Jungian therapy is one of the cornerstone forms of psychoanalysis. It has been around for more than a century. Likewise, it owes its existence to one of the founders of modern psychology, Carl Jung.
You may wonder if Jungian psychotherapy is the right choice for you. Here, you can explore what it is and how might benefit from it.
Principles
The Jungian approach is a form of analytical psychology. Practitioners try to take a structured approach to analyze why people behave the ways they do. This includes examining an array of unconscious motivations, including ones driven by nature, upbringing, and culture.
At the same time, Jungian therapy holds that people are trying to individuate. This means each person trying to establish a distinct self in the middle of all these other influences.
Relevance
Jungian psychotherapy is generally suited to questions about social and family issues. If someone seems to be having a hard time reconciling conflicts between what they want to do and what they feel they must do, the Jungian approach may have value.
Analysis
A therapist who uses Jungian methods is largely interested in how people express themselves. While a psychoanalyst might want to focus on studying a patient's experiences and memories, a Jungian analyst will want to see how the patient conducts different activities.
Jungians often like active and engages sessions where patients do imaginative tasks. Painting, play, music, and other expressive activities are valuable within Jungian psychotherapy. The analyst will want to see what sorts of associations the patient has formed over a lifetime, rather than drilling into specific experiences.
Who Might Want to Seek Jungian Therapy?
Many people find the classic psychoanalytic approach to be mundane and not insightful. If you're the sort of person who sees therapy as people just talking about their lives without direction, for example, you might want to consider Jungian psychotherapy.
Another group of people who may benefit is those who have trouble verbalizing traumas. Children, for example, may benefit. People who've been through hard-to-describe events like criminal assaults or combat are also good candidates for the Jungian approach. Folks who just don't buy into relentless talk therapy may prefer this process instead.
Jung's focus on associations can also benefit people whose concerns exist in larger contexts. For example, someone who is struggling with work-life balance may need to explore why they have certain associations with work. Jungian therapy may also help people who come into conflict with society and need to find a healthier balance.
For more information, contact a local professional that offers this type of therapy, like Christopher St. John.
