Kate Hooper

 

After a personal crisis years ago, I followed a scent leading down the rabbit hole, which thankfully ended up being the route into Archetypal or Depth Psychology....This perspective became captivating and intriguing, which slowly opened up and exposed me to a more meaningful, richer way of life.... Also, the personal narrative that I carried around like a bag of bones for years was gradually re-worked, re-imagined and re-scripted.... Things in a strange sense thereafter, began to fall into their rightful place, threads were pulled together, unconscious material revealed; and new, unexpected stories began to emerge.....This process eventually created a sense of deep relief and joy, paving the way for a deeper curiosity about my surrounds and the world at large. This perspective, rooted in the aesthetics and imagination (the arts, culture, mythology and philosophy) has subsequently been taken into my practice...

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The term, 'Archetypal' was coined in the 1970's by James Hillman, because its roots go back to the founding father, Carl Jung. Within this framework, there's an exploration of loosening habituated narratives that either become fixed, or that have become an echo of the broader society... When perspectives go unchecked, they can restrict the ability to accept what simply is, stifling the creation of an authentic life that may be waiting  to be explored.....If these stories go unchecked through 'talk therapy' alone, this can perpetuate patterns or stories that no longer serve who you are now...Over time, this will  naturally manifest in symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, addictions, inauthenticity, illness, or a sense of meaninglessness.

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Another drawcard of this approach, is that when creatively playing with these stories in a therapeutic context, the presenting dreams, myths or everyday experiences, will open up and allow unconscious, shadow material to be made conscious. This will no doubt, provide some profound ideas and unexpected insights, allowing for a more curious and deeper exploration to occur between patient and therapist. By cultivating the imaginal, over time, the stories become richer and more interesting, which goes to the basic premise of: 'doctor the story, not the patient', encouraging you, as James Hillman suggested, to re-think, re-vision and re-imagine...

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