Jungian therapy is a type of talking therapy that helps people explore their unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Jungian therapists believe that a better understanding of yourself is key to self-growth and development.
Jungian therapy is helpful for people who:
- Feel stuck in repeating emotional or relationship patterns
- Want deeper self-understanding rather than short-term symptom relief
- Are interested in meaning, identity or long-standing inner conflicts
What is Jungian therapy?
Jungian therapy focuses on understanding the unconscious and hidden parts of ourselves (sometimes called the ‘shadow’) as well as long-standing patterns and the deeper meaning behind thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
Minh Chi Nguyen explains
Jungian therapy is based on the work of Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, psychologist and psychotherapist who believed psychological wellbeing comes from integrating conscious and unconscious parts of the self.
Jung worked with Sigmund Freud in the early 1900s where they practised psychoanalysis. Jung then went on to develop his own version of this, which is known as analytical psychology or Jungian analysis.
The aims of Jungian therapy include:
Core concepts in Jungian therapy
In Jungian therapy, everything that happens outside of our conscious awareness is termed the unconscious. This includes forgotten experiences, and emotional patterns and instincts that still influence how we think, feel and relate to others, even though we don’t realise it.
There are two types of unconscious: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.
Archetypes
These are common life roles and themes that people often find themselves repeating, such as being the helper, the strong one or the outsider. These themes can be explored in therapy to better understand your identity and behaviour.
The shadow (hidden parts of ourselves)
Everyone has parts of themselves they reject, hide, judge or feel uncomfortable with. This may be anger, jealousy, vulnerability or even positive traits that don’t fit our self-image. By exploring these hidden sides, Jungian therapy can help with greater self-acceptance and reduced inner conflict.
The persona
We all adapt to different situations by showing certain sides of ourselves. Sometimes, we can get stuck in a social mask that no longer fits or use personas to cover up important needs or feelings.
Individuation
Becoming more fully yourself through understanding and bringing together different parts of your personality. This can help people feel more true to themselves.
Dreams and symbols
Dreams and imagination are seen as ways the mind expresses feelings and concerns that may be hard to put into words. Exploring them can offer insight and emotional clarity.
Techniques used in Jungian therapy
While Jungian therapy is a talking therapy that uses various techniques, it doesn’t work on a fixed programme. Instead, techniques are used flexibly and collaboratively, meaning that not every technique will be used with every person.
The techniques you might encounter in Jungian therapy include:
1. Talking therapy and reflective dialogue
Open conversation allows clients to explore thoughts, emotions, memories and life experiences in a safe, reflective space.
The therapist and the client work together to notice recurring themes and patterns that may be shaping behaviour and relationships. The therapist supports this process by reflecting, asking questions and gently challenging, helping clients develop their own understanding rather than being directed or instructed.
2. Dream analysis
In Jungian therapy, dreams are explored as meaningful expressions of the inner world rather than being interpreted in a fixed or literal way.
Through gentle guidance and at the client’s pace, dreams are discussed collaboratively. The therapist and the client work together to understand the personal meaning of any images and emotions to bring unconscious concerns, feelings and conflicts into awareness.
3. Symbol and imagery exploration
Symbols, images, metaphors and stories often emerge naturally during therapy sessions. These might include repeated images from dreams or thoughts, everyday metaphors people use to describe how they feel, or imaginative ways of putting difficult experiences into words.
Exploring this language together can help to make inner experiences easier to understand and talk about.
4. Active imagination
Active imagination is another technique used to access the unconscious mind.
Through guided and structured meditation or visualisation, inner images, thoughts or feelings are allowed to surface at the client’s pace. This technique is an optional one that’s focused and grounded, introduced gently and only when appropriate.
5. Working with life patterns and relationships
Jungian therapy explores patterns that appear across relationships, work and personal identity. Examples include having the same strong feelings in different situations, feeling pulled in different directions inside yourself, or facing similar problems in work or relationships.
By noticing these patterns, you can better understand how past experiences and inner conflicts influence everyday life, helping you to make more intentional choices and improve your relationships and self-awareness.
What Jungian therapy can help you with
Jungian therapy is for those who want a deeper understanding of themselves and their inner world, exploring patterns, meaning and emotional experiences rather than focusing only on specific symptoms.
Jungian therapy may help with:
- Ongoing feelings of low mood, emptiness or lack of direction
- Anxiety and emotional overwhelm
- Repeated relationship difficulties or attachment patterns
- Identity questions and life transitions
- Low self-esteem or harsh self-criticism
- Feeling stuck in familiar emotional or life patterns
- Unresolved experiences from the past
- Loss, grief or major life changes
- Stress related to work, purpose or burnout
- A sense that something is ‘not quite right’, even without a clear label
Jungian therapy compared with other therapies
There’s no single ‘best’ type of therapy and Jungian therapy is just one option among many. Different approaches suit different people, goals and situations.
What feels helpful can depend on what you’re looking for and how you prefer to work in therapy.
This table gives a high-level comparison of Jungian therapy with some other common therapy approaches.
Is Jungian therapy right for you?
Jungian therapy is an insight-focused talking therapy that helps people explore inner experiences, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and identity. People who want to understand longer-standing themes in their lives rather than focusing only on specific symptoms often choose it.
There’s no single right therapy for everyone. If you’re unsure, learning more or speaking with a qualified therapist can help you decide which approach may best suit your needs and preferences.