicago.org/blog/
