Exploring Psychodynamic Therapy & Jungian Psychology

Both psychodynamic therapy and Jungian psychology are rooted in depth psychology, an approach that explores the unconscious mind, emotional patterns, and the deeper forces that shape our lives.

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Much of what shapes our emotional lives happens outside of conscious awareness.

We may find ourselves repeating familiar relationship patterns, reacting more intensely than we expect, or feeling disconnected from ourselves without fully understanding why. While these experiences can be confusing, they often point toward deeper psychological processes rather than personal shortcomings. Psychodynamic therapy and Jungian psychology begin with the belief that lasting change comes through understanding these deeper patterns.

Rather than focusing only on managing symptoms, these approaches explore the unconscious mind, early relationships, internal conflicts, dreams, and the search for meaning. Together, they belong to the broader tradition of depth psychology, which seeks to understand not only what we experience, but why we experience it. By developing greater awareness of our inner world, we create new possibilities for healing, growth, and more authentic ways of living.

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What is Psychodynamic Therapy?

If you've ever wondered, what is psychodynamic therapy? Simply put, it is a form of talk therapy that explores how unconscious thoughts, emotions, and past experiences continue to shape life in the present.

Rather than focusing only on symptoms, psychodynamic therapy seeks to understand the deeper patterns beneath them. Early relationships, attachment experiences, and the ways we learn to cope often influence how we navigate emotions, relationships, and challenges long into adulthood, even when we're not fully aware of their impact.

Psychodynamic therapy may explore:

  • Early relationships and attachment

  • Unconscious thoughts and emotions

  • Recurring relationship patterns

  • Emotional defenses and coping strategies

  • The influence of past experiences on present-day life

The goal is not to dwell on the past, but to better understand the present. As unconscious patterns become more conscious, people often develop greater self-awareness, emotional flexibility, and the freedom to respond differently. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with you?" psychodynamic therapy asks, "What experiences shaped the way you learned to survive, relate, and understand yourself?"

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What is Jungian Therapy?

Developed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, Jungian psychology expands on many of the ideas found in psychodynamic therapy by exploring not only how our past shapes us, but also how we create meaning, grow, and become more fully ourselves throughout life. While our personal experiences influence who we are, Jung believed they are only part of the story.

One of Jung's most influential ideas was the collective unconscious. He believed that, alongside our personal experiences, we share universal patterns of human experience that appear across cultures in myths, dreams, stories, and symbols. These recurring themes can help us better understand ourselves, our relationships, and the challenges we face throughout life.

Jungian psychology emphasizes:

  • Finding meaning in life's experiences

  • Developing a deeper understanding of yourself

  • Exploring dreams, symbols, and imagination

  • Honouring creativity as a path to growth

  • Becoming more integrated and authentic over time

At the heart of Jungian psychotherapy is the process of individuation, the lifelong journey of becoming more fully ourselves. Rather than seeing emotional struggles as something to simply eliminate, Jung believed they could become opportunities for self-understanding, creativity, and living a life that feels more meaningful.

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How They

So, what is depth psychology? Depth psychology is a broad approach to understanding the human mind that explores what lies beneath conscious awareness. While we are often aware of our thoughts, much of what influences our emotions, relationships, behaviours, and sense of self operates outside of our awareness. Depth psychology is interested in bringing these unconscious patterns into consciousness so they can be understood rather than simply managed.

Rather than seeing symptoms as isolated problems, depth psychology views them as expressions of a deeper inner life that may be communicating something important. It invites us to explore the meaning beneath our experiences, recognize the patterns that have shaped us, and develop a more authentic relationship with ourselves.

Psychodynamic therapy and Jungian psychology both belong to this tradition, offering different but complementary ways of understanding the unconscious and supporting lasting psychological growth.

Psychodynamic therapy and Jungian psychotherapy draw from a variety of approaches to deepen self-understanding & support lasting change.

These techniques are always tailored to your unique experiences. Together, they help bring unconscious patterns into awareness, foster greater self-understanding, and support healing, meaning making, and lasting psychological growth.

