Center for Story & Symbol Courses and Seminars
Story and Symbol Therapy Courses Register Community Dates Contact
Story and Symbol Therapy Courses Register Community Dates Contact
Seminar Dates and Formats Articles Joseph Campbell Site Map Search
This overview provides all the links to Center for Story and Symbol courses and their descriptions, reading lists, day schedules, current locations, and registration information. For convenience, we've also included a Frequently Asked Questions sidebar. Articles and community resources are listed on the Resources List
Dates and Locations for Current Courses
The Wisdom of Mythic Stories: Through storytelling and lively discussion of the Wizard of OZ, we will explore how favorite stories reflect adult psychological dynamics and offer guidance for those dealing with life-stage transitions.
Wisdom of Mythic Stories Home Study Course
Pilgrimage and Liberation: NEW for 2024! Whether by travel or inner exploration, Pilgrimage can kindle an experience of liberation. The way of the seeker bridges visible and invisible worlds.
Pilgrimage and Liberation - Description and Day Schedule
Diversity and Inclusion: NEW for 2024! Strengthening cross-cultural clinical skills involve valuing a wide range of qualities in ourselves and others. We will discuss awareness of cultural subtleties. Meets hours on Cultural Diversity required for psychologists.
Diversity and Inclusion - Description and Day Schedule
The Inner Life of Holidays: As nights grow longer, festivities stimulate the senses and stir poignant memories. Popular stories, customs, music and images are rich with nostalgia, awakening hopes for fulfillment. Archetypal aspects of such traditions can be guides to personal integration and psychological maturity. This course investigates seasonal issues as opportunities for growth. Instruction includes coming to terms with emotional vulnerability, and self-care for practitioners. The main focus is on autumn and winter events, but other special days are considered as well, in this exploration of the psychological dimensions of gatherings and celebrations.
The Inner Life of Holidays - Description and Day Schedule
Life-Story: Embracing the Unfolding Narratives: Lives have underlying patterns. We will look at maturation as a project of inventing a successful life story, cultivating a vision that nurtures one's best qualities, finding authenticity, and having compassion towards oneself and others.
Embracing the Unfolding Narratives - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 13: On Being Real NEW in 2024
This day is a day to reflect on being our authentic selves and to examine what it means to be human. A major focus will be on finding empathic ethics.
On Being Real: Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 12: Telehealth Touchstones: Online therapy involves unique advantages and challenges. This day covers clinical, technical, ethical and regulatory dimensions of online treatment. Discussion uses mythic characters such as Mercury, Hermes, Iris and Ariel to explore the depth psychology of communication. Meets Board of Behavioral Sciences required hours on Telehealth.
Law & Ethics 12: Telehealth Touchstones - Description and Day Schedule
The Wisdom of Mythic Studies Home Study Course is always offered and you can start any time. For currently offered seminars and workshops, please see Seminar Dates and Formats
We offer Continuing Education seminars on a regular basis throughout Northern and Southern California, as well as community presentations throughout the U.S. If you are interested in arranging a seminar in another area, please contact the Center at 805.687.7171.
We focus first on fulfilling the Continuing Education requirements set forth for psychologists by the APA. We occasionally offer past courses in addition to the current requirements. Current offerings are always listed on the home page and under Seminar Dates and Formats.
Programs with Jonathan Young and Anne Bach sponsored by outside organizations deal with a wide range of material. If you are on our email list, you will receive announcements. These events are also posted on the Community Schedule.
Topics include The Psychology of Fairytales, Cinematherapy, Creative Aging, Mentoring, Writing, Holiday Symbolism, the Search for Meaning and others. We also have additional seminars on Law and Ethics as well as Clinical Supervision.
Both credit and non-credit options are available for all courses. The current cost for the various options are available on the Registration page
You can register online 24 hours a day by completing the Registration Form. You can also register by phone by calling the center during business hours, Pacific Time.
We accept all major credit cards and you can register online. We have processed many online orders over the years without any problems.
Yes. CE units are available for psychologist, therapists, nurses, and teachers. The exact requirements and number of credits vary by profession and the licensing body, with some additional attendance requirements for psychologists. See the credit available for your profession.
These courses are taught at an introductory level and are open to writers, clergy, and all learners interested in archetypal perspectives.
No, Center courses and seminars are open to all.
There are no formal course pre-requisites. If the course theme centers around a book or film, you may find that you have a richer experience if you have read the book or seen the film. But this is not required.
A week or so before your scheduled course, we'll send you a packet with course information, day schedule, and a map.
Yes, all rooms are ADA accessible. If you have any special needs, please contact the center in advance of the course day and we will do our best to accommodate you.
A pen and notebook. For in-person similars, conference rooms are usually quite cool, even in summer, so do bring a sweater as well.
