Exploring Movement and Archetypes in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Movement and Archetypes CPD
Therapy often focuses on words—what is spoken, expressed, or revealed in conversation. However, much of human experience is held beyond words, in the body, emotions, and unconscious patterns. Movement and archetypes offer powerful ways to access these deeper layers, providing therapists with tools to enhance self-awareness and therapeutic practice.
What Are Archetypes and Why Do They Matter?
Archetypes are universal patterns or symbols that shape human thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Originating from Jungian psychology, they represent fundamental aspects of the psyche—such as the Hero, the Caregiver, or the Shadow. These unconscious patterns influence how we see ourselves and interact with the world, often manifesting in our relationships, struggles, and personal growth.
For therapists, understanding archetypes can offer new perspectives on client presentations. Many difficulties clients experience—whether recurring life challenges, deep-seated fears, or relationship patterns—can be linked to underlying archetypal dynamics. Recognising these patterns can help therapists guide clients toward insight, change, and healing.
The Role of Movement in Therapy
Movement is a fundamental part of human expression and experience. Long before language, we communicated through gesture and movement, and even now, much of our emotional state is conveyed nonverbally. In therapy, working with movement allows for an embodied exploration of feelings, experiences, and unconscious processes that may be difficult to articulate.
Engaging in movement-based exercises can bring awareness to how emotions and psychological patterns are held in the body. For example, someone struggling with assertiveness may notice tension in their posture, while a client working through grief might find comfort in slow, intentional movement. By bringing these physical experiences into therapy, practitioners can help clients engage with their inner world in a new and transformative way.
Bringing Movement and Archetypes Into Therapeutic Practice
Integrating movement and archetypal work into therapy does not require clients to be dancers or have prior experience with these approaches. Instead, it involves using simple exercises to explore how different archetypes manifest in body language, emotions, and personal narratives.
For example, a therapist might invite a client to embody the energy of a particular archetype—such as the Warrior for strength and resilience or the Sage for wisdom and reflection. By moving with these archetypes, clients can access new insights and emotions that may not emerge in traditional talk therapy.
For therapists themselves, working with movement and archetypes can also provide valuable self-reflection. Noticing which archetypes feel familiar or challenging, or observing personal reactions to different movements, can offer insights into one's own practice and professional development. It also fosters a more embodied presence in sessions, enhancing therapeutic attunement.
Enhancing Therapeutic Practice Through Embodied Exploration
Therapy is a dynamic and evolving practice, and integrating new approaches can enrich both the therapist’s and the client’s experience. Movement and archetypal work offer a way to explore unconscious patterns, deepen self-awareness, and create new possibilities for healing.
By expanding beyond verbal dialogue and engaging the body and imagination, therapists can support clients in accessing profound insights and transformative change. Whether through subtle shifts in posture, intentional movement, or guided archetypal exploration, these methods open up new ways to connect with the therapeutic process, making counselling more holistic and impactful.
If you’re interested in exploring these ideas further, our Movement and Archetypes workshop offers an experiential opportunity to engage with these concepts in practice.
Written April 2025
