In-Person Only:
Discovering the Self through the Mandala

3 Sundays: October 9, 16,  23,  2022; 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Limited enrolment.

Presented by Susan Frankel, Ph.D. and Mai Breech, Psy.D.

Jung’s capacity for creative expression both enlivened and informed his relationship with the unconscious throughout his lifetime.  Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries was the art of mandala making as a tool to develop a more conscious relationship with his internal world, which proved invaluable during a particularly challenging time in his personal life.  Each class in this series will include a theoretical perspective of Jung’s work, followed by an experiential portion in which participants will have the opportunity to create their own mandala as a form of personal expression.

For those who have taken this class prior, there will be an opportunity for you to deepen your work with the mandala with additional techniques including usage of more advanced templates, and/or designing your own mandala utilizing sacred geometry.

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe what Jung meant by the Self and its role in the analytic process;
• Describe Jung’s theories about the role of the mandala as a symbol of psychological wholeness;
• Describe the functions of the mandala in different cultures and how mandala making is utilized symbolically to help individuals restore a sense of internal balance;
• Describe how Jung used the mandala as a way of gaining a greater psychological understanding of himself;
• Describe the significance Jung placed on mandalas when they appeared in the dreams of his patients;
• Describe how the act of mandala making can be utilized to help patients identify unconscious conflicts;
• Give an example of how mandala making can reflect a parallel process to the patient’s analytic work;
• Give an example of when it would be appropriate to introduce mandala making in the course of treatment;
• Give an example of how to evaluate the effectiveness of using mandala work with a client.

Susan Frankel, J.D., Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in practice in Century City. She practiced law for seven years before returning to graduate school in psychology. Her interests include working with trauma, infant observation, and intersubjective transference/countertransference. She has lectured both locally and nationally on the use of infant observation with adult patients.

Mai Breech, Psy.D., is a therapist, lecturer, and artist. Her main area of therapeutic focus and research has been on childhood developmental trauma and attachment. Mai has been a mandala artist for over 17 years. She is currently in private practice working with children and adults in Santa Monica as well as completing her post-doctorate clinical work at the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. Mai received her Psy.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute.