Jungian Therapy-Active Imagination: which description accurately portrays the process?

• A. The therapist uses only cognitive restructuring.
• B. The client identifies an inner entity and dialogues with it through meditation or other media.
• C. The client focuses on external behavior change only.
• D. The client ignores dreams and symbols.

Answer: (B)

Active imagination in Jungian therapy centers on dialoguing with inner contents of the unconscious. In this approach, the client identifies an inner entity or figure—an aspect of the psyche such as an archetype, the anima/animus, or a symbolic image—and develops a dialogue with it. The dialogue may occur through meditation, guided visualization, writing, drawing, or other creative media, allowing unconscious material to surface in a form the conscious mind can engage with. The goal is to bring these inner voices and images into awareness for interpretation and integration, helping the person gain insight into inner conflicts and guiding personal growth. This process contrasts with cognitive restructuring, which aims to alter thought patterns in a conscious, deliberate way, and it emphasizes engagement with dreams and symbols rather than focusing solely on external behavior or neglecting symbolic material.