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A
Brief Introduction to Jungian
Therapy
Many Americans are searching for
deeper meaning in their lives. Just
recently, a TV news survey asked
viewers what one thing would most
improve the quality of their life. The
most frequent answer was "greater
meaning in life." People from all
walks of life are looking for more out
of existence than simply adapting to
society and living functionally. Many
want the inner fulfillment of living
an authentic, creative life connected
to spirit. Jungian therapy is a means
for achieving this.
Individuation and Psychological
Symptoms
Central to Jungian therapy is the
concept of individuation, referring to
the psychological evolution of an
individual over time. Jung used the
term to describe a lifelong expansion
of consciousness, as well as the
development of an increasingly
differentiated personality.
Individuation involves the growth of a
whole and unique human being and a
concomitant deepening and widening of
awareness. Jung felt that this was
accomplished through the integration
of unconscious contents and the
reconciliation of opposites within the
psyche.
While individuation is a process that
occurs naturally over the course of
life, it can be enormously facilitated
through Jungian therapy.
Therapeutically assisted individuation
is not simply a luxury for individuals
wishing to grow, however. From a
Jungian perspective, psychological
maladies result from inhibited
individuation. To the extent that we
are unconscious and undeveloped, we
are limited in our ability to respond
productively, creatively, and
adaptively to life. In fact, it was Jung's
feeling that the greater the split
between the conscious and unconscious
mind, the greater the likelihood of
neurotic, or in some cases, psychotic
disorders. For Jung, psychological
symptoms frequently signal the fact
that our psyche is fragmented,
unbalanced, and ill-adapted to
reality. Jungian therapy helps us wake
up to the unconscious dynamics
creating our suffering.
The Self as Regulating Center
A unique aspect of Jungian therapy is
the understanding that guidance for
what we need to integrate to function
fully comes from within ourselves.
Jungian psychology proposes that there
is a source of symbolic wisdom within
each person's psyche--a regulating
center that Jung calls the Self--that
contains knowledge beyond what we know
consciously. Jung felt that the Self
is constantly sending us messages, but
due to their symbolic nature, we fail
to appreciate their meaning. Jung and
his followers developed methods of
dream interpretation, creative
expression, and creative imagination
to help understand and integrate
unconscious material. In Jungian
therapy, symptom relief often
accompanies the integration of these
contents.
Four Steps
I have found that there are usually
four steps in this process.
First, it requires opening up the mind
and heart to the signals from the
unconscious--discoverable through
intuition, feelings, inner vision, and
dreams, as well as art, body signals,
and synchronistic experiences.
Then, it involves allowing the images
to express themselves more fully.
Techniques such as dream
interpretation and various forms of
active imagination (e.g., imaginal
dialogue) can be especially useful for
this.
The third step is identifying and
confronting the inner and outer
obstacles and adversaries to living of
one's true self.
Finally, it necessitates developing
the courage, strength, and integrity
to live one's truth in the world.
An Example:
Say, for example, we are feeling
"burnt out" and somewhat
depressed. We try several different
methods of self-help, but none seems
to really help. Then, after beginning
Jungian therapy, we have a dream that
we are sailing on a ship to Hawaii,
a ship on which an evil slave master
is being overthrown. Exploring the
symbols in the dream, we might
discover that Hawaii represents a new
and refreshing way of life, one more
connected with nature and instincts.
We might also recognize that we need
to emancipate ourselves from the
negative taskmaster in our psyche, to
whom we are enslaved. With the help of
our therapist, we ponder and explore
these issues and their significance in
our life. This and other dreams to
follow may then begin to transform us and
our depression into a more instinctual
way of living, closer to our own
nature and the wisdom of the Self.
About Dr. Gary S. Toub: Gary S. Toub,
Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and
diplomate Jungian analyst in private
practice in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Toub
specializes in identity issues, men's
issues, mid-life issues, relationship
issues and more.
A
Brief Introduction to Jungian
Therapy