Jungian Psychology Theory - Term Paper Example

? Jungian Psychology Theory Introduction Jungian was a renowned theoretical psychologist born in Switzerland in mid 1875 and bore the names Carl Gustav Jung (O'Connor et al, 2009). His father was his protestant minister father, who according to Jungian did not convey and practice the gospel he preached. Historians claim that this negative perception triggered Jungian’s theoretical future, hence, Jungian’s dissatisfaction with his father’s spirituality acted as the genesis for his lifelong search for his own kind of religion. Eventually, his life long search towards a more fulfilling innersole bore the theory called Jungian analytical physiology. More so, the inner journey of self-discovery brought forth the discovery of how people relate to symbols inside them, and that growth occurs when an individual works with symbols in dreams and tends to follow them wherever they lead (Lawson, 2008). Prior to Jung’s introduction of psychoanalytic theory, he also focused on therapeutical theory that changed the way people perceive things, the way they think and the way therapists and clients should interconnect. This paper will critically review different aspects of Jungian theories, psychology, therapy, and their approaches and ways through which they apply to human lives. The origin of Jungian therapy approach Jungian had earlier on searched for his owns means of spirituality by reviewing different theories that befitted his understanding. However, his therapeutical approach was born by his profession as a psychiatric practitioner because after his graduation from the medical school, he joined one of Zurich’s psychiatric clinics (O'Connor et al, 2009). His presence in the clinic granted him more experiences towards understanding therapy in a more critical perspective. Though he eventually became the first president of the international psychoanalytic society, he disagreed with vast personality structures laid out before by Freud. The disagreement led him to break away from the association and it is from this point that he started his own analytical school where he freely researched and practiced different theories. Additionally, his therapeutical approach and theories in general was greatly aided by the fact that he was a prolific writer who wrote his mind on analysis and theories that he carried out, hence not only making his work practical but also achievable. The leading figures of therapy Carl Juan is the most significant figures of psychology in the world’s history, and to date he stands out as the most controversial individual whose theories shaped therapeutical and psychological approaches. The other psychologists rate him as the most complete psychologist that has ever existed because he made radical and outstanding contributions to all the four major fields of psychology. The world also recognized his efforts and awarded him with numerous awards as well as honorary degrees. For instance, The Clark University in the U.S honored him with an honorary degree after recognizing his research work on Worlds Association, a field that fostered the development of the lie–detector test. Additionally, Carl Jung climbed the highest rank in the ladder because he eventually was elected as the first president of psychoanalytic Association (O'Connor et al, 2009). The nature of therapy According to Jungian, therapy is an aspect of sacrosanct nature and it is extremely difficult to prove its existence and work. More so, therapy is not efficient especially to clients who cannot afford time and money required to access its services. Juan stresses that therapy is a kind of treatment that brings conscious to the unconscious through deep self-spirituality. Techniques used in therapy approach Juan was an expert in ways in which he conducted therapies because his techniques always yielded positive results. Juan had numerous techniques of dealing with his clients and the technique depended on the kind of the client’s problems, and being a skeptical therapist Jung used whatever technique worked for his client (Miller and Jung, 2004). Most common methods included the face-to-face method where the clients lie on the couch while the analyst sits behind. More so, Jungian included active imaginative techniques, which usually allow the conscious concepts to reveal in a kind of walking state. Amplification was also applicable in Juan’s therapy and it helped the patient connect an image with the dream using imagery themes such as fairy tales and myths. This technique was necessary in a way that it brought forth personal and collective synthesis with the conscious and unconscious. Exceptionally, Jungian therapies used the rare technique where therapists focus on the impact of the past present and even future potentialities of the client. Theory of problem formation The theory of problem formation enriches other therapeutic perspectives. Complexity theory deals with self-organization that comes from the unknown or unpredictable, hence challenging the perception that reality is always clear, predictable, and controllable. Jung explains that the universe and its content are extremely problematic in a random equilibrium state. The problems or the disequilibrium that people experience in their lives emerges randomly, but there are times when there exists systematic order. More so, important and infrequent events that are unexplainable occur in human beings’ lives. Positively, every chaotic system or dilemma has an underlying order even when it appear chaotic to a causal observer or client. Numerous cases apply to complexity theory, and these cases include suicidal ideas and threats, stress, depression and many other challenges, which will require therapeutic interventions. Though the chaotic environments are uncontrollable, solutions are available because the counselors are in a position to study the patterns of chaotic developments in the lives of the client (Miller and Jung, 2004). This means that, therapists can intervene when necessary and at the appropriate time. The theory of how change occurs Jung believes that development is continuous irrespective of age and that development always moves towards a more complete self-realization level, hence development is restless (O'Connor et al, 2009). All these changes occur through the mind and Jung categorizes them into four basic psyche functions that include sensation, feeling, intuition, and thinking. Jung further explains that these functions are methods employed by human beings with an aim of grasping knowledge of themselves and the world surrounding them. To begin with, feeling and thinking functions are rational, which according to Jungian means that they are figurative thoughts, actions and feelings with a reason, hence rationality