fei75766_ch04_107-148.indd 137  02/19/20 09:00 AM
Chapter 4    Jung: Analytical Psychology137
Psychotherapy
Jung(1931/1954b) identified fourbasic approaches totherapy, representing four
developmental stages inthehistory ofpsychotherapy. Thefirstisconfession ofa
pathogenic secret. Thisisthecathartic method practiced byJosef Breuer andhis
patient Anna O.Forpatients whomerely haveaneed toshare theirsecrets, catharsis 
iseffective. Thesecond stage involves interpretation, explanation, andelucidation. 
Thisapproach, usedbyFreud, gives thepatients insight intothecauses oftheirneu-
roses, butmaystillleave them incapable ofsolving social problems. Thethird stage, 
therefore, istheapproach adopted byAdler andincludes theeducation ofpatients 
associal beings. Unfortunately, saysJung, thisapproach often leaves patients merely 
socially welladjusted.
Togobeyond these three approaches, Jungsuggested afourth stage, transfor -
mation. Bytransformation, hemeant thatthetherapist must firstbetransformed into
ahealthy human being, preferably byundergoing psychotherapy. Only aftertrans -
formation andanestablished philosophy oflifeisthetherapist abletohelppatients 
move toward individuation, wholeness, orself-realization. Thisfourth stage isespe-
cially employed withpatients whoareinthesecond halfoflifeandwhoarecon-
cerned withrealization oftheinner self,withmoral andreligious problems, andwith
finding aunifying philosophy oflife(Jung, 1931/1954b).
Jungwasquite eclectic inhistheory andpractice ofpsychotherapy. Histreat-
ment varied according totheage,stage ofdevelopment, andparticular problem of
hispatients. About two-thirds ofJung’s patients wereinthesecond halfoflife,anda
great many ofthem suffered from alossofmeaning, general aimlessness, andafearof
death. Jungattempted tohelpthese patients findtheirownphilosophical orientation.
Theultimate purpose ofJungian therapy istohelpneurotic patients be-
come healthy andtoencourage healthy people towork independently toward self-
realization. Jungsought toachieve thispurpose byusing suchtechniques asdream 
analysis andactive imagination tohelppatients discover personal andcollective 
unconscious material andtobalance these unconscious images withtheirconscious 
attitude (Jung, 1931/1954a).
Although Jungencouraged patients tobeindependent, headmitted theimpor -
tance oftransference, particularly during thefirstthree stages oftherapy. Heregarded 
bothpositive andnegative transferences asanatural concomitant topatients’ revela -
tionofhighly personal information. Hethought itquite allrightthatanumber of
male patients referred tohimas“Mother Jung” andquite understandable thatothers 
sawhimasGodorsavior. Jungalsorecognized theprocess ofcountertransference, 
atermusedtodescribe atherapist’s feelings toward thepatient. Liketransference, 
countertransference canbeeither ahelporahindrance totreatment, depending on
whether itleads toabetter relationship between doctor andpatient, something that
Jungfeltwasindispensable tosuccessful psychotherapy.
Because Jungian psychotherapy hasmany minor goals andavariety oftech-
niques, nouniversal description ofaperson whohassuccessfully completed ana-
lytical treatment ispossible. Foramature person, thegoalmaybetofindmeaning 
inlifeandstrive toward achieving balance andwholeness. Aself-realized person is
abletoassimilate much oftheunconscious selfintoconsciousness but,atthesame 
time, remains fullyaware ofthepotential dangers hidden inthefarrecess oftheFinal PDF to printer