Psychreative: Susan Schwartz, “The Absent Father Effect: Father Desire, Father Wounds”
The absent father effect is a love story, but unrequited. The presence of his emotional deadness and absence affects a child—and the father–in body, mind, and soul and culturally is accentuated through traumas and war. Without a father, a child retains a hole in the heart, the threads of the personality ruptured. His absence leads to question how he dreams of her. Jungian and other depth analytical psychologies, dreams and person examples along with the poem ‘Daddy’ by Sylvia Plath present an interdisciplinary context for understanding these dynamics. They connect us to the archetypal and collective symbols and experiences so healing can begin. Exploring the bleaker side, the generational lack, symptoms, and problems can lead to repair and hope as absence is a place to be filled.
Biography:
Susan E. Schwartz, Ph.D. trained in Zurich, Switzerland as a Jungian analyst is also a clinical psychologist and member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology. She presents to numerous Jungian conferences and teaching programs in the USA and worldwide.
Susan has articles in several journals and chapters in books on Jungian analytical psychology. Her current book published by Routledge is translated into several languages and into Ukrainian this April. It is entitled The Absent Father Effect on Daughters, Father Desire, Father Wounds. Another book will be published by Routledge in 2023 entitled, The Imposter Syndrome and The ‘As-If’ Personality in Analytical Psychology: The Fragility of Self. Her Jungian analytical practice is in Paradise Valley, Arizona, USA and her website is www.susanschwartzphd.com