When Light Shines through in Times of Darkness: An Account of the Importance of the Symbolic Image

Abstract

Active imagination finds many applications in psychotherapy. This personal narrative describes forms of active imagination, such as painting inner images individually and in groups. The author describes her struggles with the immediate external changes in her clinical work and teaching workshops due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She explores her internal resistance to engage creatively with symbols through painting and describes how her psychological attitude in the last years was directed to change. Some transformative results for participants in her groups, who were also dealing with the outer and inner effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, are addressed. The author’s renewed relationship with the psyche led to adjustments in her clinical approach and the creation of a professional Instagram account to share some of the transformational power of symbols.