The Swiss psychiatrist C.G. Jung was ahead of his time. The Jungian approach speaks strongly to therapists, clients, and the lay public because it addresses such contemporary issues as the search for meaning, the spiritual quest, and an understanding of human nature that transcends the sterility of a purely rational, reductionist approach.
Did you know…
- You do not have to become a Jungian analyst to be a Jungian-oriented therapist
- Jungian psychology goes much beyond Freud to emphasize the positive potential of the unconscious
- Jungian psychology provides powerful tools for working with client dreams
- A Jungian understanding opens up new vistas for understanding myth, fairy tales, film, and art
- The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, widely used throughout industry, is based on the Jungian theory of personality
- The so-called “mid-life crisis” is a particularly ripe opportunity for personal growth and meaning
We present two cutting-edge, courses comprised of audio interviews by Dr. David Van Nuys:
Jungian Psychotherapy: Understanding the Jungian Worldview (6 CEU) Audio Preview
Jungian Psychotherapy: Exploration of Archetypes (7 CE Credit Hours) Audio Preview
You can listen to audio interviews for both courses online, on your iPad, iPod, iPhone, SmartPhone, and mp3 player.Stay tuned for three more courses in this series!
Jung was a young psychiatrist in a Swiss mental hospital when he discovered Freud’s seminal work, The Interpretation of Dreams. He immediately began a correspondence with the older man and then went for a personal visit. Their first encounter was a conversation that lasted about 13 hours. Jung was excited by Freud’s ideas because he had already independently arrived at many of the same notions. However, Freud’s theories were drawn from his work with neurotics whereas Jung’s understanding of the unconscious grew out of his work with psychotics. As a result, Jung was plumbing the deeper recesses of the unconscious. Interestingly, Freud’s picture of the unconscious is entirely negative whereas Jung sees it not only as wild and potentially destructive as the rest of nature but also as the source of our most sublime aspects and experiences. According to Freud, we are driven by the past. In the Jungian view, we are pulled toward our destiny, toward our fullest potential. Jung was to have been Freud’s successor, his “crown prince,” so to speak, but the two parted ways as a result of their very fundamental differences in regard to the unconscious and human nature. Jung came to call his approach Analytic Psychology to distinguish it from Psychoanalysis.
In these audio-based courses, counselors and therapists will learn more about the fascinating history of the relationship between Freud and Jung and their eventual rift. They will also learn about Jung’s exploration into archetypes and alchemy and how these illuminate their clients’ struggles. Similarly, myth, fairy tale, film, art, dreams, and symptoms can all be seen as speaking the metaphorical language of the unconscious, full of hints for leading a fuller, more meaningful life. The Jungian worldview is one which frames each life as a part of an archetypal journey toward meaning and wholeness.