Coaching the Unconscious: A Jungian Approach to Working with Symbol

Book Details
- Publisher : Routledge
- Published : November 2025
- Cover : Paperback
- Pages : 204
- Category :
Forthcoming - Category 2 :
Jung and Analytical Psychology - Catalogue No : 98343
- ISBN 13 : 9781032732442
- ISBN 10 : 103273244X
Also by Laurence Barrett
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In Coaching the Unconscious: A Jungian Approach to Working with Symbol, Laurence Barrett explores how coaches can begin to work with symbol as part of their practice, blending the key principles of Jungian psychology with case studies and practical applications.
The Jungian concept of the symbolic attitude provides a valuable framework for coaches seeking to navigate the complexities of the human mind. It prompts us to notice the rich tapestry of symbols and metaphors arising from the unconscious and reveals what may be happening 'beneath the surface' of the mind. Coaches who have developed a symbolic attitude can better help their clients explore their inner worlds and create a deeper understanding of themselves and their potential. They can support more profound and impactful coaching experiences that go beyond superficial goals to support growth and transformation in more profound ways.
This valuable new resource will be of particular interest for experienced coaches seeking to deepen and extend their practice, as well as coaches who have begun to explore Jungian psychology and are looking for practical ways in which its concepts can be applied. It would also be appropriate for students of coaching and Jungian psychology.
Reviews and Endorsements
Laurence Barrett is an entertaining storyteller and has written a sweeping book that includes rich material from his own coaching practice. As a coaching supervisor and an educator, he has a depth and breadth of understanding that is quite unique. He unpacks the symbolic life in a way that I have not encountered so far and the kaleidoscope of ideas he creates is inspiring and extremely valuable. Students, coaches, and analysts from all walks of Jungian psychology would benefit from working with this material.
Tess Castleman, Jungian training analyst and former member of the Curatorium of the C. G. Jung Institute of Zurich
This book is a profound and original contribution to the coaching field. Laurence brings Jungian psychology to life with clarity, depth, and practical insight, inviting coaches to engage more consciously with symbol, play, and the unconscious. This book doesn’t just inform practice; it stretches the coach’s capacity for reflection, imagination, and inner growth. A poetically written and a psychologically rigorous work that will leave a lasting impression.
Verity Hannell, programme director, professional certificate in executive coaching, Henley Business School
Table of Contents
Introducing Symbol: An Introduction to the Importance of Symbol in Human Development
1. The Location of Symbol: Introducing a Jungian Model of the Psyche
2. Form and Function: The Many Faces of Symbol and Its Significance for Our Development
3. Developing a Symbolic Attitude: A Foundation for Coaching the Unconscious
4. Exchanging Gifts: The Role of Symbol in the Coaching Relationship
5. Beginning to Play: A Resolution of the Tension in Developmental Work
6. Set and Setting: The Way Mindset and Context Shapes Coaching
7. Tracing the Spiral: An Introduction to the Principles of Active Imagination
8. Coaching With Dreams: Considering the Value of Dreamwork in a Coaching Practice
9. Symbol in Culture: Exploring the Significance of Symbol in Communities, Organisations and Societies
10. Returning to the Unconscious: Exploring Symbol, Soma and an Immersion in the World Around Us
Some Final Reflections
About the Author(s)
Laurence Barrett has worked internationally in leadership coaching and organisational consulting for over thirty years and has held senior roles in a number of FTSE-30 companies. He holds an MSc in the Psychodynamics of Human Development (Jungian) and trained as a coach and a coach supervisor with the Tavistock Institute.
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