The Inner Life of Holidays - Symbols and Rituals of Renewal
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Story and Symbol Therapy Courses Register Community Dates Contact
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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.
Discuss psychological elements of festive gatherings.
Explain how archetypal patterns appear in seasonal customs.
Assess underlying issues in holiday stress.
Explain how archetypal patterns appear in seasonal customs.
Assess underlying grief in clients presenting holiday stress.
Demonstrate how rituals can facilitate psychological integration.
This seminar is taught at the introductory level and requires no advance preparation. However, participants are provided with a recommended reading list as part of their class materials.
The material is presented at an introductory level, requiring no background in mythic studies, narrative theory, or Jungian psychology.
The following CE credits are available:
Psychology, LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, Ed Psych, NBCC : 6 CE hours
Nursing : 7 hours
Most teachers must get credits approved by their school administration. Center courses meet the requirements in most states. Contact us if you need more information about receiving credit in your state.
Select a seminar location from the Current Seminar Dates and Formats
Register online or call the Center
Jonathan Young, PhD is a psychologist (PSY10231) with an international online practice. He teaches at the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara. His books and articles focus on personal mythology. Dr.Young assisted mythologist Joseph Campbell at seminars and was founding curator of the Joseph Campbell Archives and Library. He is currently featured in several documentary series on the History Channel.
Anne Bach, M.S., MFT 38891 is a specialist in uses of writing in psychotherapy. She gives presentations on creativity as inner work at major conferences, and lectures widely on psychological dimensions of expressive writing. She also appears in memoir drama performances for various theater groups, including the Marsh Stage in Berkeley. Her clinical background includes poetry therapy with seriously mentally ill patients.
Dr. Young also gives frequent media interviews, public talks, workshops, and in-service trainings throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Checking-in begins at 9:30 a.m. - Seminar 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Expectations and realizations
- Psychological dimensions of gift giving
- Popular films as representations of nostalgia and longing
- Effects of music, television, and public events
- Please return on time
- Traditions and their psychological dimensions
- Archetypal readings of ancient images
- Familiar tales and personal renewal
- How holidays influence personal mythology
- Hopes, losses and excesses
- Cautions and limitations to treatment
Caplan, Mariana (1997) When Holidays are Hell! - A Guide to Surviving Family Gatherings. Prescott, AZ: Hohm Press
Dickens, Charles (1843) A Christmas Carol. Lindenhurst, NY: Tribeca Books (2010 edition)
Lester, Meera (2007) Why Does Santa Wear Red? - and 100 Other Christmas Curiousities Unwrapped. Avon MA: Adams Media / F&W Publications
Litt, Matthew (2010) Christmas 1945 - The Greatest Celebration in American History. Palisades, NY: History Publishing Co
Matthews, John (1998) The Winter Solstice - The Sacred Traditions of Christmas. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books
Rappaport, Herbert (2000) Holiday Blues - Rediscovering the Art of Celebration. Philadelphia: Running Press
Restad, Penne L. (1996) Christmas in America - A History. New York: Oxford University Press
Schmidt, Leigh Eric (1995) Consumer rites - The buying & selling of American holidays. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press