Intensive Summer School: Foundations of Psychoanalytic & Jungian Psychotherapy

The aim of the summer school is to offer a grounded and coherent introduction to psychoanalytic and Jungian ideas, presented in ways that speak directly to the developmental journey of the human psyche. Participants will gain an understanding of how unconscious processes, symbolic experience, relational dynamics, and early emotional life shape the development of the self over time. Emphasis is placed on helping participants think about how these ideas play out across the lifespan—from infancy and childhood to adulthood, couple relationships, and later life.

Throughout the programme, time is set aside for reflective discussion, helping participants think through how these concepts relate to their own experiences and to broader cultural and developmental themes. For those considering further study, the course provides valuable insight into psychoanalytic training pathways at the British Psychotherapy Foundation. A certificate of completion is offered to participants who attend at least 80% of sessions.

This summer school is suitable for anyone with an interest in psychoanalytic or Jungian thought, regardless of background or prior study. It is particularly valuable for people at the beginning of their exploration of psychotherapy, especially those who may be considering applying for a bpf training and want a structured way to engage with the core ideas.

The course also welcomes individuals interested in understanding their own emotional and developmental history, including how patterns form in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and relationships. Students, professionals, or researchers in related fields—such as psychology, education, health and social care, the arts, or the humanities—may find that the developmental focus provides a useful theoretical backbone for their existing work. More broadly, the programme is well-suited to anyone drawn to the inner world, symbolism, and the evolving nature of psychic life across time.

The course is taught online in English. Fluency in English will be required in order to join the course. This intensive course contains no written work, but is taught at a postgraduate level.

The summer school explores a rich and structured range of material, always with reference to the unfolding of psychological life across the developmental lifespan. Participants begin by examining the origins of psychoanalysis, including Freud’s foundational ideas about the formation of the psyche, early relational experience, dream life, and the workings of repression, transference, and unconscious processes throughout life. These foundational frameworks form the basis for understanding how development is shaped from infancy onward.

The programme then moves into Jungian perspectives, exploring central concepts such as archetypes, the collective unconscious, symbolic life, and the process of individuation. Jung’s attention to developmental transitions—including the shifts of adolescence, midlife, creativity, and later life—provides a rich complement to psychoanalytic models of growth.

Further sessions consider the therapeutic relationship as a developmental space, where early patterns, attachment templates, and unconscious dynamics can be expressed, understood, and transformed. Contemporary perspectives introduce interdisciplinary insights from neuroscience, culture, and developmental psychology, enabling participants to appreciate how early experience shapes internal worlds and how these worlds continue to evolve across adulthood and aging.

Throughout the course, reflective opportunities support participants in considering their own developmental stories, patterns, and symbolic themes, encouraging both intellectual and personal engagement.

The programme is delivered online and includes:

• Live seminars led by experienced psychoanalytic and Jungian clinicians
• Interactive discussions and small-group reflections
• Q&A sessions and opportunities to explore bpf training pathways
• Space each day for personal reflection and journaling
• A balance of intellectually rich content with time for integration

The course is designed to offer a sense of depth and spaciousness. Earlier days lay the theoretical foundations and introduce early developmental themes; mid-programme sessions explore symbolic life and relational dynamics; later days open into contemporary critiques, interdisciplinary perspectives, and reflections on development in adulthood and later life.

Standard fee: £2,100

Early bird (TBC): £1,950

Group and corporate rates (minimum 3 participants): from £1,850

Dates: Early July-Mid-July

Places are limited to support depth of engagement.

Attend our Virtual Open Day to watch a presentation about this course.

Applications will open in late January 2026. Please register you interest by clicking the button below and you will be sent an application form in late-January 2026.

Places for this course are offered on a first come first served basis. We recommend applying early to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected]