As the first person who introduces her son to the feminine principle of relatedness, the mother plays an important role in her son's masculine development. While the mother-son relationship can be a safe container in which a boy can learn to connect to his own emotional, relational side, it can also be fraught with enmeshment, regression, and a fear or separation and individuation.  In this talk we will focus on some of the ways in which the mother complex affects the development of a son's…See More

Exploring images, music, science, and the wisdom of depth psychology, this presentation discusses adolescence as a phase we all transit on our way to adulthood.  Our adolescent bodies initiate the prima materia.  Neurologically, hormonally, musculoskeletally, one’s body begins a transformation into physical maturity, bidden or not.  Wrapped in uncomfortable, even painful bodies, possessed by a mélange of hormones, confused by rapidly morphing neurons, we feel a need at some point to mourn the…See More

Many patients seek psychotherapeutic treatment while suffering a defeat in their lives, such as the loss of a job or career, the refusal of a publisher or art gallery to accept their work, the loss of a loved one through divorce or death, the loss of property, loss of a lawsuit, loss of physical health or loss of faith.  This suffering may be somewhat relieved temporarily with medication or various cognitive/behavioral techniques, but if the patient is able to go through the psychological…See More

43RD ANNUAL JUNGIAN CONFERENCEJerome Bernstein, Special Guest SpeakerThe Global Warming Crisis is the result of the Western psyche’s dissociation from nature and the spirit dimension of life.  With the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Western humanity left behind a form of consciousness that is still in evidence among Native peoples.  This consciousness is now manifesting on a collective level as what Jerome Bernstein calls “Borderland Consciousness,” an evolutionary compensation for Western…See More

When an animal appears in a dream it brings an invitation to enter into its world, to connect with its nature.  If we accept this invitation we may discover a new relationship to our often-neglected instincts. Becoming a modern individual necessitates a certain distance from the instincts.  However, we can become one-sided, living mostly through the mind.  This imbalance is a disconnection from one’s true nature, causing suffering from the loss of meaning.The dream of the animal is the face of…See More

Dr. Maram offers a new way of conceptualizing and defining psychopathy that is a convergence of the author's divergent professional experiences as a forensic psychologist, a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist, and her own life experiences over decades as a Jungian student and analysand.  When her father died, the story of his life and their relationship ignited her curiosity about the meaning of psychopathy, enriching and amplifying what she already felt she knew from a wide range of experiences,…See More

International events, like the shooting, bombings and stabbings in various European locations, as well as national violent eruptions at a variety of public venues, most recently Las Vegas, challenge us at our core to live in a soulful way.  This presentation will explore the works of C.G. Jung, Edward Edinger, and Karen Armstrong as they may help us understand how splits in the modern psyche open the door for such events to erupt, and the challenges we all face in living with these horrific…See More

Shame often separates one from a relationship with others - it is the basis for much self-destructive behavior including self-attack, addictive behavior, envy, rage, martyrdom, and the hiding of one's talents. We are also vulnerable to collective shame. This presentation will explore some of the developmental and archetypal roots of shame, and strategies for healing this painful state.Course objectives:Describe the developmental roots of shame and how it can manifest in self-destructive…See More

Michael Gellert's new book tells the story of the Abrahamic God from a viewpoint that is imagined to be his, if such a thing were possible.  Who he originally was—a God tormented and divided against himself and humanity—and who he became is a journey from affliction to redemption, from trauma to enlightenment.  Spanning from the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to their later mystical teachings, the book explains many of the Hebrew Bible's darker moments yet concludes on the same…See More

Dr. Landau will present a discussion of the films Knight of Cups directed by Terrance Malick and Blue Jasmine directed by Woody Allen.  Knight of Cups is a gnostic dream, a cinematic prayer opening with the voice of Sir John Gielgud. Rick (Christian Bale), a successful screenwriter in Los Angeles, portrays a contemporary pilgrim, struggling to find meaning in his life and a connection to the eternal and eternal wisdom.  Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is blue. Her psyche is black and blue from burning…See More