Jungian Analysis

Jungian analysis, also known as analytical psychology, is a special kind of therapy based on the work of Carl Gustav Jung, 1875-1961, a Swiss psychiatrist, writer and illustrator.  Jung's model of the psyche (meaning all psychological processes) emphasizes not only consciousness (the ego and persona) but also the unconscious. In a Jungian view, the unconscious mind is not only a repository of repressed memories and desires but also a wellspring of creativity, spiritual insight, and personal growth. Jung's particular genius was the concept of the collective unconscious. Unlike the personal unconscious, which is unique to each individual and shaped by personal experiences, the collective unconscious is a universal psychological structure shared among all humans. 

Jung viewed life as a journey toward becoming whole, where individuation is the process of integrating different aspects of the psyche. This involves confronting and assimilating the shadow, the darker, often repressed parts of the personality, and embracing the Self, which represents the totality of the psyche. Individuation is not about achieving perfection but about becoming the fullest version of oneself, where the conscious and unconscious minds are in harmony.

What does all this look like in practice? Jungian analysis often helps when you are stuck - maybe having tried other kinds of therapy, or tried for years to resolve what seems to be an unresolvable dilemma. We look into the whole psyche for help. In order to explore the unconscious, we look at dreams, examining images and events as clues to important aspects of the psyche - insights that the conscious mind may overlook or ignore. There are many other ways unconscious material can become conscious - through images that come to us in everyday life, relationships and events; in the books, movies, shows, and music we are drawn to; and in examining our relationships from the past and present. We might do "active imagination" to engage with the images that come from the unconscious, through visualization, drawing, or dialogue. "Amplification" is a way to expand on images by connecting them with archetypal images from myths, stories and cultural symbols.. This broader perspective can help you see your personal issues in a more universal context, offering a sense of connection and meaning.  I look at Jung's work through a feminist and queer lens, in a way that incorporates the realities of today's world and a variety of human identities. 

In the psyche, Jung described the organizing structure of complexes - emotionally charged groups of related ideas, experiences and images. We need complexes to function, and we all have them - mother complex, father complex, money complex, etc. However, psychological problems usually come when a complex has us - we constantly find ourselves in work or personal relationships with someone like a difficult parent; we always feel "less than" or behind others; we have angry outbursts that get us into trouble; we overspend or compulsively save money; and so on. The keys to our complexes are n the unconscious, and this is where Jungian therapy can be particularly helpful. We can begin to listen more carefully to the messages of psyche and move out of rigid "have to's" and unconscious patterns to more fluidity in our awareness and choices. 

If you are interested in exploring Jungian analysis, please contact me. We would generally expect to work together at least once a week for a more extended period of time than shorter-term counseling for a particular issue. 

"The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of (their) inner opposite, the world must perforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves." C.G. Jung, CW 9ii, Aion, para. 126