Alchemy and Psychotherapy

Alchemical symbols are part of popular culture most recently popularised in the Harry Potter books. Alchemy intrigued Carl Jung the founder of analytical psychology. It inspired him as he wrote âthe Red Bookâ - the journal of his voyage of internal discovery. He devoted much of his life to it using alchemical symbols as metaphors for unconscious processes. Alchemy and Psychotherapy explores the issue of alchemy in the consulting room and its application to social and political issues. This book argues against the dominant discourse in contemporary psychotherapy - scientific materialism - and for the discovery of spiritual meaning. Alchemy and Psychotherapy has four main sections: âAlchemy and meaningâ - looks at the history of alchemy particularly the symbol of the coniunctio - sacred marriage - a metaphor for the therapeutic relationship. 'The symbolic attitudeâ - explores working with dreams fairytales astrology and the body: each of which is a symbolic language. âThe spirit and the natural worldâ - discusses the concept of 'burn out' - of therapists our ecological resources the mystical aspects of quantum physics and the philosophical underpinning of symbol formation. âClinical Applicationsâ - shows alchemyâs use with victims of abuse those struggling to secure gender identity in anorexia and in âsocial healingâ - atonement and restorative justice - which apply the idea of the coniunctio. Alchemy and Psychotherapy is illustrated throughout with clinical examples alchemical pictures and poetry which emphasise that alchemy is both a creative art and a science. Bringing together contributors from a wide range of disciplines Dale Mathers and contributors show that therapy is both art and science that the consulting room is the alchemical laboratory and that their research is their creative engagement. Alchemy and Psychotherapy will be a valuable resource for practitioners students at all levels of psychotherapy analytical psychology psychoanalysis and creative art-based therapies and for creative practitioners (in film literature and performing arts) who draw on Jungâs ideas. . Language: English