Jungian analysis is primarily interested in the multiplicity of the psyche and the relationship with the unconscious. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, it is not focused on the needs of consciousness, fulfilling goals and striving for success. Jungian analysis is not a “self-improvement project. In other words, from the view of the collective, the work with the unconscious does not fulfill expectations because it resists goals and intentions. Jungian analysis is better understood as a mythopoetic experience that encourages a personal descent journey with the whole of oneself in service of of the soul and individuation.
The following reasons are why you might seek Jungian analysis:
- You’re interested in learning more about Jungian analysis, Jungian art therapy, and Jung’s view of the psyche.
- An influx of unconscious material (dreams, expressive art work, automatic writing, visions, and or imaginations) continuing to call on you for answers.
- A desire to engage with personal unconscious material in a symbolic way.
- A major life changing event, leading to feelings of over-whelm and disorientation.
- A desire for deep personal growth and expansion of consciousness that is not ego-driven.
- Feeling disenchanted with regular life–a desire for meaning and to reconnect with your inner wildness and true nature.
- Traumatic events continue to haunt you without resolution.
- A desire to explore intergenerational events.
- Feeling creatively or spiritually flattened by daily life or creatively and spiritually inspired.
- Dreams that are repetitive, troubling, or numinous.
Making the calls to find the right Jungian analyst or psychotherapist is often the hardest, but once we take the step, we find our way. It is important that we not settle with just any therapist, but to make sure we find the right fit. This is something I value and will encourage. In fact, I may even give you other referral sources so you can explore what is best for you. If you want to initiate contact with me, You can email me (nora@swanfoster.com) or call to enquire about openings for therapy in my practice (303-440-4000). I may have a wait list so it is important to know that entering analysis or psychotherapy with me may not be immediate. Please provide good times for me to reach you so that we can have a brief conversation. It is often not easy to return calls during the day when I am in sessions, but I will do my best to contact you and set up a time for us to talk further. I typically spend about 20-30 minutes talking with you before we decide if an introductory session is the right choice for you. If it is, we will schedule an appointment.
Although many therapists offer a free introductory session, I do not.
Speaking by phone prior to our meeting to answer any of your questions typically resolves initial concerns or mismatches prior to scheduling an initial session. In the initial session you will have an opportunity to work with a dream or use art materials. You will leave knowing how I work and how we might work together. Whether or not you choose to schedule another appointment is entirely up to you. Having one appointment does not mean you must schedule a second one unless you are ready to do so, and we agree that the fit is right for us both. If you decide to try future sessions, we will confirm our work together after three or four sessions.
Many people believe they don’t have dreams, when actually it may be that they just need practice remembering them. Tending to our dreams takes commitment and practice–the unconscious needs to know you’re serious. Entering into a Jungian analysis is a disciplined process of tracking the unconscious.
We can discuss how to support your dreaming process by having a recorder, or pen and paper beside your bed so as to attempt to catch or remember just a few words or images. We will also discuss the best way for you to present your dreams in your sessions. It’s very helpful time-wise if you bring your dreams already typed up with two copies so we can work with them together. It’s also helpful to have a set place where you store your dreams.
**Please note, dreams are not necessary for you to participate in Jungian analysis. There are many other ways to develop a relationship with the unconscious. For instance, you can use art materials, or often times our daily experiences may offer imagery and feelings for us to cultivate a relationship with our inner world. Eventually this may lead you to start dreaming.
My sessions are 60 minutes and by appointment only. Occasionally 90 minute sessions are scheduled. I use longer sessions because of the inclusion of art materials and the art process, which often demands additional time. I will have a few time slots that are available for you to choose from. Having a regular time for your therapy demonstrates to psyche that you are serious about the work; with a set schedule, the psychological container can form and begin to heat.
I highly recommend that psychotherapy and analysis be no less than once a week. At times people have to reduce to an every other week schedule, but this is less productive and can easily fall into you falling into a “catch up” kind of narrative without depth. An option that is more productive is to have “chunks of sessions” at a time, if finances are a concern. My schedule is rarely flexible, meaning you and I will find a regular time and day for your sessions. This helps to let psyche know we are seriously interested in working with psychological material from the unconscious.
Payment is required at the time of service in either cash, check, Venmo or credit card. If you prefer to use credit or medical debit, please let me know because there is a $4.00 fee. You are welcome to pay ahead for sessions if this helps with your budget and we can discuss the specifics when we meet in person. My fees are $225 for an hour session. The 1 ½ session for an individual is $300.
Twice weekly sessions are considered special circumstances and may be eligible for a no-paper sliding scale. If you are writing a check, please have it filled out ahead of time. If you pay by credit card, I will add a $4.00 processing fee.
I do not belong to any insurance panels so if you wish to file insurance I can offer you a super bill form for you to submit. I do not handle insurance paperwork or insurance issues—this is between you and your insurance company.
Filing insurance requires me to release certain confidential material. This can be an ethical issue regarding your treatment depending upon your insurance policy. We will discuss the pros and cons of filing insurance and this ultimately will be your decision.
If you require receipts for a MSA account, I can provide this at your request.
If you are unable to make your scheduled appointment, I require a 24 hour cancellation. If you can let me know earlier this is very much appreciated. It is up to you to keep track of your appointments and to arrive on time as well as to be responsible for cancelling. This cancellation policy is standard practice. If you do not show up for your appointment or call to cancel 24 hours before your appointment time, I will charge for the session and expect payment.
When you enter analysis, you may wonder how long it will last. Any therapeutic process that works with emotions and allows for the unexpected is not linear. When doing in-depth psychological work, our psyche determines the process. I trust that the ending will emerge naturally and that when it arrives, it is important to discuss and acknowledge the amount of work we have done and the material you have shared. Ideally it can take a few sessions to cover some of the emotions around endings. If I do not see that we are making progress, I am ethically responsible to let you know so we can discuss the various options.
Endings are an incredibly rich process within the therapeutic relationship. Sometimes endings are the most challenging part of therapy because there is a tendency to foreclose on the “good-bye” process to avoid what is most difficult, thereby devaluing our own psychological process and the therapeutic relationship. Endings also offer us a time to repair those endings that did not go well in the past. Sometimes it’s hard to change that pattern, but I’m open to working on this with you although I will not force a particular process on you.
You can reflect on previous experiences you’ve had with endings or losses. The ending of any amount of therapy takes some forethought, as it is an opportunity to speak honestly about your inner work. It can be helpful to have several sessions scheduled in a row so you may confidently draw from what you have learned during your psychological process. When we experience an authentic and conscious ending, we can be launched into a completely new phase of our life.
I am currently working limited hours and doing a hybrid model of office, telephone and Zoom sessions, depending on specific requests and protocols based on personal, scientific, and medical recommendations. I have specific days when I am in the office so in person is limited to those days.
My office address is 1919 Valmont Road, Suite 209, Boulder, CO 80301.
