About Jungian Analysis, also known as Analytical Psychology
Here, I am sharing with you the principles of my work as a Jungian analyst , also known as a Analytical Psychologist, developed by Carl Gustav Jung.
Jung’s approach examines the human psyche, highlighting our unconscious motivations through, amongst others, dreams and symbols. It encourages self-discovery and personal growth, allowing us to unlock our inner world and build deeper relationships with ourselves and others.
Carl Gustav Jung
Born in 1875 in Switzerland, Carl Gustav Jung trained and practised as a psychiatrist. He became one of the early members of the emerging psychoanalytic movement. During this time, he developed his own school of thought known as Analytical Psychology or Jungian Analysis. Jung’s model comprises three primary components: the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious.
The Ego
Jung viewed the ego as central to consciousness, integrating our conscious existence with our ongoing personal identity. The ego facilitates our thoughts, intuitions, feelings, and sensations while also retaining access to non-repressed memories. It represents our personality and sits at the intersection of our inner and outer worlds.
The Personal Unconscious
The personal unconscious is similar to a treasure chest filled with our personal and forgotten experiences unique to each individual. It includes complexes deemed as emotionally charged groups of ideas and memories connected to themes, such as the Oedipus complex or the Inferiority complex. These can influence our thoughts and behaviours without us being aware of them.
The Collective Unconscious.
Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious refers to a shared, deeper layer of the unconscious mind that is universal and inherited. It encompasses common instincts, patterns, images, and themes that are found across all cultures and time periods. Jung referred to these elements as archetypes.
Archetypes.
Jung believed that archetypes found in the collective unconscious could speak to us through our dreams, myths, and fairy tales, as well as through the mostly unconscious dialogue between the patient and analyst. There are many archetypes Jung identified in our personalities. Here, we have but a few.
The Persona: Or a mask: an aspect of us we display to the world.
The shadow: The part of us we do not wish to see or do not recognise.
The Anima/Animus: The anima represents the unconscious feminine aspect of a man, and the animus represents the unconscious masculine aspect of a woman.
The Hero: The hero who must struggle to discover their calling in the world.
The Self: The self is an inherently important aspect of Jung’s Analytical Psychology. The self is what establishes a sense of harmony in the human experience. Every individual should strive to achieve a form of selfhood that balances the conscious and unconscious aspects of themselves.
Individuation
Jung developed a process known as individuation. He viewed individuation as a journey toward self-realisation, which focuses on a search for meaning and purpose in life. This process serves as a mechanism to explore within ourselves and discover who we really are. Analysis can be seen as an individuation process because it enables us to integrate our conscious and unconscious elements. By exploring our archetypes, often encountered through dreams, complexes, and the shadow, we approach a deeper sense of wholeness and personal fulfilment.
The Analytic Relationship.
Jung described the relationship between analyst and patient as follows:
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed”.
C.G. Jung, CW 16 p. 91
He viewed this as a genuine relationship and treated it with utmost respect. He treated each patient individually, their story as sacred and sought collaboration between them in the therapeutic process.