Jung’s approach to psychotherapy extends to work with children. Many adult psychological difficulties are rooted in early wounds of childhood, raising essential questions: How do we reach and heal children? How might this understanding inform our work with the wounded inner child in adulthood?
This course offers an introduction to the Jungian approach to working with children. Grounded in the work of C.G. Jung, Frances Wickes, and Marie-Louise von Franz, it emphasizes symbolic understanding, rather than intervention techniques or behavioral outcomes. Participants will explore how children express their inner lives through play, images, symptoms, and fantasy and how these expressions can be understood as meaningful communications of the psyche rather than problems to be corrected. These early symbolic expressions form the foundation upon which adult psychological life is built.
Through case material, discussion, and guided reflection, we will examine the impact of adult expectations, projection, and intervention on the developing child psyche. Experiential exercises will invite participants to deepen their symbolic literacy by reconnecting with their own childhood experiences of fantasy and expression. This course supports professionals in developing a reverent, ethically grounded approach that protects the child’s inner world while fostering long-term psychological growth.
