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What Can Jungian Approaches and Shadow Work Help You Deal With?
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— Carl Jung
What Can Jungian Approaches and Shadow Work Help You Deal With?
At some point or the other, you might have heard the phrase “shadow work” and wondered what it meant. And no, it’s not something related to the blood magic themes from Game of Thrones. So, what is it?
Well, according to psychologist Carl Jung, a big part of our pain comes from the shadow self. When he uses that term, he refers to the unconscious parts of our personality that we reject, deny, or simply don’t even know exist.
These might include repressed emotions, past wounds, inner child adaptations, or even positive traits we’ve buried because we were told they were “too much.” These days, modern psychologists don’t dwell too much on Jungian concepts.
As MedicalNewsToday notes, the shadow isn’t something that scientists can tangibly measure. That said, anecdotal reports from practitioners suggest that it can help with identifying and countering negative traits, self-acceptance, and confronting trauma.
Today, let’s explore how Jungian approaches like shadow work might still be worth looking into for a personal healing journey.
#1. Repressed emotions you’ve been avoiding for years
We all learn, at some point, which emotions are “safe” to express and which will get us rejected, judged, or punished. So, we adapt. We hide our anger, suppress our sadness, minimize our jealousy, and bury our fears.
But here’s the twist: what gets buried doesn’t die. It leaks out in anxiety, resentment, fatigue, passive aggression, overachievement, or unexplained emotional spirals. This also heavily depends on the kind of emotions you are suppressing.
A 2023 study found that the intensity of negative emotions influences the choice of regulation strategies in daily life. Most importantly, they found that high-intensity emotions are more likely to lead to maladaptive strategies such as rumination and suppression.
Shadow integration helps you stop avoiding and start listening.
Rather than judging your emotions as bad or inappropriate, you learn to hear what they’re trying to say. Anger might be asking for boundaries. Jealousy could point to a desire you’ve ignored. Shame might highlight outdated stories you still believe about yourself.
So, what steps can you take? Here are some ideas:
- Start a shadow journal
Each time you feel emotionally “off,” write down what happened - Explore how it made you feel
- Investigate what it might be trying to show you
#2. Inner conflicts and self-sabotage that make no logical sense
Ever found yourself procrastinating on goals you actually want? Or attracting emotionally unavailable people despite craving closeness? That’s not bad luck. That’s a shadow pattern.
Jung believed we are split between our conscious self (who we think we are) and the unconscious shadow (what we deny). If those two selves are at odds, your behaviors may clash with your intentions.
For example, if you value humility but secretly crave recognition, you might sabotage opportunities out of fear of seeming arrogant. Shadow work helps you unify your inner world, so you’re no longer living in conflict.
Unfortunately, Jungian psychology is often ignored by conventional mental health workers. Those working their way up the mental health field might find it worth exploring to increase their chances of getting through to people when other methods fail.
This is especially relevant in fields like psychiatric nursing, where professionals regularly work with patients who’ve been overlooked by more traditional forms of care. Psychiatric nurse practitioners often see individuals struggling with chronic patterns of self-sabotage, unresolved trauma, and behaviors that don’t respond well to surface-level interventions.
That’s why online psychiatric NP programs can be a powerful option, not just for the clinical training, but for the flexibility they offer. With the online medium, nurses get to continue working while studying. This gives them the unique advantage of immediately applying insights related to shadow work in real-world settings.
As Wilkes University notes, graduates from these programs are expected to conduct in-depth psychological assessments. That makes them well-positioned to experiment with tools from Jungian psychology, especially when a patient’s behavior seems irrational but deeply rooted in internal conflict.
So, if you feel like you struggle with a lot of inner conflict as well, there is one immediate step you can take. Try to notice what you resist doing, especially when it’s something you say you want. This resistance holds valuable clues about unresolved shadow material.
For instance, you insist you’re tired of being walked all over, but when it’s time to say “no” or set a limit, you freeze or give in. That reaction might be rooted in shadow beliefs like “I’m only lovable if I’m helpful” or “saying no makes me selfish.”
#3. Relationship patterns that keep repeating themselves
Jung heavily explored the concept of projection in psychology, which refers to placing your own denied traits onto others. It explains a lot of the relationship drama that people get stuck in. This explains why so many people find themselves in the same arguments, the same breakups, or the same disappointments, even with completely different partners or friends.
