Analytical therapy (according to Jung)

History

Working in a clinic in Zurich (Switzerland), in 1906, the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was carried away by the ideas of Sigmund Freud, with whom he would be associated for several years of cooperation and friendship. Freud calls Jung his scientific successor, but later Jung abandons many of the ideas of psychoanalysis and immerses himself in the study of myths, the history of civilizations and occult practices.

The final break – both philosophical and personal – occurs in 1912, after the publication of the book Symbols of Transformation. In 1914, Jung left the presidency of the International Psychoanalytic Association and created a new method of psychotherapy – analytical psychology. However, psychoanalysis owes him many key concepts, including its basic principle that every analyst, in order to practice, must himself undergo a lengthy personal analysis.

Definition

This is both therapy and at the same time a way of self-knowledge and development. It is based on the study of the similarity of psychological situations in which a person finds himself with the plots of various myths and fairy tales. For example, a man performs his “feats of Hercules” or a girl silently suffers from love like the Little Mermaid.

Jungian analysis allows the client to release their energy from the power of the myth and direct it to the disclosure of personal potential.

Operating principle

Jungian analysis is the process of becoming aware of the unconscious, and in this it is similar to psychoanalysis. But there is a significant difference – in addition to the individual unconscious (which is the result of the personal experience of an individual), Jungians distinguish the collective unconscious.

This is a special mental reality that contains “archetypes” – universal images of culture. Coming into this world, we inherit it, because we are influenced by language, religion, history, customs, national characteristics and universal patterns of behavior reflected in well-known myths.

Among the archetypes named by Jung are the Animus and Anima (the male and female parts that are in the psyche of every person), the Shadow (the part that we are ashamed of in ourselves and therefore deny), as well as the Persona – our public image that hides and distorts our true face.

Jungian analysis helps the client to become aware of their Shadow, Persona, Anima or Animus, build harmonious relationships with them and learn how to use the energy hidden in them for positive changes, as well as see their life story as a meaningful movement towards finding oneself.

The goal of Jungian psychotherapy is not only to solve the client’s problems, but also to teach him to learn from overcoming various obstacles, to show that this makes him stronger and leads him along the path of becoming a person.

Progress

Jungian psychotherapy most often takes place in the form of a conversation, face to face. The analyst discusses with the client his experience in the language of images, symbols and metaphors. He invites the client to say everything that comes to mind – there are no forbidden topics in therapy, and the client can talk about life episodes, feelings, fantasies that he has never confessed to anyone.

The therapist encourages the client to any creative activity: drawing, journaling, writing poetry. Everything that helps a person to express himself and understand what is happening to him is used. It is important to note that in dealing with an analyst, the power and initiative always belong to the client.

Indications for use

Jungian therapy helps those who are going through a crisis situation, and those who are prone to reflection and seek to understand the root causes of their problems. The imagery and metaphor of this method allows you to work with young children: with the help of images and symbols, they easily express the most powerful and painful experiences.

As a rule, meetings are held 1-3 times a week. The duration of each of them is 45-50 minutes. Therapy can be short-term, focused on a specific problem (10-20 meetings), as well as long-term – up to several years.