“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
Carl Jung
About Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) developed analytical psychology, which impacted numerous fields including psychology, philosophy, anthropology, theology, and the arts. Although he initially collaborated with Freud, he eventually developed his own psychiatric methods.
Jung is known for coining terms such as introvert, extravert, and the collective unconscious. His understanding of mental life is more comprehensive than ego-identification, recognizing that we are more than our roles and others' expectations.
According to Jung, most of our being happens unconsciously. However, we can engage with our unconscious through various means such as dreams, symptoms, and daily patterns. This encounter leads to successful relationships, creativity, and a sense of purpose.
Jung proposed that we share psychological structures inherited from millions of years of human experience, evident in symbols and themes across cultures. These archetypes shape our perceptions, ideas, and emotions.
Jung believed that spirituality was a crucial part of the human journey, fostering individual growth and responsibility to the community. His psychology is compatible with secular perspectives, providing a holistic view of human experience.
“If you can’t be there in person, online classes are the next best thing! There’s an opportunity to ask questions, and as always, get the instructor’s wise and insightful answers.”
Jung Center History
The Jung Center of Houston was founded in 1958 by a group of students dedicated to understanding the human psyche through the theory and methods of the psychiatrist Dr. C. G. Jung.
1954
Ruth Thacker Fry began lecturing in Houston on Jung’s depth psychology after completing three years of study at the Jung Institute in Zurich.
1958
After four years of study, a group of Ruth Thacker Fry’s students founded The Jung Center. They asked Dr. C. G. Jung for permission to use his name in the new center’s title, and he readily agreed. Carolyn Grant Fay, Ethel Carradine Kurth, Alma Owen Lloyd, and Ella Rice Winston chartered the C. G. Jung Educational Center of Houston, Texas, Inc. as a nonprofit educational institution. With a rich and diverse program dedicated to self-discovery, community outreach, and spiritual growth, to this day it is the one Jungian organization primarily devoted to serving the general public and remains unique in America.
1975
The Jung Center moved to its current location at 5200 Montrose, in the heart of Houston’s Museum District.
1985 to present
Carolyn Grant Fay generously donated the building to The Center, and Ella Rice Winston gave many of the furnishings. The Alma Owen Lloyd Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Cora Conner Spear Memorial Scholarship Fund provide financial aid to students. The Ethel Carradine Kurth Library and Bookstore contains the largest collection of books on Jungian subjects in the Southwest.
2008
The Jung Center celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and honored Carolyn Grant Fay, who created this center for the continuing education of the human spirit in the middle of her long, productive, and remarkable life.
Today and Beyond
Thanks to regional, national and international collaborations and the extraordinary gifts of technology, The Center’s reach extends far beyond Houston.
As The Jung Center has grown, many highly trained professionals in the disciplines of psychology, religion, education, and the arts have been added to the faculty to conduct classes, lectures, seminars, and workshops—all aimed at the development of the individual in the context of the family, community and culture. More than 100 faculty teach on our behalf every year and include internationally known presenters from the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Each year, The Jung Center is proud to offer:
More than two hundred public classes, programs, and workshops rooted in analytical psychology, the expressive arts, and the humanities to more than three thousand new and returning students. Increasingly these events happen online as well as onsite and throughout the Houston region. Art exhibits viewed by thousands of visitors featuring noted artists in an ideal venue that is an integral part of the vibrant Houston Museum District.
Community service programs developed for under-resourced children and adults, direct human service providers (social workers, healthcare professionals, case managers, clergy, and many others caring for the needs of others), and others, in collaboration with well-respected organizations throughout Houston such as Harris County Public Health, the Network of Behavioral Health Providers, The Nehemiah Center, Houston Coalition Against Hate, the University of St. Thomas, and SHAPE Community Center.