People entering counselling often wonder, ‘Will I get through this? Will the angst or dilemma go away?’ The answer is – there is no cure but there is healing. As Jung observed, “Analysis is no once-and-for-all ‘cure’; it is no more, at first, than a more or less thorough readjustment.” For trauma expert Judith Herman, […]
Inner and Outer Peace
Many messages this time of year remind us of the importance of joy and peace. We can clearly envision outer world peace, yet what about inner peace? From Adult Children of Alcoholics literature comes a list of suggested indicators of inner peace we can be aware of which are present or lacking in our lives. […]
Facing the Dark Lord of Winter
As the number of grey skies noticeable outnumber the sunny days, we often hear about ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ or SAD. Symptoms of SAD may consist of difficulty waking up in the morning, tendency to oversleep and over eat (especially carbohydrates), lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawal from friends, family and social activities. All these […]
What Lurks in Your Shadow?
We are born whole, with all the pairs of human traits such as greed and generosity, productivity and idleness, and with the capacity to feel the range of emotions, from grief to joy. However, in order to be accepted and have our basic childhood needs met we learned very early which qualities were valued and […]
What Lies Beneath Our Costumes?
One of Jung’s most notable ideas is the shadow – those inferior aspects of ourselves that we are not proud of. Shadow material involves unknown aspects of the self which make our egos uncomfortable, defensive and at times embarrassed. If our persona is the face or mask that we show others, then the shadow represents […]
Taking Responsibility
When we face uncomfortable situations we may find ourselves exclaiming, “She made me feel …,” or “He did it to me again!” We may even believe that if the person only changed then everything would be okay. In these cases, we are not taking responsibility for our part in the situation. According to Jung, being […]
