WHO WE ARE
We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to exploring the ideas of C.G. Jung and those who have been inspired by him. Since 1974, we have been presenting Friday Talks and Saturday Workshops in Portland led by Jungian analysts and scholars from around the world. We also stream these programs to all who cannot attend in person.
Our Jungian library offers books, journals, recordings of past programs, and a beautiful setting to encourage exploration and community. We welcome lay and professional people in all stages of life and with varying levels of familiarity with Jung’s work. Non-members are welcome at all of our programs.
OUR MISSION
The purpose of the Oregon Friends of C. G. Jung (OFCGJ) is to further the knowledge of and interest in Jungian psychology. OFCGJ recognizes it as worthwhile for individuals pursuing their own psychological development to come together regularly for personal growth and fellowship.
OUR STORY
In the early 1970s, an era of emerging social consciousness and individual exploration, fifty people responded to an advertisement in a small, local newspaper, The Lake Oswego Review, and gathered under a shade tree in the backyard of founder, Dottie Kyle, to share ideas about Jungian psychology.
They were hungry for discussion and community. Oregon Friends of Jung was born out of this gathering of seekers.
Before long, those early OFCGJ members began inviting leading Jungians to Portland as a way of nourishing themselves and serving the community. Programs with Joseph Campbell, James Hillman, Edward Edinger, Joseph Wheelwright, Marion Woodman, Jean Bolen, Anthony Stevens, and Thomas Moore attracted attendees from around the state, and beyond.
OFCGJ TODAY
Oregon Friends of Jung is a 300-member volunteer organization, supported by a lay Board and an Executive Director, and dedicated to carrying on the intent of those early organizers. We are committed to the following:
- Presenting fresh and innovative Jungian ideas, delivered by speakers with expertise, depth and integrity
- Making programs and our extensive library available to our community
- Running our organization in a way that respects the individuation process of our members
When we invite speakers from across the United States, Europe, and around the world, we ask them, “Where is your work taking you now? What’s giving you energy?” Presenters (most of whom are analysts) respond with enthusiasm, often proposing a more evolved approach compared to what they’ve presented elsewhere. Some speakers prepare new material especially for us. Their fresh ideas and thoughtful insights bring a palpable energy to the weekends, and help us draw audiences of 200 or more to our Friday evening presentations.
All of our Friday Talks and Saturday workshops are open to the greater community. We consciously provide a range of topics and experiences, aware that our attendees’ individual typologies, familiarity with Jungian ideas, and personal interests generate engagement and a variety of thoughtful responses to our annual eight-weekend season of programs. As a lay organization, we draw diverse audiences from a wide spectrum of professions, including a sizeable minority of members in the helping professions. Speakers have often commented on the stimulating, heartfelt quality of audience questions posed during interactive segments of the Talks and Workshops.
As Oregon Friends of Jung continues to serve our community, we remain conscious of the vision of our founders: to humbly and with few organizational trappings, offer serious Jungian discourse to individuals who are searching for consciousness and meaning in their personal lives and in the world.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our board members come from all walks of life, united in their interest in promoting the spirit of inquiry which was the hallmark of Jung’s work. These are the current board members:
Background: Intercultural communications coaching, training and teaching. Business owner.
What brought me to Jung: The Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers PBS series in 1988 on the Power of Myth, and the early CenterPoint study program that introduced Jungian ideas.
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since: I began attending OFJ programs in 1987, joined the Board and served for a number
of years, and am now Executive Director of OFJ.
Background: Law, Depth Psychology
What brought me to Jung: The need to understand my experience of a spontaneous non-ordinary state of consciousness which involved two visions.
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since: I went to my first Friday night lecture in 2007. I was hooked.
Background: Cognitive Psychologist, Rock Star, Business Consultant, Life Coach, Podcaster, Author
What brought me to Jung: I fell in love with Robert Bly’s “A Little Book on the Human Shadow,” and became a hardcore Jungian enthusiast after reading James Hollis’ “Between Worlds.” I integrated Jungian shadow work with cognitive psychology in my own book, “The Power of Authenticity” (2026).
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since 2021 after feeling a great synergy with OFJ’s amazing speakers. I’ve been on the board since 2024.
Background: Behavioral health operations and music composition
What brought me to Jung: I first encountered Jung’s ideas through the work of Robert A. Johnson, Thomas Moore, and Jordan B. Peterson, discovering a rich symbolic framework that helped me understand the deeper patterns shaping my life.
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since: 2021, starting with a visit to the library.
Bio:
Hamlet said to his friend “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”. Since adolescence I have had a budding interest in the depth of the psyche, and this naturally led me to Jung, that intrepid researcher of the soul. This has culminated in a 30 year career as a therapist where I am still learning the deeper dimensions of the human experience.
Background: Curator / producer of live music and community arts events
What brought me to Jung: I fell in love with Jung’s work through Nietzsche, while studying Philosophy. I found Jung’s seminars on Nietzsche ‘s Zarathustra and found Jung’s work deeply resonant.
Involved with Oregon Friends of jung since: I started with attending Sylvia Perera’s lecture on Hermes in 2018. Then launched OFJ’s Instagram account in 2019, and joined the Board in 2020!
Background:
Creative coach, producer and writer.
What brought me to Jung:
I had always been fascinated by the creative spirit and how it manifests into form. Someone gifted me The Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 15: Spirit in Man, Art, and Literature. For the first time, I saw words put to my own creative experience. After that, I was hooked! The deeper I went, the more fascinated I became by how Jung was able to grasp the archetypal essence of everything both in nature and in the human condition.
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since:
2024. After moving to Portland, I was looking to surround myself with like minded people on a similar path of understanding the psyche and the collective unconscious. I started volunteering whenever my help was needed.
Background:
Community Engagement Consultant and Jungian Tarot Reader
What brought me to Jung:
A counselor first introduced me to Jung while helping me integrate the loss of my parents. I trained with an analyst to start my tarot practice, and I’ve continued enriching my life with Jungian ideas ever since.
Involved with Oregon Friends of Jung since:
2025, looking for more engagement with my local Jungian community.
