Carl Jung's Influence On Social Work

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes” (Jung, N.D). I had come across this quote on countless occasions and felt inspired by the saying, but it’s not until now that I can see the deep and beautiful meaning behind Carl Jung’s statement and what exactly he meant by his inspiring words. Carl Jung was the founder of analytical psychology; he was a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and an iconic writer. Jung’s research and teachings have made a profound impact on the field of psychology and has influenced many other areas of study such as religion, music, art, drama and literature. Much of his work is still seen and used and continues to make a tremendous impact today. In order to be an effective well educated social worker we must recognize and utilize Jung’s theorie. Understanding analytical psychology, how Jung’s childhood impacted his theory, the influence the theory has at the micro, macro, and messo levels, and how the theory relates to the values and ethics of the social work profession, will lead
According to Robbins (2012), “Macro-level theories are usually highly abstract and general and attempt to explain the structure and functioning of large entities such as societies, cultures, and communities” (pg. 4). Even though Jung’s analytic theory is best used at the micro level, many aspects of the theory can be used at the macro level. For example, Jung’s archetypes of the persona, the anima and animus, the shadow, and the self, can be applied to larger entities such as cultures and societies, in terms of their relationship with behavior and how it affects the entity as a whole. So to conclude, Jung’s analytic theory has the potential to be used at all three levels of the Macro-micro continuum, but it is best used at the micro level to treat clients at the individual