Depending on your needs and therapeutic goals, our work together may include:

  • Exploring unconscious patterns and recurring themes

  • Dreamwork and dream analysis

  • Active imagination

  • Inner parts work

  • Reflecting on relationship dynamics and attachment patterns

  • Working with symbols, creativity, journaling, or artwork

  • Making meaning of life experiences and emotional challenges

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Nadia Rae

Meet Nadia Rae

I am a licensed depth psychotherapist specializing in psychodynamic and Jungian therapy. My clinical work focuses on supporting adults healing from early childhood trauma, especially those who have long felt like the black sheep in their families or communities. My work is grounded in the depth tradition and informed by graduate and doctoral training at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

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“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

- C.G. Jung

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Jungian therapy is a form of depth-oriented psychotherapy that grew out of the psychodynamic tradition. While both approaches explore unconscious patterns, relationships, and early experiences, Jungian therapy places greater emphasis on dreams, symbols, creativity, archetypes, and the lifelong process of individuation. My work is informed by Jungian psychology while remaining grounded in contemporary psychodynamic thinking.

  • Not exactly. Depth psychology and psychoanalysis share a common history, but they are not the same. Carl Jung began his career as Sigmund Freud's student and was once considered Freud's heir. While they agreed that much of our emotional life exists outside of conscious awareness, Jung eventually developed his own psychological framework that expanded beyond Freud's ideas, giving rise to what is now known as Jungian psychology.

    Today, depth psychology is a broader field that includes Jungian psychology, psychoanalytic thought, and other approaches that explore the unconscious mind and the deeper forces shaping our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and sense of self.

    While psychoanalysis is one specific therapeutic tradition, depth psychology is a broader orientation that explores not only symptoms, but also dreams, symbolism, creativity, relationships, identity, and meaning. The goal is not simply to relieve suffering, but to cultivate greater self-awareness, authenticity, and psychological growth.

    My work is rooted in this depth-oriented perspective while drawing from contemporary psychodynamic theory and evidence-based practice.

  • Yes, when it is meaningful to you. Many of my clients bring dreams into therapy because they offer a rich window into the unconscious and can deepen our understanding of what is unfolding in their lives. Some clients bring a dream nearly every session, others bring one occasionally, and many never bring dreams at all. 

    Some individuals come to therapy after years of rarely or never remembering their dreams. As they develop a deeper relationship with their inner world, dreams sometimes begin to return naturally. For others, dream recall remains infrequent, and that is also okay. Therapy can be deeply transformative with or without dream work. We simply work with whatever emerges.

  • Yes. Modern psychodynamic therapy is supported by decades of research demonstrating its effectiveness for concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties. 

    Depth psychology embraces this evidence while also recognizing that healing involves more than measurable symptom change. It attends to the symbolic, relational, and existential dimensions of human experience including meaning, identity, imagination, and the unconscious. As psychological science continues to evolve, researchers are increasingly exploring these richer dimensions of well-being alongside traditional cognitive and behavioral outcomes.

  • Depth-oriented therapy may be a good fit if you are someone who is naturally curious about yourself and your inner life. Many of the people I work with are creative, artistic, neurodivergent, or have always felt like the "black sheep" in their family or community. They are interested in more than symptom relief. They want to understand themselves more fully, cultivate a richer relationship with their inner world, and create lasting change.

    Many of my clients also come to depth-oriented therapy after having experience with cognitive or behavioral approaches such as CBT. While those approaches may have been helpful, they often find themselves wanting to explore the deeper patterns, relationships, and meaning underlying their experiences.

    If you are looking to move beyond a quick fix and develop a deeper understanding of yourself, this approach may be a meaningful fit. During an initial consultation, we will discuss your goals, answer any questions you have, and determine whether this approach is the right fit for you.

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Psychodynamic therapy is offered by Nadia Rae Brackett, who is wearing a beige sweater, white wide-leg lace-trimmed pants, and beige ankle boots, standing in front of a curved tan sofa and a wall with a painted tree mural.
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