Inside the Witch’s Den

Kaspar Kiepenheuer (Wolfgang Michel, Trans.)

Abstract

In this transcript of a presentation Dr. Kiepenheuer gave at the Child Guidance Clinic in Vienna, Austria, 1992, he outlines which of C.G. Jung’s concepts and discoveries were of special importance to him. He reflects on the development of a client’s Self and compares it to an artistic, creative challenge and notes that the therapist is confronted with Jung’s discovery of the collective unconscious on an almost daily basis through his work with adolescents. He briefly outlines the history of sandplay therapy and his own start as a therapist in a refurbished old cabin he called the "Witch’s Den." He then presents a case study of a young boy of 12 in Zurich, Switzerland, who is meandering through what we would call the "foster care system." Through 80 hours of therapy, providing a comforting and protected environment for his client, Dr. Kiepenheuer eventually was able to chase the boy’s demons away and guide him onto a promising path towards adulthood.

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