Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Jungian Analysis and Psychotherapy?

Jungian analysis is a professional interpersonal process that facilitates and integrates the dynamic relationship between consciousness and the unconscious. Unlike psychotherapy Jungian analysis is a deeper psychic process. This means it is a more intense, deeper process of self-reflection often requiring more frequent sessions per week. Analysts will often work with individuals over a longer period of time. This usually also has the effect of helping the client feel more safe and secure. By working in depth, analysis will often set in motion a process of deep personal transformation. The frequency of sessions and the duration of the analytic therapy will be determined by client and analyst depending on the client’s needs and the availability of sessions.

How can I find a certified Jungian Analyst?

You can find a certified Jungian Analyst from the directory on our “Find an Analyst” page.

Each of our Analysts must be a full member of ANZSJA. This means they have completed at least six years of an intensive specialist training that includes broadly studying across the disciplines of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, and analytical psychology with particular emphasis on the work of CG Jung. Their clinical work has been closely supervised and they have undertaken an in-depth personal analysis over a number of years to ensure that they have the theoretical understanding, personal experience of analysis and proficiency to practice. ANZSJA members offer a range of clinical services including analysis and psychotherapy to individual adults, adolescents and children, couples, and families. Some analysts also provide clinical supervision, and some provide consultations to organizations and corporations.

ANZSJA Jungian analysts are members of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) and may also hold other clinical memberships and qualifications in addition to their Jungian Analyst certification.

Is there a trial period in analysis?

Generally, analysts meet with prospective analysands for a number of sessions to determine if there is a mutual fit and a viable therapeutic relationship. If you agree to proceed with analysis you will set up a schedule for regular sessions.

How frequently do we meet?

This can vary between one, two or more sessions per week and will be discussed with your analyst depending on your particular needs.  Analysis can also extend over a longer period of time and can have the effect of increased safety and security in the depth work of analysis.

Are the sessions confidential?

Confidentiality is very important, however there are some exceptions, which will need to be discussed with your chosen analyst.

Do some analysts specialize in certain areas? 

All analysts are highly experienced clinicians. Some analysts have in-depth experience with certain problems such as eating disorders, creativity, couples, adolescents, and children. A number of our analysts have additional certification in particular areas of clinical practice such as psychiatry, relationship therapy, child psychotherapy, art therapy and sandplay therapy.

Can I claim private health insurance and are Medicare rebates available? 

Health insurance and Medicare rebates are not automatically available to all Jungian Analysts. However, this can be discussed with your analyst as some ANZSJA members may facilitate rebates in certain instances.

Can I do Jungian analysis if I don’t remember my dreams?

In Jungian analysis you and your analyst work with whatever you bring: your thoughts, feelings, experience of your body, life experiences, memories, past situations, daily interactions with people, to name some. While dreams can be a guide for the analytic process, they are not essential. Some people find their dream recall improves during therapy. For others a drawing, sandplay image or fantasy offers insights from the unconscious in a similar way to a dream.

Is Analysis Effective?

Clinical experience and existing research suggest that psychoanalytic therapies are effective. A good example is The Tavistock Adult Depression Study (TADS) carried out within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, which found that 44% of psychoanalytic psychotherapy clients with chronic depressive symptoms significantly improved when followed up two years after the end of therapy compared with only 10% of clients receiving standard treatments like antidepressants and short-term counselling.

You can read the full report of this research in the paper ‘Pragmatic randomized controlled trial of long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: the Tavistock Adult Depression Study (TADS)’ by Fonagy P, Rost F, Carlyle J et al, in the open access journal World Psychiatry (2015; 14:312–321) Click Here

Please follow the attached link for further information on the efficacy of psychoanalytic psychotherapy: Click Here