About
The Jungian Psychoanalytic Approach
Analytical psychology, or Jungian analysis as it is more commonly known in North America, was founded by Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist (1875 – 1961). Though there are today several branches of Jungian thought, two major contributions of Jung to the world of depth psychology are recognized by all as fundamental:
- The unconscious contains deposits and traces of memory of both a personal and collective nature as well as potential solutions to problems stemming from both these levels. From this perspective, the unconscious is considered not only "regressive" but also "prospective", to the extent that the unconscious is a source of creativity and development as well as an archive of the past.
- The psyche is autonomous; that is, it can express itself independent of the ego. From this perspective, the task for an individual is to learn to develop a relationship with the unconscious rather than trying to dominate and control it.
In light of this, we can say that Jungian analysis is both a therapeutic process as well as a process of exploration of one’s inner world. A Jungian approach favors neither the conscious and nor the unconscious but seeks rather to establish a dialogue between the two. Based on an understanding of symbols, this process fosters reconciliation with oneself and the outer world and can help connect one to a deeper sense of meaning. In short, Jungian analysis is but one tool in the individuation process.