Lunch is on your own. There are usually several restaurants within walking distance. The room is open during breaks if you wish to bring your own lunch.
Joseph Campbell and the Inner Journey:
Joseph Campbell made lasting contributions to understanding our life stories. This day draws on his explorations of the psychological dimensions of fairy tales and the goddess traditions. We will also examine how his own life and work illustrate the transformative journey model. The focus is on how to apply mythic stories to help with challenges.
Joseph Campbell and the Inner Journey - Description and Day Schedule
Pilgrimage and Liberation: NEW for 2024! Whether by travel or inner exploration, Pilgrimage can kindle an experience of liberation. The way of the seeker bridges visible and invisible worlds.
Pilgrimage and Liberation - Description and Day Schedule
The Good Life seminar is about savoring the harvest experience in adulthood and maturity. Enhanced self-knowledge is one of the benefits of age. While there can be challenges, adapting to changes creatively can deepen well-being. We will consider strategies for living authentically in the wisdom years.
The Good Life- Description and Day Schedule
Life-Story: Embracing the Unfolding Narratives: Lives have underlying patterns. We will look at maturation as a project of inventing a successful life story, cultivating a vision that nurtures one's best qualities, finding authenticity, and having compassion towards oneself and others.
Embracing the Unfolding Narratives - Description and Day Schedule
These courses include finding key metaphors in movies to deepen understanding of emotional issues, how to discuss popular films to normalize perceptions of problems - and to help evoke personal qualities, such as courage, tenderness, and flexibility.
Movies & the Mythic Imagination: The course explores uses of movies to increase understanding of emotional life. The plots and characters in movies reflect a broad range of human concerns and difficulties. The day will include a symbolic analysis of Black Panther as an initiatory adventure. The training includes how to detect psychological themes in movies to explore personal issues. Discussion points out parallels between dreamwork and cinematherapy.
Movies & the Mythic Imagination - Description and Day Schedule
Cinematherapy and Inner Process: The mythic imagination comes alive when we contemplate movies that have influenced us. Our emotional reactions to films can stimulate significant psychological work. Those on the inner journey can reflect on how elements of a story parallel their own discoveries. The awareness aroused by movie can be used effectively in therapy and for self-care.
This is a day on using movies for inner work.
Cinematherapy and Inner Process- Description and Day Schedule
Invoking the Sage: Savoring the inner life and connections with others can be the rewards of our later years. We will discuss elder and mentor stories to explore how to plan well for the harvest experience in maturity. Anyone with an interest is welcome. Fulfills Aging and Long-Term Care course requirements.
Invoking the Sage - Description and Day Schedule
Relishing the Third Act: This is a day on appreciating the unique pleasures of our later years while dealing creatively with the challenges. There is a freedom that can come from owning the role of elder. We will discuss rising to the tasks of aging with wit and imagination.
Pilgrimage and Liberation: Whether by travel or inner exploration, Pilgrimage can kindle an experience of liberation. The way of the seeker bridges visible and invisible worlds.
Pilgrimage and Liberation - Description and Day Schedule
Beloved of the Soul: Love stories from folklore reflect psychological life in amazing detail. Romantic fantasies are a window into the world within the individual. This course goes beyond couple issues to focus on how the inner journey is revealed in classic courtship tales.
Beloved of the Soul - Description and Day Schedule
Finding Your Way Back Home: This seminar enters the mythic imagination to explore the journey toward wholeness. We will discuss Hansel & Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood to see how timeless tales can help in our journeys. This course was previously titled Through the Dark Forest.
Finding Your Way Back Home - Description and Day Schedule
Psychology of Creativity: This course examines universal elements of the imagination - and draws on timeless stories, such as Alice in Wonderland and Robin Hood, to look at unique issues faced by highly creative people. We will discuss blocks and other challenges unique to artistic endeavors.
Psychology of Creativity - Description and Day Schedule
The Symbolism of Fairytales: Favorite stories from childhood can have subtle influences on adult identity. This course covers how to analyze familiar tales for metaphors rich in psychological insights. Focus is on the Cinderella stories, to show how allegories can reveal elements of the inner life.
The Symbolism of Fairytales- Description and Day Schedule
Peer Consultation: A meeting of the minds on case strategy using depth psychology perspectives. A day of therapy stories and insights into treatment options.
Peer Consultation Description and Day Schedule
Vocation of the Mentor: Drawing upon familiar characters, such as Mary Poppins and Gandalf (in The Lord of the Rings), we focus on finding the most effective methods of supporting and expanding the skills of others and on how to serve as a worthy example of integrity.
Vocation of the Mentor: Description and Day Schedule
Mentoring Identity Formation: Our second supervision course draws on Harry Potter to explore the inner life of training and managing others. Supporting those who are acquiring new skills is a delicate task worthy of care and reflection.
