The Self and Individuation: Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence – Part III
Saturday April 22, 2017; 9:30AM - 4:30PM The C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco

The Healing Function of the Psyche: Emergence and Creativity Arising from the Primordial Depths in Jungian Child Analysis
Maria Ellen Chiaia and Susan Williams will focus on emergence and creativity, two essential aspects of our clinical work as Jungian analysts - both arising from the interaction between the primordial depths and an encounter with the outer world. How do we nurture and embrace this unfolding process within the therapeutic setting? Through play and other creative expressions, images, metaphors and stories emerge that connect the analytic couple to the child’s inner world, allowing us to contact what is not yet known or perhaps hidden in the unconscious. Split off material, such as infantile affects or non-verbal experiences of the numinous, may arise in the silence between therapist and patient. While holding the tension between the developmental and archetypal pulls on the child, a doorway may open that can have a profound impact on the child’s inner world and outer relationships. Toogether, the therapeutic pair may find guardians and guides that are in service of the Self and transformation. In this presentation we will work with animal and spirit guides that emerged for children we have each worked with in analysis. We will be using two different films: “Harvey” and “The Whale Rider” to illustrate and highlight the Jungian analytic attitude and amplify case material.
