Chapter Four: Jung and the Practice of Analytical Psychotherapy

Biographical Information  Born 1875, only child until sister born 9 years later  Married, Had four daughters  Traveled extensively  Interested in the “paranormal” and spiritual

Jung and Freud  Jung becomes close friends with Freud  Jung is heir-apparent, the “eldest son.”  Freud and Jung are unable to continue, and their personal, professional, and theoretical paths diverge

Theoretical Principles  Theory of Personality –Unconscious –Complexes –Archetypes –Personality Types

Archetypes  Persona  Shadow  Anima/ Animus  Self

Personality Types  Extraverts  Introverts  Sensing vs. Intuition  Thinking vs. Feeling  Judging vs. Perceiving

Theory of Psychopathology  Summoned by the Unconscious  Client is seeking help to –Individuate –Transform

The Practice of Jungian Therapy  Aspects of the journey –Persona and authenticity –Making peace with the Dark Side –Integrating Anima/Animus –Transcendence

Preparing yourself  Analysis is long-term commitment  Theory has much to offer eclectically

Preparing your client for Jungian work  Reading  Dream work  Conceptual understanding

Assessment Issues  Unlikely to use diagnosis or assessment  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Extended Case Examples  Actual case described in Journal of Analytical Psychology  Archetypal identification  Sequence of dreams

Therapy Outcomes Research  Research is limited  MBTI is often used, mixed research support  Efficacy research underway in Switzerland

Multicultural Perspectives  Jung had avid curiosity about other cultures  Jung may have been limited in his vision of human development and achievement, thus seeing certain cultures as less developed than others.

Concluding Comments  Jung is unique  Some concepts have become common  Other concepts remain esoteric and difficult to understand

Student Review Assignments  Critical corner  Reviewing key terms  Review questions

Critical Corner Jung’s psychology can be discomforting. It is mysterious, conceptual, free-flowing, and difficult to understand. It openly includes the paranormal and spiritual ideas. Consider this: If we simply eliminated this chapter from the book, would you miss it? Would anything be lost by intentionally deleting Jung’s psychology from this book and the history of psychological thinking?

Critical Corner (continued)  Even more than Adlerian concepts, Jungian concepts of archetypes, collective unconscious, intuition, and individuation are fuzzy and unscientific. Is there any way to scientifically evaluate Jungian psychology? Given the difficulties inherent in evaluating Jung’s theory, is there any place for it within the field of modern psychology? Is there any way to justify the practice of Jungian therapy to a managed care company? Would a Jungian care about managed care standards?

Critical Corner (continued)  Jungian theory essentially has no coherent explanation of psychopathology. If there is no clear definition of psychopathology, how can there be an understanding of psychological health? The Jungian perspective is non-pathologizing, and does not provide adequate guidelines for defining positive functioning.

Critical Corner (continued)  In the end, Jung emerges as a distinctly spiritual or religious individual. When he claims that dreams are messages from God he is moving into an antiquated theological perspective. No one who is a serious contemporary mental health practitioner suggests to clients that God may be speaking in dreams.

Reviewing Key Terms Individuation Archetypes Persona Shadow Anima

Key Terms (continued)  Animus  The Self  Collective unconscious  Personal unconscious  Synchronicity

Key Terms (continued) Transcendence Analytical psychology MBTI Dream analysis

Key Terms (continued) The practical perspective on dreams The spiritual perspective on dreams Personality typologies or psychological types Complexes

Review Questions  Jung’s break with Freud was filled with conflict. Re-read his final two letters to Freud and describe what conflicts you believe he was dealing with?  What is the primary and overarching goal of Jungian analysis?

Review Questions  There is no direct evidence for the presence of a creative unconscious filled with wisdom. Or is there? In his writing and speaking, Jung spoke of the wisdom of the dream. Is the dream evidence for a creative unconscious?  What are the two “attitudes” in Jungian personality typology?

Review Questions  What are the four Stages of the individuation journey that characterizes Jungian analysis?  What is Jung’s view of psychopathology

Review Questions  What are the four functions in Jungian personality typology? Which functions are irrational and which are rational?  What two additional functions were added by Briggs and Myers to Jung’s original typology?