EARLY TRAUMA: the Lost and Recovered Soul in Psychotherapy, a lecture with Donald Kalsched

This program is not recorded

Lecture

When relational trauma strikes the developing psyche of a child, a split sometimes occurs in which a wounded and “innocent” part of the self retreats into the unconscious where it continues to live in suspended animation as a lost soul--often represented symbolically in archetypal material as a lost or orphaned ‘child.’ Deprived of this lost core of aliveness, the outer personality struggles to survive in a “de-animated” world, often becomes depressed, and sometimes seeks psychotherapeutic help. Depth Psychotherapy offers the opportunity for renewed contact with the lost soul and hence for renewed feeling-life, creativity, and relatedness—but not without fierce resistance thrown up by the psyche’s defensive powers.

How the psychotherapy process invites the lost soul back into relationship, in the face of these defenses will be the focus of this lecture and discussion. Through a series of clinical vignettes and relational moments, as well as in typical fairy tales and mythological motifs, Dr. Kalsched will show how the splitting and dissociation occasioned by early trauma, are gradually healed in the evolving process of depth psychotherapy.

Donald Kalsched, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and Jungian Psychoanalyst who practices in Brunswick Maine. He is a member of the C. G. Jung Institute of New England, and a training analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. His celebrated book The Inner World of Trauma: Archetypal Defenses of the Personal Spirit (Routledge 1996) explores the interface between contemporary psychoanalytic theory and Jungian thought as it relates to practical clinical work with the survivors of early childhood trauma. His more recent book, Trauma and the Soul: A Psycho-spiritual Approach to Human Development and its Interruption (Routledge, 2013) explores some of the mystical dimensions of clinical work with trauma-survivors. For more information or to contact Dr. Kalsched, visit www.donaldkalsched.com

Zoom links will be shared about 24 hours before the program start time. Registration closes before Zoom links are shared. If you do not receive your link 24 hours in advance, please reach out asap directly to support@jung.org

By agreeing to enroll in an online program offered by the Jung Society of Washington, you are also agreeing to comply with our terms. This means that you cannot record (through internal or external devices) the audio, visuals (photos), or  any videos of the program. The intellectual property belongs to the presenter, and we ask you not to violate this policy. Also, we highly value the anonymity of the content of the program, of the presenters, and of individuals present in the program, and hope that everyone can contribute to a respectful and trust-building online environment. Thank you!