Mentoring Identity Formation - Description and Day Schedule
Soul of Ethics: More than a review of rules, this course strives to draw out the best in dedicated practitioners. The focus is on appreciating the values that attract people to the work of helping others. This day aims to inspire clinicians to claim their personal systems of applied ethics. To this end, we examine familiar stories and films about admirable professionals from a range of occupations. The goal is to evoke the essence of integrity. Ethics in depth involves awareness of our own personal qualities and counter-transference. It takes more than a good working knowledge of regulations to put values into practice on a daily basis. Attention is given to what moves distinguished colleagues to meet high standards consistently with grace.
Soul of Ethics - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 2: A Jungian Perspective on Character: A day on the unconscious dimensions of honor and values. The course looks at the Shadow archetype and challenges of staying accountable for misplaced emotional reactions. Storytelling includes The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe plus scenes from other tales that reflect ethical issues, such as managing personal limitations. This philosophical exploration of integrity is for those who want to work from their best qualities and ideals.
A Jungian Perspective on Character - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 3: Ethics in Depth Psychology: Our third course on ethics focuses on how shifts in our sense of identity can influence decision-making. Developing more complex access to inner states opens the possibility of working with others at deeper levels. This enhanced quality of engagement presents unique ethical challenges.
Ethics in Depth Psychology - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 4, Phantoms in Risk Management: Intense work in the helping professions involves dealing with our own unconscious processes. Our fourth course on ethics uses The Phantom of the Opera to illustrate how personal issues can influence ethical choices.
Law & Ethics 4: Phantom Issues in Risk Management - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 5, Managing Difficult Situations: Our fifth course on ethics focuses on the emotional challenges of mental health callings. There are times in professional lives that seem like dark nights of the soul. Mythic lore sees such troubles as stages of transformation. We will focus on personal benefits and applications to clinical practice.
Law & Ethics 5: Managing Difficult Situations - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 6, Supervision and Risk Management: Our sixth course on ethics focuses on Harry Potter and the wizard's guide to integrity. This one-day course combines Law and Ethics and Supervision. The six-hour course satisfies both the mandated class in law and ethics ~ and six-hour update on supervision. It would be of interest to anyone who finds themselves in a mentoring role. Virtually all work in the helping professions includes guidance or coaching, so this material has wide applications.
Law & Ethics 6: Supervision and Risk Management - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 7: Risk Management Reliability: Our seventh course on Law and Ethics uses the tale of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to explore the place of sensitivity in ethical practice. This is a six-hour class on inner workings of character and values in the helping professions.
Law & Ethics 7: Risk Management Reliability - Course Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 8: Minimizing Liability in Practice and Supervision: Our eighth course on Law and Ethics uses the tale of Anne of Green Gables to explore minimizing liability and risk management in ethical practice. This is a six-hour class on minimiing liability and ethics in the helping professions.
Minimizing Liability - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 9: Suicide and the Soul: When the pain of life becomes overwhelming, thoughts of ending the suffering can rise. This is one of the most challenging situations in the work of anyone in a helping profession. Any possibility that a client might be considering taking their life mobilizes all of our skills. This day, our ninth seminar on Law and Ethics is on how to evaluate the risk and reduce the possibility of self-destruction.
Suicide and the Soul - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 10: Supervision and Practice:
Clinical practice and supervision share the mentor archetype. This day draws on the initiatory themes in Wonder Woman to meet the Law & Ethics requirement and six hours toward the mandate for active supervisors.
Supervision and Practice - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 11: Diversity Humility:
Responding appropriately to clients from diverse backgrounds requires cultural sensitivity and clear ethical principles. We will use the film Avatar as a parable about otherness to strengthen skills needed to best serve unique populations.
Diversity Humility - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 12: Telehealth Touchstones: Online therapy involves unique advantages and challenges. This day covers clinical, technical, ethical and regulatory dimensions of online treatment. Discussion uses mythic characters such as Mercury, Hermes, Iris and Ariel to explore the depth psychology of communication. Meets Board of Behavioral Sciences required hours on Telehealth.
Law & Ethics 12: Telehealth Touchstones - Description and Day Schedule
Law & Ethics 13: On Being Real
This day is a day to reflect on being our authentic selves and to examine what it means to be human. A major focus will be on finding empathic ethics.
On Being Real: Description and Day Schedule
The Search for Meaning: This course looks at the great quest stories as guides to finding place and purpose. We will draw insights from the legends of the Holy Grail and discuss how a strong sense of meaning can aid in identity formation.
The Search for Meaning - Description and Day Schedule
Writing in Therapy: A series of workshops demonstrating uses writing for inner exploration. Activities include brief spontaneous writing activities with discussion of how such reflective expressions open awareness of the stirrings of the unconscious. The series does not have to be taken in sequence.