People are “called” to psychotherapy for many reasons. Often there is a symptom, some sort of suffering, or maybe even a dream that motivates a person to enter therapy.

Jungian therapists are influenced by the teachings and work of Dr. C.G. Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology. Jung used the worlds of dreams, art, mythology, fairy tales, religion and philosophy to understand the psyche. Some of his most notable concepts include psychological archetypes, shadow and synchronicity, and the collective unconscious.

Jungian psychology hinges on the concept of the psyche. The psyche creates symptoms so that we know something is amiss. Understanding the message behind one’s symptoms is a way of knowing oneself more deeply and fully. Dreams are considered to be a spontaneous product of the psyche — images coming straight from the unconscious that elaborate on what is goin on in the psyche. If we can symbolize and think creatively about our dreams, we can understand our internal dramas and embark on a path of self-realization and individuation. In turn, our lives can become more balanced.

Jungian Psychotherapy is a method that transforms consciousness and fosters what Jung calls “individuation,” the process of self-discovery by which we have an opportunity to become who we are meant to be in life. Each client’s healing process is unique — the client’s unconscious guides his or her psychotherapy. The therapist’s role is to facilitate inner healing without having a specific agenda. The client and therapist work together to increase consciousness in order to move toward psychological balance and wholeness, and bring relief and meaning to psychological suffering.