LOOK WITHIN
DISCOVER
REFLECT
HEAL
As part of the International Association for Jungian Studies’ 2024 conference, Jung and Duality: Contemporary Thought, Ryan will present a paper titled “Pan and the (M)Other”. This paper explores themes of duality/non-duality, anxiety/panic, trauma, shadow, and the relationship between psyche and earth through the mythology of the Greek god Pan.
Explores empathy and it’s importance in cultivating compassion and deepening self-understanding. The concept of the “other” and its relationship to empathy is investigated through a story Toni Morrison shares in her book The Origin of Others.
Carl Jung is not generally thought of as a trauma therapist, however, his ideas and theories hold great relevance and potential relating to trauma and its treatment. I developed this 2-hour presentation to help clinicians understand some of Jung’s groundbreaking discoveries and how they apply to the trauma field. We will explore the psyche’s position in traumatic experience and how to harness the emergence of images and symbols to generate meaning, cohesion, and transformation.
Stillness and movement are two essential forces of nature that hold great potential for physical and psychological health as well as a deepening of self-knowledge. Drawing from a quote in the Taoist book The Secret of the Golden Flower, we explore these two qualities of nature and their implications for understanding ourselves and the world.
This blog looks at the importance of perspective in shaping our experience. Two major forces of contemporary life that influence perspective are examined: social media and data. Jung’s theory of extraversion and introversion are also explored as central components informing the development of perspective and, by extension, decision making processes.
When our patterns encounter significant changes in the external environment, friction often ensues.
Patterns are a valuable map in understanding ourselves and facilitating an unfolding process of growth and individuation. Here we explore the relationship between patterns and reflection, and the potential they possess to enhance understanding and adaptation.
On Valentine’s Day this blog considers the story of Cupid and his arrows. Cupid’s lead-tipped arrows that inflict aversion and absence of feeling are explored as a metaphor for the experience of depression. Cupid’s more familiar arrows that induce love are considered as holding the potential for moving through and beyond the heaviness of depression and its symptoms.
A reflection on the covid-19 crisis, the archetype of the shadow, and the courageous work of creating wholeness.
The show Stranger Things and the realm of the upside-down offers an interesting take on the motif of the underworld. This universal concept has interesting psychological parallels that help to further our understanding relating to processes of emotional and relational healing. Please note that this blog contains potential spoilers.
Humans generally like to see themselves as rational beings. Perhaps it is more accurate to see ourselves as possessing the capacity for rationality, while also recognizing that we have the capacity to be irrational. This blog dives into the world of the non-rational and looks at how accepting this side of our nature can actually support and strengthen our ability to be rational.
New Year’s resolutions are an interesting thing. Welcomed by some and despised by others, this cultural tradition can be a way to not only set new goals, but also connect with the deeper currents of your life while honoring the passage of time.
A look into the unfolding environmental challenges humans face from a psychological perspective. This blog explores the connection between the earth and psyche and how rapidly changing ecosystems and extreme weather may catalyze a collective shift away from ego-centrism.
Psyche is a term, concept, and phenomenon that is frequently referenced in psychology and popular culture. But what exactly is the psyche? This blog digs into the characteristics and features that comprise this profoundly important, if somewhat elusive, component of human experience.
Two types of memory are acknowledged by neuroscience and psychology: explicit and implicit. This blog examines the role of implicit memory in human experience, particularly in the wake of traumatic experiences and how the healing of these experiences can occur.
The human imagination is an incredible resource that can improve many aspects of our lives. This blog explores human development and the role of imagination in the process of growth. While imagination can often be minimized by our rational, left-brain dominated culture, this blog sheds light on the immense potential of imaginative functioning.
Dreams have long captured our imagination and inform numerous aspects of our individual and collective experience in the world. This blog explores how dreams, and specifically the images that manifest in our dreams, can help energize and enrich the therapeutic journey.
The Sanskrit word, guru, comes from the root gu, which translates to darkness and ru, which translates to removal. Thus, the translation of the word guru is essentially "the removal of darkness". This blog explores how our body can function as our guru and assist us in our quest to remove darkness from our body, heart, soul, and mind.
In this blog, the myth of Persephone is examined as a metaphor for our relationship to the seasonal cycles, particularly autumn. The concept of darkness, both the external darkness associated with autumn/winter and the inner darkness many of us experience during these two seasons, is explored as an opportunity for reflection, rest, and ultimately inspiration.