s its basis on reason and vise versa (Ikiugu and Ciaravino, 2007). This further explains why we as human beings work from our most developed function while we tend to enlarge our personality by developing other people’s work. This is explainable through the fact that the conscious tend to reveal itself more easily through another person least developed function. Unlike his fellow scholar named feud, Jungian had his own idea of how changes occur from the on start of the mind (Psyche) (O'Connor et al, 2009). He believed that a certain part called collective unconscious was a part of mind that themes are inherited. At this point Jungian proposed that an individual’s personality develops on what we have been and what we hope to be. The mind triggers these assumptions, which forms the basis of personality. Personal unconscious comprises of individuals long forgotten experiences and desires that are revivable into consciousness through a simple act or may even never come back again. The other version of Jung analytical psychology is that the libido is psychic energy that exposes itself through universal symbols (Corey, 2009). More so, other concepts of archetypes that are present in the unconscious of then individual include persona, anima and animus, shadow, self, and personality. The other phenomenon that Jung presents as a concept that depicts how things work is the concept of synchronicity, which defines the relationship between ideas (Lawson, 2008). This means that synchronicity is an unexplainable pattern of connection or meaningful coincidence. However, these occurrences result from two circumstances, which are special circumstances and mundane circumstances. Special circumstances include deaths and birth or circumstances of emotional intensity and other events that push human being to vulnerability. Mundane circumstances on the other hand, are daily life happenings that occur when people are responsive and attentive to the world within and the world around. These occurrences happen everywhere from the office, grocery the mall and other common places. Hence, explaining the fact that the more people understand their surrounding, the more synchronicity could occur. Prior to synchronicity happening according to numerous occasions, its patterns of occurrence also baffles many people. This is because it can happen in a flash and disappear or appear and last longer than anticipated and a person may not realize its existence until later on. Synchronicity outcome also could as well break or make someone and could occur singly and disappear or occur and keep re occurring to an individual, hence, detecting its patterns could be of essence in order for a person to understand the occurrences within (Miller and Jung, 2004). Jung therapy for diverse population Jung therapeutical approach appeal to diversified clients of different ethnic and cultural background (Corey, 2009). The theory view symptoms as messages sent from the person’s unconsciousness, which dictates that something is wrong, and that something else different needs to re fulfill the individual’s missing aspect. This means that Jungian therapeutical theory was fully aware of the fast changing nature of social and cultural aspects because the therapy handled pressures, unique psychic feelings, and other clients’ needs (Ikiugu and Ciaravino, 2007). Though therapy encompass clients from vast backgrounds, the women were more favored by the practice because it used fairy tales, cross cultural myths and stories to create ways of helping women reconnect with their unfulfilled and lost visions and instincts. This clarifies the fact that Jung had a softer spot for the female whose ego or inner personality is low in comparison to the opposite sex. On the other hand, there are clients who this approach might not work with. These clients cannot conceptualize any form of counseling due to religious aspects, meaning that people with firm spirituality foundation cannot befit Jungian therapy. However, the therapy would greatly appeal to people who posses the eastern philosophical outlook, and the diverse population who believe in transmission of ancestral cultural differences. Ideally, unlike other therapies that dismissed mythology, Jung embraced the phenomenon, hence encompassing a wide range of people whose belief systems included diverse religions (Miller and Jung, 2004). The other interesting aspect of the approach is that Jungian therapy is not embraced by people from low socioeconomic groups especially those who have pressing and emergency concerns. This is the case because Jung therapy needs inner spiritual rediscovery, a process that consumes a lot of time, hence could not appeal to those in dire situations. More so, the therapy is not a favorite one for clients who require firm or solid symbols for their feeling and thinking. Conclusion Jungian psychotherapy emerged as a replacement of Freudian psychoanalysis that has tremendously grown to date. Jungian theory of psychology traversed the critical understanding of reviewing and understanding the inner self of individuals in terms of psychology. Jungian used his theory of unconscious in numerous fields like explaining the cross-cultural similarities in mythology and the functions of psychology as well as elaborating the psychic phenomenon (Ikiugu and Ciaravino, 2007). In spite of the mystic theories that give an individual an inner consciousness, Jungian theories have received low acceptance within psychology mainstream. These results from numerous fact that include the fact that many people perceive that his theories are not applicable to daily life, while others have stronger spiritual beliefs that do not coincide with Jung psychological therapy techniques. However, the new age spiritual movements have embraced the theory of mind because it encompasses its current spiritual beliefs. Therefore, whether or not Jung psychological theory is applicable to individual’s life depends on how they understand it and perceive the philosophy behind it. References Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Belmont (CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Ikiugu, M. N., & Ciaravino, E. A. (2007). Psychosocial conceptual practice models in occupational therapy: Building adaptive capability. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Lawson, T. T. (2008). Carl Jung, Darwin of the mind. London: Karnac. Miller, J. C., & Jung, C. G. (2004). The transcendent function: Jung's model of psychological growth through dialogue with the unconscious. Albany: State University of New York Press. O'Connor, Kevin J., & Braverman, Lisa D. (2009). Play Therapy Theory and Practice: Comparing Theories and Techniques: Epub Edition. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Read More