It’s not just bad luck or other people being difficult; it’s often the unconscious mind choosing familiar conflict in search of resolution. A 2023 paper by Giuseppe De Benedittis highlights this with the Unconscious Thought Theory. He points to earlier research, which found that unconscious brain activity can predict a person’s decision several seconds before they consciously report making it.
Thus, you have to actively combat entrenched patterns that have rooted themselves in your unconscious. Shadow work gives you tools to interrupt these cycles and unlock emotional healing.
A nice opportunity to put it into practice is when someone triggers you.“What is this person triggering in me? What am I seeing in them that I haven’t accepted or addressed in myself?” It’s not easy. Most of us are quick to blame or withdraw.
But the next time someone pushes your buttons, whether it’s a romantic partner, a coworker, or even a stranger online, pause. Notice the emotional charge. Ask, “What does this reaction say about me?” If you’re impatient, you’ll likely dismiss the question with a quick “Nothing — they’re just wrong.”
But if you sit with it, even for a few minutes, you might discover a belief, wound, or fear that’s been running the show behind the scenes. That insight, uncomfortable as it may be, is the beginning of healing.
#4. A lack of meaning, wholeness, and personal direction
Arguably, Jungian approaches excel in helping one deal with existential dread. It offers an alternative process for people who find overly logical and ‘scientific’ methods like CBT too mechanical. There’s a good reason for this, too. As much as we posture and try to be objective, we are not creatures of logic.
So much of human nature, both its positives and negatives, stems from contradictions that reside in us. This is why some psychologists are still drawn to the work of Freud and Jung. Yes, the field has moved away from the philosophical approach and embraced the scientific method.
However, what good is that when the replication crisis in psychology makes one doubt the effectiveness of modern approaches? Indeed, as one paper by Röseler, Kaiser, et.al. notes, despite improvements, replication rates for psychological studies remain below 60% in large-scale projects, with some exceptions.
When it comes to matters like meaning and personal direction, the philosophical approach that Jung puts forward can offer new perspectives and insights for some. This can be achieved through shadow work, dream analysis, and individuation. What does that look like?
With dream analysis, the best method is to start a dream journal. Each morning, jot down anything you remember, even fragments. Over time, look for:
- Repeating symbols (snakes, doors, water, etc.)
- Emotional tone (fear, curiosity, awe)
- Unfamiliar people who seem symbolic
How it helps: Dreams highlight parts of the psyche you’re ignoring or underdeveloping. Interpreting them can point toward your inner conflicts and unmet needs, crucial steps toward wholeness.
Similarly, Jung believed archetypes shape how we see the world and ourselves. Use journaling or introspection to ask:
- Am I playing the Hero, Victim, Caregiver, or Rebel
- Do I always act like the Peacemaker, even when I’m hurting?
- What role feels familiar but exhausting?
How it helps: Identifying dominant archetypes helps you question the “roles” you’ve unconsciously taken on. Letting go of outdated ones opens up space for growth and authenticity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I practice shadow work?
Start by journaling your emotional triggers—moments when you overreact or feel deep shame, jealousy, or anger. Ask yourself what part of you felt threatened. Shadow work is about being brutally honest, not dramatic. You’re not fixing yourself; you’re just trying to understand.
2. How do I find my shadow self?
Look at the traits you judge harshly in others—they’re often reflections of your own hidden parts. Also, notice what embarrasses or scares you about yourself. Your shadow isn’t hiding in the dark—it’s just buried under layers of denial and discomfort.
3. Is your shadow self evil?
Not at all. It’s just the parts of you you’ve learned to hide—anger, envy, even ambition—because someone once said they were “bad.” The shadow becomes destructive only when ignored. Face it, and it often turns out to be deeply human, not dangerous.
All things considered, shadow work clearly has scope to be effective. Sure, it doesn’t guarantee results, but it’s not like the human mind can be healed in a simplistic manner. The appeal of Jungian approaches isn’t in their promise to fix you, but in their quiet permission to examine what you’ve outgrown, denied, or forgotten without shame. And maybe that’s the point. Not healing into perfection, but growing into coherence.
