The Soul's Wishes

The Soul's Wishes

The "Soul's Wishes" is a phrase in Jungian coaching to describe a process central to individuation.

What is The Process?

In the Jungian Coaching Model, "Tending the Soul's Wishes" is the way we listen for images, themes, and guidance coming from the soul or psyche. Akke-Jeanne Klerk writes, "This movement of tending to the soul’s wish is often a fundamental shift in orientation of the ego attitude." This shift in orientation allows you to see where you are conflicted, or see your whole self in the context of the forces that shaped you.

Your Deepest Calling

In "The Development of Personality" (Collected Works, vol. 17) Jung discusses human vocation. For Jung the call to a vocation pulls a person in to greater consciousness, and they become more fully awake. This separates them from others in the group who are driven by social and memetic forces.

Those who heed the call move towards greater individuation, but those who reject or repress the call tend to lose agency and feel powerless.

Discernment

The path of individuation gives a person strength to resist cultural forces and follow their own intuition and calling, and Jung warned that not all calls are good or wise. He wrote that discernment was necessary when listening to any inner voice, especially one that is calling you to action. In a 1933 lecture he said that true leaders are capable of self-reflection and consciously hold themselves aloof from "the blind momentum of the mass in movement." They are "firmly rooted not only in the outside world but also in the world within." True leaders, he said, have done the inner work necessary to distinguish their own psyche from the collective psyche. The collective psyche can seem like an inner part of yourself, but it is different. Jungians generally agree that the discernment takes time, often years, and is linked to your own development as a person. Mature individuals who have tested their inner voices develop the ability to hear the deep wisdom at the core of their being, sometimes called the True Self. The Biblical traditions points to the "still small voice" suggesting that the soul's wishes are often whispers.

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, the creator of Internal Family Systems, arrived at this same conclusion from listening to his clients and taking their experiences seriously. He calls it the Self with a capital S. Schwartz was so inspired by this model of "Self Leadership" that he dedicated his life to teaching it.

A Jungian coach can be a companion on the inner journey, helping you develop your inner discernment and find your deepest motivations.

The "Soul's Wishes" is a phrase in Jungian coaching to describe a process central to individuation.

What is The Process?

In the Jungian Coaching Model, "Tending the Soul's Wishes" is the way we listen for images, themes, and guidance coming from the soul or psyche. Akke-Jeanne Klerk writes, "This movement of tending to the soul’s wish is often a fundamental shift in orientation of the ego attitude." This shift in orientation allows you to see where you are conflicted, or see your whole self in the context of the forces that shaped you.

Your Deepest Calling

In "The Development of Personality" (Collected Works, vol. 17) Jung discusses human vocation. For Jung the call to a vocation pulls a person in to greater consciousness, and they become more fully awake. This separates them from others in the group who are driven by social and memetic forces.

Those who heed the call move towards greater individuation, but those who reject or repress the call tend to lose agency and feel powerless.

Discernment

The path of individuation gives a person strength to resist cultural forces and follow their own intuition and calling, and Jung warned that not all calls are good or wise. He wrote that discernment was necessary when listening to any inner voice, especially one that is calling you to action. In a 1933 lecture he said that true leaders are capable of self-reflection and consciously hold themselves aloof from "the blind momentum of the mass in movement." They are "firmly rooted not only in the outside world but also in the world within." True leaders, he said, have done the inner work necessary to distinguish their own psyche from the collective psyche. The collective psyche can seem like an inner part of yourself, but it is different. Jungians generally agree that the discernment takes time, often years, and is linked to your own development as a person. Mature individuals who have tested their inner voices develop the ability to hear the deep wisdom at the core of their being, sometimes called the True Self. The Biblical traditions points to the "still small voice" suggesting that the soul's wishes are often whispers.

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, the creator of Internal Family Systems, arrived at this same conclusion from listening to his clients and taking their experiences seriously. He calls it the Self with a capital S. Schwartz was so inspired by this model of "Self Leadership" that he dedicated his life to teaching it.

