Archetypal Psychotherapy by Butler, Jason A.;

Short description:

This book considers how the work of James Hillman differentiates from Jungian analysis, and how archetypal psychology can be practically applied to psychotherapy to provide a unique contribution to therapeutic practice today.

Long description:

Archetypal psychology is a post-Jungian mode of theory and practice initiated primarily through the prolific work of James Hillman. Hillman’s writing carries a far-reaching collection of evocative ideas with a wealth of vital implications for the field of clinical psychology. With the focus on replacing the dominant fantasy of a scientific psychology with psychology as logos of soul, archetypal psychology has shifted the focus of therapy away from cure of the symptom toward vivification and expression of the mythopoetic imagination.

This book provides the reader with an overview of the primary themes taken up by archetypal psychology, as differentiated from both classical Jungian analysis and Freudian derivatives of psychoanalysis. Throughout the text, Jason Butler gathers the disparate pieces of archetypal method and weaves them together with examples of dreams, fantasy images and clinical vignettes in order to depict the particular style taken up by archetypal psychotherapy—a therapeutic approach that fosters an expansion of psychological practice beyond mere ego-adaptation and coping, providing a royal road to a life and livelihood of archetypal significance.

Archetypal Psychotherapy: The clinical legacy of James Hillman will be of interest to researchers and academics in the fields of Jungian and archetypal psychology looking for a new perspective, as well as practising psychotherapists.

'Drawing upon numerous strands from the work of James Hillman and other authors in the field of archetypal psychology, Jason Butler weaves together a consistent approach to an archetypal psychotherapy. His book is an important contribution that situates Hillman’s many contributions to archetypal theory within a context of archetypal practice. A must read for all those who value the work of recovering soul in psychology.' - Professor Robert D. Romanyshyn, Pacifica Graduate Institute, USA

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction  2. Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, and Archetypal Psychology: A Critique of Natural Science Psychology  3. Imaginal Practice  4. Archetypal Psychodynamics  5. Word and Image  6. Aesthetic Sensibility  7. Reflections and Undoing