Jungian analysis / therapy, what do you think?

[Jungiandungian]

Has anyone been through or experienced Jungian analysis therapy?

I’m intrigued and have been considering whether to try this out for myself as I’m a t a bit of a crossroads in mid-life and wonder if this sort of therapy might help me make some decisions and take some action in my life.

My sense is that’s it’s quite a traditional type of talking therapy, which on the surface sort of puts me off a bit, but equally it appears you need to be very well qualified to practice, which is appealing.

Would like to hear thoughts from experiences - whether good or bad or in between.

Person centred therapy with the right therapist can be absolutely life changing - I’d recommend it. And any ethical therapist will be working towards an ending whether that be in two months or two years.

I did person centred therapy twice with different therapists and I absolutely hated it both times. The first was with a woman who still training. She did most of the talking (mostly about herself), discouraged me from going to my GP (I had perinatal depression) and told me I shouldn’t believe in labels like bipolar (which I’d been previously diagnosed with by a psychiatrist). She gave me her home phone number and encouraged me to ring her “anytime of day or night” which I didn’t want to do at all.
The second time was with a man who basically just repeated everything I said. I felt like asking him Why are you repeating what I’m saying? but I genuinely thought he’d just respond with Why are you repeating what I’m saying? so I didn’t bother 😄

I think there’s confusion about modalities here. Person centred therapy is not analysis. Carl rogers delivered face to face relatively short term therapy. You can find a clip on you tube of him with a client called Gloria.

Psychoanalysis is likely to require seeing a therapist several times per week and may last for years. I understand it to be more of an in depth interpretation and reworking of the entire personality development. Most likely couch based.

Yes, that’s what I thought it was too (the latter).

It must feel like an actual relationship if you see a therapist for years; having in depth discussions multiple times per week.

Actually I can’t imagine want that might feel like. Does it feel like a parent and child or teacher and student situation I wonder.

Lots to think about!

My only experience with a Jungian analyst is that the one I had the misfortune to come across: quite often came out with some absolutely insane and utterly unhelpful supernatural bollocks (consistent with the Jung stuff); invented (often quite disgusting) "interpretations" of what people's thoughts and feelings really were and wouldn't hear otherwise (maybe partly Jungian, and partly them); was deeply manipulative (also consistent with the Jung stuff) especially WRT playing people off against each other and orchestrating group dynamics to their own ends; was self-serving, self-aggrandising and dishonest (probably just them); apparently failed to facilitate improvement for any of the clients they were supposed to be helping; and was overall a pretty nasty piece of work (almost certainly just them). So I'm probably biased, but even without the fact that that particular therapist was a right cunt (IMO), I probably wouldn't bother with a Jungian, purely because they make up imaginary shit instead of dealing with reality.

Good grief, this ‘therapist’ experience sounds like someone straight out of a thriller movie!

I’m sorry you had such an awful experience. I hope you’re in a better place now.

It does give pause for thought though with the Jungian approach. There is a lot of focus on dreams and the unconscious, which could be used to negative ways against vulnerable people.

Your post has made conjured up thoughts of fortune tellers and charlatans!

My SIL is deeply into this, she has been in therapy for decades. Complete bollocks as far as I am concerned and has not stopped her making ridiculously obviously awful life decisions.

Thanks so much everyone for your contributions so far, it’s been quite eye-opening and thought provoking.

I am now questioning myself more though!

Do you think the therapy has made her worse?

I dunno, she was decades into therapy when I first met her. She was no contact with my ILs then, now in contact with them but no contact with two of her three kids, by their choice. She's fallen out with DH too. All the introspection doesn't seem to have helped make her a very happy person.

It must feel like an actual relationship if you see a therapist for years; having in depth discussions multiple times per week.
Actually I can’t imagine want that might feel like. Does it feel like a parent and child or teacher and student situation I wonder.
Lots to think about!

It was an actual relationship - albeit bound by professional boundaries. I saw her for 6 years, a combination of weekly, fortnight or monthly sessions - sometimes twice a week in a crisis. I needed help to deal with significant trauma and its impact on me and how I developed relationships with others. She helped me find myself (in a not too wanky way). Helped me deal with conflict, assert my own boundaries and cope with other people asserting theirs. Helped me see how trauma had shaped how I saw myself and how I saw the world, and helped me find a healthier way.

Good person centred therapy isn’t the same as analysis, and it’s not someone smiling, nodding and repeating everything you say. It’s an honest, open, accepting, empathic relationship which gives you space to grow without judgement. I owe my therapist such a debt of gratitude. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but worth every penny, every tear and every bit of time I gave.

I had a few months therapy with a Jungian-trained therapist - I was finding it hard to choose from the thousands of therapists listed online so went to the Jungian therapists website as I thought they'd at least be well educated. She was lovely actually and very helpful.

Thanks, I'm doing fine — luckily I wasn't 1:1 with this person so the damage was limited, and it was a very long time ago.

But yeah, as I said, my (well over a year long) experience with this individual somewhat soured me on Jungians, so I'm almost certainly unfairly biased

The thing is, though, I think if the therapist had been helpful (and also not a total arsehole) I would probably not have looked too deeply into Jungians and what they believe, how they conceptualise psychology and mental health problems, or their theories.

But because my experience was bad, and this person came out with such bizarre statements sometimes about how the world works, I ended up looking into the "theory" behind it and how it has evolved since its beginnings, discovering how deeply unevidenced it is, and the ways it runs counter to what reputable scientists have discovered about the human mind since Jung was writing. IMO, of course. I'm no scientist or mental health professional, just a layperson who had a strong motivation to find out what I could on the subject.

I would emphasize two things, what do you hope to be the outcome of the therapy? And who is your therapist?

Therapists, IME, vary enormously in their insight, talent, training and in their suitability for you.
Finding the right therapist is as important as the school of therapy.
Personally I would think who is the best therapist near me regardless of their school of thought.

Also a good therapist may move through different trainings over time, they never stop improving and learning.

I really loved working with a Gestalt therapist - her focus was only on how you are now and the past was only worked on if it was relevant to now.
I also did some 'chair' work; absolutely priceless in illuminating family dynamics. Really mind blowing.

A great therapist can be like a great kitchen fitter - hard to book.

All the best and the timescale is important. Do you have the funds and availability for a long commitment of self discovery/healing or are you needing more quick results in some way?

Basically Jungian analysist will interpret what you bring. A Rogerian (Humanistic style of therapy as is; Transactional Analysis along with others) will help you to find the answers within, as you are the expert on you.

It was through a referral by another therapist I saw, I randomly went with a "Jungian" not knowing anything about it as a modality but I knew I wanted something open ended and on the psychoanalytical side. You can look on BPC, BACP, UKCP directories, they usually have a find a therapist tool. Good luck!