The Inner World of the First Half of Life: article on young adulthood and Jungian psychology

I am delighted to share the recent publication of my article "The Inner World of the First Half of Life: Analytical Psychology's Forgotten Developmental Stage," in the Winter issue of Psychological Perspectives, published by The Los Angeles Jung Institute.

This article addresses the lack of attention paid to the stage of early adulthood within Jungian psychology, and why that neglect harms both communities. The article also begins to outline some of what individuals in their 20s (give-or-take) are experiencing today, through a Jungian lens.

You can download the approved, un-formatted manuscript for free here. 

Article Abstract:

The field of analytical psychology has largely ignored the developmental stage that Jung termed the “first half of life.” As a result, a great many individuals coming of age today, starving for guidance on how to live in relationship to their inner lives, find little that reflects them within the Jungian literature or community. This article addresses that issue, identifying some of the challenges that individuals in the first half of life face today, including the lack of traditional supports to guide their transition from childhood into adulthood, and the popularly termed “quarter-life crisis” that often marks this stage. This article also questions the assumptions within the field that tie individuation to the second half of life, and it explores the relationship with the inner world that is possible earlier in life.