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Ethics in Jungian Analysis – Dream Work and Grief

Dr. Jennifer Cox|Ethics in Jungian Analysis – Dream Work and Grief

Continuing Education Course: Ethics in Jungian Analysis – Dream Work and Grief

CE Credit: 3 Hours
Format: Self-Study Article + Case Reflections + Dream Symbol Activities

Course Description

Jungian analysis invites deep engagement with the unconscious through symbols, dreams, and mythic motifs. When grief emerges in the analytic container, it often surfaces through powerful images, projections, and spiritual questioning. This 3-hour CEU course explores the ethical considerations unique to Jungian dream work and grief processing, including projection, spiritual transference, symbolic interpretation, and the sacred responsibility of holding clients’ inner landscapes.

Participants will explore how to ethically navigate dream content, respond to grief archetypes, and respect spiritual material without imposing meaning. Case vignettes, dream symbol interpretation, and mythological references will enrich this journey through ethical attunement.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Identify key ethical issues in Jungian dream interpretation and symbolic work.
  2. Explain the concept of projection and transference from a Jungian ethical lens.
  3. Explore ethical responses to client grief expressed through spiritual/archetypal symbols.
  4. Apply ACA and professional codes to dream material involving trauma, loss, or spiritual identity.
  5. Develop tools for ethically engaging symbolic and unconscious content with respect and humility.

Section I: Ethical Foundations of Jungian Symbolism

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

The Role of the Unconscious in Ethics

Jungian work invites a sacred approach to the psyche. The analyst becomes a witness to unconscious material—not a dictator of interpretation. Ethical dilemmas often arise when:

  • Symbols are misinterpreted or over-explained
  • The therapist imposes personal archetypal frameworks
  • Clients feel exposed or mystified by symbolic feedback

Ethical Frameworks

  • ACA Code of Ethics: A.4.b, E.5.b
  • APA Guidelines on Spiritual and Religious Competence
  • IAAP Ethical Guidelines (International Association for Analytical Psychology)

Reflection Prompts

  1. Have you ever felt tempted to explain a client’s dream with your own symbolic lens?
  2. What ethical risks come with over-identifying with a client’s unconscious material?

Section II: Dream Work and Grief: Symbol, Shadow, and Loss

Estimated Time: 1 hour

The Grief Archetype in Jungian Work

Grief is a threshold between worlds. Jung described mourning as a liminal process where the ego is shattered, inviting a deeper self to emerge. Common symbols include:

  • Oceans (depth of feeling)
  • Empty houses (loss of inner containment)
  • Fire (transformation)
  • Animals or ancestors (guides through sorrow)

Case Vignette

Client: Ava, 42, dreams of a burning house and a silver wolf watching from the woods. Her mother died three months prior.
Ethical Dilemma: Ava asks, “Is the wolf my mother? Should I follow it in real life?”

Discussion: How do you balance symbolic attunement with ethical grounding? Where does interpretation end and projection begin?

Symbol Interpretation Activity

Choose one symbol below and journal your own cultural, spiritual, and psychological associations:

  • A locked door
  • A tree without leaves
  • A stairwell going downward

Now ask: How might this differ for a grieving client from another background?

Section III: Transference, Projection, and Spiritual Material

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Sacred Transference in Jungian Work

Clients often project spiritual or parental archetypes onto the analyst, especially in grief. This is a sacred yet ethically complex process.

Examples of spiritual transference:

  • Client sees the therapist as a channel to the deceased
  • Client believes dreams are messages “for” the therapist
  • Client requests ritual, contact with the dead, or metaphysical guidance

Video Resource

Depth Psychology and Ethics – Pacifica Graduate Institute
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOhrsfNuxOY
Duration: ~12 minutes

Reflection Prompts

  1. When does reverence become collusion?
  2. What would ethical humility look like when clients bring spiritual grief dreams?
  3. How do you hold space without becoming part of the myth?

Section IV: Ethical Practice in Archetypal Realms

Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Action Steps for Ethical Symbol Work

Ethical Area Practice or Tool Frequency
Dream Ethics Ask permission before offering symbolic insight Every session
Projection Awareness Journal your own transference post-session Weekly
Cultural Symbol Dialogue Invite client meaning first, then offer reflection As needed
Supervision Use symbol-based cases in supervision Monthly
Client Autonomy Frame all symbols as possibilities, not truths Always

Final Reflection Exercise

Write one paragraph about a time you felt awe or fear in the face of a client’s dream. What did you do? Would you handle it differently now? What ethical lens could guide you better next time?

Multimedia + Supplemental Resources

Video Resources

1. Jungian Dream Psychology & Inner Work (10-min overview)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E3ulUkSWUg
Explores dream techniques like amplification and active imagination.

2. Carl Jung and the Psychology of Dreams
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1D_1MkFwN0
A concise primer on Jung’s compensatory theory of dreams and their ethical impact.

3. Wisdom of the Dream (Ethics & Symbolism Overview)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH1rGceKQZA
Explores therapist responsibility in interpreting spiritual and symbolic material.

Articles

1. Jung on the Nature and Interpretation of Dreams
A historical and conceptual review tracing Jung’s evolving views of compensation, symbol amplification, and interpretive ethics.

2. Dream-Work in Psychotherapy: Jungian and Post-Jungian Perspectives
Explores the value of staying within dream imagery rather than imposing meaning—a critical ethical stance.

3. Jungian Dreamwork and Focusing: Delving Deeper in the Therapeutic Process
Demonstrates ethical attunement through client-centered dream exploration.

4. Dreams as Clinical Tools for Assessment: A Jungian Case Study
Outlines how symbolic material can ethically inform assessment and deepen case conceptualization.

Resource List

  • Jung, C.G. (1960). The Undiscovered Self
  • Hall, J.A. (1983). Jungian Dream Interpretation
  • Kalsched, D. (2013). Trauma and the Soul
  • International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) Ethics Code
  • APA Guidelines on Spiritual & Religious Competency in Practice
  • Video: Pacifica Graduate Institute – Depth Psychology and Ethics
  • Video: Jungian Dream Psychology & Inner Work (YouTube)
  • Video: Carl Jung and the Psychology of Dreams (YouTube)
  • Video: Wisdom of the Dream (YouTube)

Completion Instructions

To receive CEU credit:

  1. Read all course content
  2. Watch required videos
  3. Complete all reflection exercises
  4. Submit post-test and evaluation form