First of all, let me acknowledge that this is a complicated topic that does not allow for a simple answer. This post is not intended to be a comprehensive view of depression. Rather, I want to suggest a few things to consider if you find yourself grappling with the question, “Am I depressed?” In particular, […]
Individuation and Authenticity It could be argued that at the heart of Jungian therapy is the aim of experiencing and living an authentic life. That is not the language that Carl Jung used, but it does express a central idea of his psychology, which he called ‘individuation.’ Put very simply, individuation is the process by […]
Many of the people I work with describe the primary experience that brings them into therapy as one of feeling lost. It is probably not surprising that for several decades now it has been common for people who are on a path of self-exploration and self-development to express their quest in terms of “finding themselves.” […]
“Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad.” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky According to Carl Jung, when we lose what he called the ‘symbolic’ dimension of our work and understand it only in economic terms, we experience suffering. What Jung calls symbolic, Dostoevsky, in the quote above, calls ‘meaningful work’. […]
I came across a lovely post at the On Being blog which is a reminder of the importance of Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do. The writer, Gary James, a bartender, discusses his movement away from writing poetry — an activity he has always experienced as a gift — and his recognition of his […]
Outer Work Most of the attention that we give to our work goes to things that are external to who we are as individuals. Our working imaginations are primarily concerned with such things as wages and benefits, the daily commute, our interactions with co-workers, and the tasks with which we are charged. When we think […]
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (1 Cor. 1:25) Two years ago, at just about this time of year, I was preparing to take the Propaedeuticum — or Stage 1 exams — at the Jung Institute of Boston. This set of exams […]