"The psyche creates dramas, poetic fictions, it is a theatre" James Hillman
What makes drama such a powerful and clinically relevant art form for therapy?
What is an archetypal psychology?
How is a psychology of archetypal images relevant for dramatherapy?
How might we integrate this kind of psychology with dramatherapy?
Archetypal psychology, developed by James Hillman from the work of CG Jung and Henri Corbin, posits a "poetic basis of mind", within which images are understood as the basic material of the psyche. Images, when given the right kind of attention, allow a more soulful, deeper perspective to emerge and develop into scenarios, stories, and myths. In this seminar, we will look at the origins of archetypal psychology within the work of Jung, and Hillman, and how their ideas can inspire an approach to dramatherapy that values story, myth, dream and ritual.
In doing so, we will offer an orientation for Dramatherapy practice and research that sees the working of events into images that allow soulful experiences as primary. Toby will share the benefits and difficulties of using archetypal psychology as a methodology within clinical research and practice in Dramatherapy.
This will mean looking at:
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the relationship between complexes and archetypes,
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how complexes draw us towards certain kinds of clients and clinical presentations,
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the dilemmas over how to approach psychopathology within an imaginal psychotherapy,
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the difficult and porous boundaries between culture and the individual
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the value of working with myth and fairy tale, both within clinical practice and as a form of personal enrichment and soulmaking.
The framework for this seminar will be the myth of Eros and Psyche, which stresses the intricacies and interplay of love, loss, beauty and struggle
Toby Chown
Toby Chown is a Dramatherapist, writer, and storyteller from Brighton and Hove. He is the author of two books of poetry, "Haunted Evaporations" and "Into the Dreaming Dark: 33 Poems of Imaginal Ecology". He has 13 years of clinical experience working with children and families affected by alcohol and drug problems and is on the editorial board of the Climate Psychology Alliance's Journal Explorations.