The Healing Power of Fairy Tales

Why fairy tales – Märchen?  When C.G. Jung discovered the archetypal realm of the collective unconscious, he also found that through the ages myths, fairy tales and legends provided a “clothing” so to speak for these, otherwise invisible, potentially healing psychodynamics. When we listen to fairy tales our soul is invited to journey into lands of horror and violences well as enchanting rescues and romances. The original fairy tales are ever so much more grim and violent than the Walt Disney versions we are familiar with. Fairy tales assure the listener – adult and child alike – that while evil, danger and violence do exist, they can be transformed. By entering into the magic of a fairy tale, our psyche re-connects with the healing potential of the archetypal realm. More details.

Disobedience, Evil, Animals and Happily Ever After in Fairy Tales

Fantastic journeys, heroic deeds and helpful animals are among the archetypal topics we will work and play with during the workshop. Jungian analysts have learned that attending to fairy tales can reconnect us to levels of our psyche where through the transcending function of symbols, insight, growth and healing can take place. Fairy tales belong in our inner nursery fostering active involvement with fantasy and creativity. Anyone dealing with the child inside one’s soul or without as parent or professional can enjoy and benefit from this workshop. More details.

Jutta von Buchholtz, PhD is a senior Jungian analyst, whose academic background is a Ph.D. in medieval literature from Vanderbilt University. She thinks this lends itself beautifully for a Jungian approach to fairy tales. She finds it deeply moving how archetypal themes, so cleverly and movingly embodied in fairy tales, continue to play themselves out in our daily lives in the twenty first century – they bind and contain our common humanity. As part of her midlife crisis she received her diploma from the C.G. Jung Institute Zürich. Jutta is a Senior analyst involved in training future Jungian analysts in the New Orleans and Atlanta/ Memphis seminars. She sees clients in Birmingham, Al.