Jungian Psychotherapists Association 20th Anniversary Celebration

To celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of the Jungian Psychotherapists Association (JPA), JPA offers two public seminars in 2013: Ann Belford Ulanov, April 20, 2013 (already presented) and John Bebee, October 19, 2013: Approaching a Patient’s Complexes in Contemporary Culture. After Dr. Beebe’s presentation, we will host a reception to celebrate 20 years of collegial community.

Nineteen years ago, at David Hufford’s behest, eight people gathered to craft a unique Jungian organization, envisioning a cooperative professional training organization for mental health practitioners interested in Analytical Psychology. The resulting Jungian Psychotherapists Association (JPA) nestles midway between the analyst’s guild, North Pacific Institute for Analytical Psychology/NPIAP, and the community salon, C. G Jung Society, Seattle. The JPA steering group inaugurated the organization with a 1983 public presentation by John Beebe: What I’ve Learned from Jung about Doing Psychotherapy. Many event participants enthusiastically joined JPA to become charter members. At its inception, JPA members met quarterly for business meetings combined with invited short clinical presentations by local analysts, sometimes followed by a facilitated discussion several weeks later. During the ensuing almost 20 years, JPA has offered a variety of workshops designs, most currently in the form of a public seminar, two clinical workshops, and an ethics workshop each year; many workshops are followed by a case consultation led by the workshop leader. Members may invite licensed practitioners to JPA clinical workshops.

For many years, Steering Committee members and charter members rotated through elected offices. Many Steering Committee members and charter members have redirected their attention to other interests; others have become Jungian analysts or Psychoanalytic analysts; and none of the original Steering Committee members currently serve on the Council. A new generation of members now holds elected offices and will ably guide the organization into the future.

The JPA mission, as listed on the website (www.jpaseattle.org), states the following: “The JPA is a mutually supportive organization of psychotherapists actively engaged in the study and application of Analytical Psychology. The central purpose of the JPA is to further the professional growth, development, and education of its members. To support this aim, the JPA provides professional educational opportunities with a clinical focus, including seminars, courses, consultations, and, study groups.” JPA offers a free annual ethics workshop for members as well as an annual public seminar, open to the public, at which well-known Jungian speakers present cutting-edge Jungian perspectives.

JPA is a fluid organization, adjusting to contemporary needs and directions; for example, JPA recently changed the membership requirements to eliminate required task group participation and Jungian analysis. Current membership guidelines are as follows: interest and foundational background in Jungian Analytical Psychology; and licensed clinician (or in the process of becoming licensed). Benefits of membership include professional community; professional development opportunities; member rate for all training events; professional listserve; JPA blog; and website listing.

We invite you to celebrate our 20^th Anniversary with us. And we invite you to join our professional community which offers a rich variety of learning opportunities.