Bren combines the best practices from life coaching, integral psychology and depth psychology. She uses depth psychological techniques like psychodynamic analysis, dream interpretation, and active imagination to reveal the symbolic messages from the unconscious.
The fundamental difference between Bren’s practice and that of most clinical psychologists and psychotherapists is the depth of the work. All forms of counseling effect psyche, the totality of one’s conscious and unconscious. However, the deeper one dives into psyche, the more soulful and spiritual the journey becomes. Most coaches and conventional psychotherapists avoid the spiritual by focusing on the surface level of ego consciousness, behavior modification, stress reduction techniques and/or teaching new skills for survival.
WHAT IS DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY?
Depth Psychology is the study of the structures and processes of psyche, the conscious and unconscious mind. It includes ego consciousness but focuses primarily on the dynamics within the unconscious. These unconscious dynamics control our behavior by protecting our wounds with childhood defenses thus blocking the soul from guiding us towards being a fully initiated adult. To work solely on ego is like pulling weeds. You can pull and pull and pull but the weeds keep popping up. To work with the unconscious is to know the weed’s root structure and how the seed disperses. Unfortunately, the conventional schools of psychology and all schools of coaching do not teach the wisdom of the unconscious mind. So the weeds of our lives stymie our souls, trapping us in childhood scripts.
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were the modern discoverers of depth psychology, the study of the personal and collective unconscious. They continue an ancient tradition whereby the shaman of a tribe worked primarily within the realm of the unconscious via hallucinogenic drugs and/ or dreams and visions. In fact our Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts are filled with messages from God coming in visions and dreams. Freud stayed within the personal unconscious avoiding religion, where Carl Jung dug much deeper into the collective unconscious and most certainly into religions, both Eastern and Western.
FREUD’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY
The primary focus of the post Freudian schools i.e. psychoanalysis, psychodynamics, object relations, psychiatry is the personal unconscious. These analysts dive deeply into the family and its dynamics to understand the psychological scars formed in childhood that has disturbed healthy psychological functioning. Much of this work focuses on undoing the rigidity of the superego and parental imagoes thereby freeing libidinal energy for creative pursuits.
JUNG’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY
Carl Jung was the first psychologist to unite the mystical traditions with the psychological and philosophical traditions thus diving into the mythical and collective unconscious. His Analytical School of Psychology deals primarily with the depression and despair often occurring in crisis particularly at midlife. Jung’s work does not replace Freud’s work as so many predecessors try to do it builds on Freud’s work; where psychoanalysis aims at liberating the adult from childhood parents, wounds and destructive patterns, Jungian Analysis aims at liberating the soul for the journey of a life contributing to the evolution of this world. We answer the spiritual questions like: Who am I? And why am I here? What is my unique purpose? How can I make a difference and leave a legacy?
