Objectives

• Develop understanding of Jung’s conceptualization of the body in Analytical Psychology

• Develop an understanding of psychoanalytic model of the body.

• Increase awareness of somatic experience in the analytic field.

• Increase awareness of somatization of psychological symptoms.

• Creating analytic interpretations based on the somatic experience of the patient as well as the analyst.

In the field of psychosomatics there are two major schools of thought. The first is the older approach which associates specific psychosomatic symptoms with particular psychological conflicts and developmental arrests. In this approach the body is seen as expressing what is forbidden to express in the mind. The more contemporary approach sees the psyche and body as a unified whole. Therefore, the body is one possible channel for the emergence of unconscious material, which is to be understood and engaged like any other manifestation of the unconscious. Hence, each bodily symptom is embraced like a dream which tells us something about the unconscious of the patient. Like a dream, each symptom is treated as new and unique to the individual. This presentation will embrace this later model of psychosomatics.We will explore Jung’s concept of the body as shadow and as the subtle body, as well as psychoanalytic understanding of the body. Specific emphasis will be place on the analyst’s awareness of somatic experience of both analyst and analysand as well as somatization of psychological symptoms. We will focus on developing sensitivity to somatic information as a means of understanding and interpreting unconscious interaction in the analytic field. In the process we will explore theories of the body associated with Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Carl Jung, Wilfred Bion, as well as supporting research from neuroscience and research on primary affects.

We will explore Jung’s concept of the body as shadow and as the subtle body, as well as psychoanalytic understanding of the body. Specific emphasis will be place on the analyst’s awareness of somatic experience of both analyst and analysand as well as somatization of psychological symptoms. We will focus on developing sensitivity to somatic information as a means of understanding and interpreting unconscious interaction in the analytic field. In the process we will explore theories of the body associated with Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Carl Jung, Wilfred Bion, as well as supporting research from neuroscience and research on primary affects.