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Transcript

Puella's paradox: A conversation with Susan E. Schwartz, PhD

Emptiness, fantasy, narcissism, and promising new beginnings in a Jungian exploration of the eternal girl.

“Accessing joy means an openness and appreciation of oneself and honouring one’s place in the world.”

(Susan E. Schwartz)

Susan E. Schwartz, Ph.D. is a Jungian analyst educated in Zurich, Switzerland and is a licensed clinical psychologist. For many years Susan has been giving workshops and presentations at numerous local, national, community and professional organisations, and lectures worldwide on various aspects of Jungian analytical psychology. She has written several journal articles and book chapters on daughters and fathers, Puella, Sylvia Plath and has co-authored a couple of books.

In this conversation, we discuss:

  • Puella’s absence in psychoanalytic and Jungian literature

  • What is the puella and her importance for the collective

  • Puella and body issues

  • How to identify a puella, her dreams, and her struggles in therapy

  • The downside of the puella archetype

  • Puella’s void: inner emptiness, singularity, and narcissism

  • The demon lover, father absence, and the Bluebeard fairy tale

“The journey of puella is to extricate herself from the psychological retreats of obsessions, food and substance addictions and the numerous other mechanisms of internal distancing to the healing and joyful layers of the psyche. The energy becomes amassed by breaking patterns that no longer fit, peeling off the dross and being real.”

(Susan E. Schwartz)

Explore more of Susan’s work:

Susan’s website

On Begin Again: The Absent Father: A Conversation with Susan E. Schwartz, PhD

On Begin Again: How real are you? The "as-if" personality with Susan Schwartz, PhD

Book: Imposter Syndrome and The ‘As-If’ Personality in Analytical Psychology

Book: The Absent Father Effect on Daughters: Father Desire, Father Wounds

Book: A Jungian Exploration of the Puella Archetype: Girl Unfolding