Jungian Training and Being Trained lets in the light on the unconscious forces that shape the training experience of trainees and trainers. It explores and challenges many of the implicit assumptions that influence and fashion the trainings on offer. International contributors, each engaged in the development and delivery of training, examine the various conscious and unconscious beliefs and processes that not only creatively inform, support, and structure the training process, but also undermine or contaminate it.
The aim of training candidates is to enable them to develop into authentic analysts who have learned the competences they need, have developed personally, can use their imagination, and will be safe to work with a range of patients in different environments. While Jungian trainings in different parts of the world will vary in their structures, content, and processes, most will involve a gatekeeping process for admissions, requirements for personal analysis, the study of theory, working with patients in supervision, and to have in place a process of assessment during training until qualification.
The book includes chapters devoted to contemporary training values, the dynamics of selection for training, the role of a training analysis, cross-cultural challenges in trainings, the role of theory in training, diversity, and inclusion, and the personal stories of recently qualified candidates about the pleasures and challenges of their training experiences. Themes running through the book are the potential damage that unaccountable power among the analysts and those who organise training can exercise in our trainings, resistances to change within our training institutes, failures to appreciate cultural differences, and questions of how diverse and inclusive we really are when it comes to our candidates.
This book is essential reading for all those training or trained in analysis. It raises important ideas for the psychoanalytic community to consider and implement to ensure analytic training institutions achieve their aims and offer best practice for trainees and trainers.
Henry Abramovitch, Professor Emeritus, Tel Aviv University; Founding President, Israeli Institute of Jungian Psychology in honour of Erich Neumann –
‘Simply the best and most serious discussion of training, Jungian or otherwise, that comes to grips with the deepest issues and conflicts in the training process. Written by a distinguished series of international analysts who share personal and theoretical perspectives which help us think in-depth about training, from selection bias to cultural dynamics and identification with the supervisor and more. Highly recommended!’
Prof Dr phil Verena Kast, psychologist and psychotherapist; Past President, International Association for Analytical Psychology –
‘This compelling book addresses a core topic among global Jungians: the lack of uniform training and language. While practitioners strive for belonging, they must balance core Jungian values with modern psychotherapeutic developments. This text beautifully demystifies this opaque situation. Through a rich blend of experiential accounts, personal reflections, and theoretical insights, it explores the evolution of analytical psychology from multiple perspectives. Ultimately, it provides a vital foundation for colleagues worldwide to engage in creative dialogue, bridging traditional roots with contemporary practice.’
Tom Kelly, past president, International Association for Analytical Psychology –
‘Rare is a book that so refreshingly and openly brings to light and explores the multiple unconscious biases, implicit assumptions, and potential damage that unaccountable power can impose in relation to training to become a Jungian analyst. Seasoned analysts from across the globe share their perspectives and concerns about how unconscious assumptions and unquestioned beliefs foster resistance to change and failure to appreciate differences of all sorts, including those of culture, class, religion, gender, sexuality, and unique abilities. In support of this, a personal statement from eight recently accepted analysts, four from the UK and four from different cultures, share reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of their experience of training. For anyone interested in and concerned about analytic training, this book, in my estimation, is a must! I highly recommend it.’
Susanna Wright, supervising analyst, Society of Analytical Psychology and the British Jungian Analytic Association –
‘In Jungian Training and Being Trained, contributors from across the international community offer personal and institutional experiences in a tapestry of perspectives, covering aspects of practice and theory in training. This book illuminates the complexities of learning to become a Jungian analyst and the challenges of belonging to evolving group cultures and professional communities. The discussion of hierarchical attitudes, unconscious dynamics, and structural inequalities exposes the damage that can result from unaccountable power and resistance to change. A vital work that celebrates difference, this is important reading for those who are interested in creating inclusive, dynamic trainings for the future.’