The Journal of Analytical Psychology’s 16th International Conference, titled “CROSSING BORDERS: Clinical, Theoretical, Cultural and Political Implications in our Changing World,” took place in April 2024 at Essex University. The theme reflected the challenges of shifting borders in identity, trauma, cultural beliefs, and clinical practices.
In “The Current Role of Analytical Psychology in Maintaining Fictitious Boundaries that are Promoted through the Race Lie,” Christopher Carter examined systemic racism’s impact on analytical psychology, urging a dismantling of biases and highlighting the absence of formal dialogue on collective guilt in Western contexts.
Elizabeth Brodersen’s paper, “The Nature of Taboo within Cultural Complexes: Theoretical and Clinical Applications,” discussed how taboo influences developmental processes and clinical work, illustrating its impact through cases of obsessive compulsion and anorexia.
Helen Morgan, in “The Work of Whiteness,” traced the historical roots of racial divisions and emphasized the importance of confronting white privilege. She highlighted the psychological burden of color-blindness as a defense against acknowledging racial inequality.
Monica Luci’s “Disputed Boundaries of the Self, the Group, and their Environment” (open access) explored trauma’s impact on the self, drawing from her work with refugees to examine the dissolution of psychic boundaries following severe trauma.
Karin Fleischer, in “Stolen Identities, Suspended Lives,” presented a case study involving victims of state terrorism, showcasing the use of embodied active imagination to restore disrupted psychic functions.
Leslie Stein’s “The Self in the Consulting Room” questioned the practical use of the Self concept in analysis, while Murray Stein’s “The Faithless Analyst” explored the role of cultural and religious values in analytic work.
Robert Tyminski’s paper, “Humanizing Different Archetypal Expressions of Gender Expansiveness,” discusses how gender variations are becoming central in sociocultural contexts, fostering diversity and creative expression. Jay Barlow’s “The Umbilical” examines unconscious bias in the analytic treatment of a young trans man, emphasizing the need for delicate, non-normative theorizing to facilitate healing beyond gender and sexual identity constraints.
This issue also includes an interview with Verena Kast, conducted by Jan Wiener, offering insights into Kast’s life and career, highlighting her optimism and significant contributions to the Jungian field.
JAP 70th Anniversary International Conference
And last but not least—a date for your diaries: November 8th & 9th 2025.
Next year, the Journal will celebrate its 70th anniversary. To mark this occasion the editorial team is in the process of preparing an international online conference to look at “Controversies & Contemporary Trends in Analytical Psychology.” More information will be available soon at www.thejap.org.