IAAP/Catholic University Freiburg Joint Conference

Jung started to develop his own approach to psychodynamic psychotherapy with the idea (in his 1912 publication “Wandlungen und Symbole der Libido”, in which the term “Wandlung” = transformation is highlighted) that there is a universal process taking place in the transformation of the personality. Since then, in analytical psychology, the general idea is that the process of psychotherapy is directed by inner forces (e.g. the transcendent function, the archetype of the Self) which are activated in the therapeutic encounter. There is also the idea that this process has a universal shape and can be mapped accordingly. Moments of change or turning points in the course of therapy are facilitated by the appearance of archetypal patterns or symbols. This process is called the individuation process and its general form and stages have been described in Jung’s works in detail. This process forms the core of Jung’s psychology and continues to be the heart of analytical psychology. The attempt to map this process in its universal form is the reason behind Jung’s interest in alchemy, mythology (the hero’s journey) and spiritual traditions, because in all of these fields traces of this process can be found. This process has been described again and again in publications from the field of analytical psychology and in a large number of case descriptions. Nevertheless, in spite of the outstanding importance for analytical psychology, there have been few attempts to investigate this process systematically and in accordance with the rules and instruments of scientific research.
The basic idea of all approaches to psychotherapy is to create conditions which bring about therapeutic change. The different schools of psychotherapy differ largely in how they explain the coming about of therapeutic change and the factors behind it. A major aim of the conference is to provide a forum for researchers to come together and have an exchange on how to approach the investigation of the process of transformation in different fields as well as to present their findings. This forum is not restricted to Analytical Psychology but will include other disciplines, especially psychodynamic psychotherapies and general psychotherapy process research.
The idea is to have a working conference in the sense that not only completed studies and findings can be presented but also research approaches and designs and these can be discussed together with other researchers regarding their applicability to the investigation of transformation processes. In this sense, the conference should also provide a space for discussion, cooperation and networking in the development of appropriate research approaches for analytical psychology in the future.