Call for Papers: Technology and communication: A conference for trainees and students in Jungian psychology

London, 1st June 2019

Jung valued the exploration of archetypes as cultural phenomena and he welcomed the opportunity to share scholarly work within collegial communities, such as Eranos, where those interested in finding solutions to the loss of meaning of traditions such as those of the academy, the church and the sciences, could meet in a meaningful space (Hillman and Shamdasani, 2013).

One of the aims of this conference is to explore the potentialities and the limitations of online communities for such an exploration and for Jungian psychology more in general and to begin a grass root discussion concerning the current sociocultural

landscape surrounding Jungian and post-Jungian psychology.

Many online platforms are provided by organisations active in the sector, but those in analytic training and academic students are seldom taking part in discussions. Many of them, we discovered from an online survey recently sent to all

Jungian training and academic institutes worldwide, do not know that such platforms exist! Particularly those living outside of Europe and the US are rarely involved. The majority of them would like to actively engage, and we suggest that students, trainees and early career researchers need to be more directly involved in reflections concerning the best way to carry on the

Jungian and post-Jungian tradition both academically and therapeutically, particularly with regards to the use of onlinespaces.

We would also like to open the discussion about the dialogue between Jungian-oriented academics and researchers andJungian clinicians. Such dialogue can foster best practice for therapists, promote the sharing of academic findings and

provide creative ideas to develop future research. Whilst evidence based approaches that have dominated psychological andpsychotherapeutic disciplines mostly derive from the biomedical perspective, Jungian and post-Jungian psychology has

always reflected on matters of wholeness to inform its practice. Jung’s own interest in the collective unconscious has fosteredinvestigations in anthropology, literature, sociology and religious studies, among many other academic disciplines.

Despite such strong multidisciplinary interests, Jungian psychology is a young academic discipline in its own right, which hasbeen attracting increasing interest, but which has seen its dedicated academic courses develop only starting from the 1980s.

Initially, one major obstacle to the affirmation of Jungian and post-Jungian Studies related to the intellectual nature of academic work, aimed at increasing knowledge through criticism, often perceived as a distraction from the more intuitive approach required by therapy (Vannoy Adams, 2004). However, the benefits of adopting a critical stance have long breached through and many Jungian analysts today have integrated non-essentialist concepts in their practices. This mutual enriching relationship is however currently redefined by the neoliberal agenda that is regulating academic work, often deemed responsible of undermining the critical potential of the academy.

Technology and communication: A conference fortrainees and students in Jungian psychology

London, 1st June 2019

Which strategies can be developed to relate the Jungian scholarly model that seeks to investigate archetypal patterns ascultural phenomena with the changing neo liberal academy in such a way not to denature it? How can online platforms for discussion contribute and which are their limitations? How can they foster a dissemination that supports therapeutic work in a socio-political context that is reducing the influence of Jungian psychotherapy in the public sector? How can a multidisciplinary attitude foster itself in such a context and how can online communication contribute to it?

This conference proposes to explore whether to foster participation of students and analytic trainees to the Jungian online community can also reaffirm the foundational commitment of Jungian and post-Jungian psychology to a multiplicity of disciplinary interests to inform its practice. Consequently, it seeks to engage analytic trainees, psychodynamic psychotherapy trainees in Jungian institutes and academic students in a day of collegial reflection.

We welcome presentations (up to 15 mins) that would reflect on topics such as· dialogue(s) between Jungian psychology as an academic discipline and as a clinical practice

· uses of technology and its role in Jungian and post-Jungian communities

· sharing the best practices and communication between early researchers and trainees in Jungian and post-Jungianpsychology

We welcome submissions of abstracts (200 words) in English by April 15st, 2019.

Enquires and submissions:

Camilla Giambonini , University of Essex clgiam@essex.ac.uk
Martyna Chrzescijanska, University of Essex mchrze@essex.ac.uk

The conference fees:

Standard fee: £45
Students and trainees : £25
The conference venue:
Montague Room at Monticello House,
45 Russel Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 4JP.