Individuation is a necessary process in psychological development and involves a human being taking steps to achieve a form of individuality. The person deems themselves a separate entity with a varying identity from others and starts consciously existing as an independent human in the world (Galipeau, 2013). Nonetheless, some people have problems with the individuation process. They exhibit various issues that therapists can help them through to form stable relationships with others and develop a persona.
A person going through individuation may seek privacy and should be afforded this separation with support from family and friends. Teens in their formative years are prone to spending time alone and are unlikely to associate with others as in previous years. Therapists should request caregivers refrain from pressuring them to disclose their relationships or daily activities. They should wait for the teenagers to open up about such issues as they have assessed what they wish to share (Galipeau, 2013). Adults may also become private as they adjust their lives to reflect a particular aspect they wish to improve or change about their lives.
Furthermore, therapists should help caregivers understand that younger clients are egocentric when forming a personality. Individuals develop egocentric traits as they develop and are more focused on their concerns, struggling to determine issues based on others’ perspectives. The counselor should allow the teenager to focus on their development during this crucial process as long as it does not adversely influence their academic and social growth (Dehing, 1992). Older individuals are likely to manifest this egocentrism by switching jobs or quitting their work to focus on other issues. A counselor should support their decisions if they are unlikely to result in issues such as rental delays. If a person discerns a problem with their employment, they may change it for one they prefer to elicit the greatest happiness. However, the counselor should encourage them to think through these decisions to ensure they are not making them based on whims but are carefully thought out.
If therapists accepted themselves as a whole with devious traits, they would have difficulty determining if their clients were making mistakes. They would also propagate an erroneous image because they would support adverse characteristics deemed wrong by society. They should refrain from exhibiting every part of themselves, relying on positive ones that would promote the development of a healthy personality. In this instance, they could mention that the shadow archetype, as named by Jung, is a normal part of individual psyche development (Dehing, 1992; Perry). However, by illustrating its deviation from societal norms, they could help the client see that such traits should be abandoned and not repressed to form healthy habits.
Similarly, as therapists would refrain from showing every aspect of their persona to the client, they should also encourage them to hide some traits. However, they should encourage them to share some of these issues if they are socially acceptable despite being negative (Dehing, 1992). For example, it is not prudent to hide one’s likelihood of getting irritable or angry. If a behavior cannot be classified as illegal or wrong, they should alleviate it but may share it with others (Perry). In contrast, animus sides should be dealt with to prevent oneself from promoting a harmful personality. Nonetheless, a therapist should encourage clients to accept themselves despite harmful traits as it is normal human behavior that individuals can fix.
References
Dehing, J. (1992). The therapist’s interventions in Jungian analysis. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 37(1), 29–47. Web.
Galipeau, S. (2013). The Red Book and Jung’s typology. Psychological Perspectives, 56(1), 34–49. Web.
Perry, C. (n.d.). The shadow. Society of Analytical Psychology. Web.