The Shadow with Dr Beth Foley
“The Shadow personifies everything that the subject refuses to acknowledge about himself”. (Jung 1959, CW9, para. 513).
Shadow work is an aspect of the process of becoming more individuated. This presentation aims to increase our awareness and intuition regarding the shadow. The shadow contains what has not been allowed in consciousness, for many reasons and includes ‘our hidden potentials, capacities and qualities lying dormant in our unlived life – as well as that which we fear, dislike and despise in ourselves and therefore see in other people’ (Perry & Tower, 2023). We will discuss the process of differentiating the shadow, the ability to stay grounded in the face of shadow activation and the process of discovering our hidden treasures. The alignment of the shadow and the ego personality is essential for functioning well in life.
Dr Beth Foley is a Training and Supervising Analyst with the CG Jung Institute of ANZSJA and holds the President role of this organisation. Beth is in private practice as a Jungian Analyst in Coffs Harbour and has also practiced as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years. Her PhD researched the therapeutic effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapies in psychiatric and oncology settings and resulted in a number of academic papers. She has lectured at several universities on health psychology, existential issues and Jungian psychoanalysis over many years.