Joseph and Lisa in Philadelphia.

Joseph, Deb, and I became friends through our years of Jungian training together through the Inter-regional Society of Jungian Analysts (IRSJA). We loved being connected by the shared journey of training, and our common interest in depth psychology. 

We each graduated in a different year -- me (Lisa) first, then Deb, then Joseph. It was incredibly relieving to finally get through the program, and I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment, but I also felt bereft to have been sundered from my friends. Training is extremely arduous, and it isn't uncommon for people not to finish. For the next two years, I metaphorically held my breath, hoping that no last  minute misfortune would befall either Deb or Joseph. Our mutual sense of elation when the last one of us cleared the hurdle and we were permanently reunited as diplomate analysts was palpable at Joe's graduation.

Our training took place largely in Philadelphia through the Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts (PAJA), a member training center of the IRSJA. We spent years together as students of the Philadelphia Jung Seminar as part of our training. Since graduating, we have gone on to assume leadership roles in PAJA. 

Joseph is the president, a job to which he is perfectly suited. During training, Joe was always the organized one. If I got confused about an assignment or neglected to document something, I knew that Joe would be able to fill in the blanks. He would spontaneously take on the onerous job of scheduling us for case presentations. I will forever be grateful that his organizational skills meant that I could avoid sweating the details. Thanks, Joseph!

Deb and I direct the seminar, a job that lets us be creative together as we design the curriculum and recruit analysts to teach. This past weekend was the opening session of the seminar. Our theme this year is The Religious Function of the Psyche. It was a wonderful weekend, and we are excited for the rest of the year. Joe and I snapped that pic just before the opening reception. 

The Philadelphia Jung Seminar is open to clinicians and non-clinicians with a serious interest in Jung. We meet one weekend per month, so the program is ideal for commuters. If you are interested in learning more about it, you can find more information here.