A Jungian coach can be a companion on the inner journey, helping you develop your inner discernment and find your deepest motivations.

The "Soul's Wishes" is a phrase in Jungian coaching to describe a process central to individuation.

What is The Process?

In the Jungian Coaching Model, "Tending the Soul's Wishes" is the way we listen for images, themes, and guidance coming from the soul or psyche. Akke-Jeanne Klerk writes, "This movement of tending to the soul’s wish is often a fundamental shift in orientation of the ego attitude." This shift in orientation allows you to see where you are conflicted, or see your whole self in the context of the forces that shaped you.

Your Deepest Calling

In "The Development of Personality" (Collected Works, vol. 17) Jung discusses human vocation. For Jung the call to a vocation pulls a person in to greater consciousness, and they become more fully awake. This separates them from others in the group who are driven by social and memetic forces.

Those who heed the call move towards greater individuation, but those who reject or repress the call tend to lose agency and feel powerless.

Discernment

The path of individuation gives a person strength to resist cultural forces and follow their own intuition and calling, and Jung warned that not all calls are good or wise. He wrote that discernment was necessary when listening to any inner voice, especially one that is calling you to action. In a 1933 lecture he said that true leaders are capable of self-reflection and consciously hold themselves aloof from "the blind momentum of the mass in movement." They are "firmly rooted not only in the outside world but also in the world within." True leaders, he said, have done the inner work necessary to distinguish their own psyche from the collective psyche. The collective psyche can seem like an inner part of yourself, but it is different. Jungians generally agree that the discernment takes time, often years, and is linked to your own development as a person. Mature individuals who have tested their inner voices develop the ability to hear the deep wisdom at the core of their being, sometimes called the True Self. The Biblical traditions points to the "still small voice" suggesting that the soul's wishes are often whispers.

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, the creator of Internal Family Systems, arrived at this same conclusion from listening to his clients and taking their experiences seriously. He calls it the Self with a capital S. Schwartz was so inspired by this model of "Self Leadership" that he dedicated his life to teaching it.

A Jungian coach can be a companion on the inner journey, helping you develop your inner discernment and find your deepest motivations.

This is Your Time to Listen to Your True Self

This is Your Time to Listen to Your True Self

The Five Phases of the Jungian Coaching Model

Below is an outline of the phases of the Jungian model. I offer this in the Inner Journey Package on the Fees and Services Page. The process, however, is a cycle that repeats with each new symptom, conflict, challenge, or disturbance. It begins with an exploration of those conditions, then moves to the tend the soul's wish stage, before following the images to the inner dynamics and finally a way to re-vision your life in a way that promotes individuation.

I offer this in the Inner Journey Package on the Fees and Services Page. The process is a cycle that repeats with each new symptom, conflict, challenge, or disturbance. It begins with an exploration of those conditions, then moves to the tend the soul's wishes stage, before following the images to the inner dynamics and finally a way to re-vision your life in a way that promotes individuation.

Below is an outline of the phases of the Jungian model. I offer this in the Inner Journey Package on the Fees and Services Page. The process, however, is a cycle that repeats with each new symptom, conflict, challenge, or disturbance. It begins with an exploration of those conditions, then moves to the tend the soul's wishes stage, before following the images to the inner dynamics and finally a way to re-vision your life in a way that promotes individuation.

This model is not meant to be followed religiously or dogmatically, as listening to the unconscious is a skill that takes time to develop. Instead I see this as a touchstone to remind us to return to this process when we get distracted by the problems of the day, our feelings and reactions, and the distractions both of the culture around us, and of our own ego which often is resistant to integration.

The Path of Individuation in Worth Following

The Path of Individuation in Worth Following

Still Stream Coaching

Jungian coaching with Richard Powell — In person in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, or by video, anywhere.

Jungian coaching with Richard Powell — In person in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, or by video, anywhere.

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