depth psychology

A group of psychological treatments which emphasize unconscious mental processes as the cause of neurotic illnesses; opposed to behavioural forms of psychology. In psychoanalytic forms of depth psychology, Freudian concepts of id, ego, and superego would be considered, whereas in analytical psychology described by Jung, the collective unconsciousness is considered paramount.

Depth psychology is a broad term that refers to any psychological approach examining the depth (the hidden or deeper parts) of human experience.

Rather than utilizing techniques, it provides a frame of reference for exploring underlying motives and approaching various mental disorders, with the belief that these frames of reference are intrinsically healing.

The initial work and development of the theories and therapies by Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler and Otto Rank that came to be known as depth psychology have resulted in three perspectives in modern times:

Psychoanalytic: Freud's object relations Adlerian: Adler’s Individual psychology Jungian: Jung’s Analytical psychology and James Hillman’s "Archetypal psychology"

Those schools most strongly influenced by the work of Carl Jung, a 20th-century Swiss psychiatrist who in his Analytical psychology emphasizes questions of psyche, human development and personality development (or individuation).

Jung was strongly influenced by esotericism and draws on myths, archetypes and the idea of the collective unconscious.

The following is a summary of the primary elements of Depth psychology:

Depth psychology states that psyche is a process that is partly conscious and partly unconscious. An implication of this is that the choice of whether to be a spiritual person or not does not exist - the only question is exactly where we put our spirituality: Do we live it consciously or unknowingly invest it in nonspiritual aspirations (perfectionism, addictions, greed, fame) that eventually possess us by virtue of their ignored but frightfully potent numinous power?