Jungian Therapy

Carl Jung was a psychoanalyst and pupil of Freud, who broke with him on the basis of their differing views on sexuality and the nature of the unconscious. As a proto-feminist, proto-humanist, proto-deconstructionist, Jung was all about taking a playful, creative, empathetic approach to therapy that challenged the role of collective social values in perpetrating neurosis. Contemporary Jungian approaches integrate modern empirical research and ethics, while retaining the heart of Jung’s approach: relationship with the unconscious.

Jungian-oriented therapy is primarily about responding to the wellspring of personally and collectively derived unconscious information produced by your body. This can include working with dreams, imagination, physical sensations, and even the creative media you produce or consume, the aesthetic choices you are drawn to, or the stories you tell about yourself. Forming a relationship to the images, metaphors, thoughts, feelings and characters that populate your experience involves (1) making associations, (2) connecting those associations to internal dynamics, (3) interpreting that connection and (4) implementing this awareness in your life towards concrete change. It is a bespoke process derived from your own needs and values, with the goal of simultaneously becoming more yourself, and more able to connect with others (in Jungian terms, we call this “individuation”).

Another important aspect of the Jungian approach is the idea that everyone has a shadow side - that is, aspects of yourself that you reject and repress, banishing them to the unconscious where they continue to have an impact without our knowledge. Recognizing where your shadow self shows up demanding to be heard and taking responsibility by forming a conscious relationship with this part of yourself can help redirect the shadow in more constructive ways. For example, someone who has rejected their own needs and desires in favour of putting everyone else first may start to unconsciously engage in destructive selfish behaviours that offset their conscious persona of self-sacrifice (ex. infidelity, stealing, resentful and jealous attitudes towards others perceived as selfish). By taking responsibility for their own needs, the same person can redirect their energy into setting boundaries and taking care of themselves, so they no longer require the outlet of destructive shadow behaviour. Our shadows contribute to the holistic richness of who we are, and I am here to help you own all parts of yourself, where every part belongs.