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, […]
Category Archives: Jungian
Carl Jung on Living an Authentic Life
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 […]
How To Find Yourself: Advice From The Poets
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.” […]
Is ‘What Should I Do With My Life?’ The Right Question?
Asking Questions “The mere formulation of a problem,” said Einstein, “is far more often essential than its solution.” In other words, when a scientist thinks about an issue, it is the kinds of questions that she asks that are most important. This idea is no less true in everyday life than it is in the […]
Working Wounded: Seven Signs It’s Time For A Career Change – Part 1
Image courtesy of jesadaphorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net At first glance, it might seem strange to have to spell out the signs of discontent and exhaustion at work. But these days, probably more than any other time in our history, we have become desensitized to unhealthy behaviors and experiences. Not only are we busier than we have ever […]
The Number One Factor in Successful Career Counseling Outcomes
“The way we imagine our lives is the way we will go on living our lives.” ~ James Hillman With imagination, the sky’s the limit In my experience as a Jungian career counselor, the clients who engage their creative imaginations more effectively during the time I work with them are more successful in the career counseling […]
Why Having Meaningful Work is Essential: Insights from Depth Psychology
“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’. […]
The Importance of Inner Work
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 […]