6 CE CREDITS

Depression

Clover Educational Consulting Group is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Clover Educational Consulting Group maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
TEACHER
Lionel Corbett, M.D. 
TOPIC
Jungian Psychology
Format
4 class on-demand course
instructional time
6 hours
CE amount
Earn 6 CEs
Instructional Level
Intermediate

Payment options: Credit Card or PayPal.

The spiritual importance of depression

During the dark night of the soul there is a deep spiritual importance of depression. We will explore different types of depression and also distinguish between productive and unproductive depression. You will also learn some strategies to engage with depression.

This program is co-sponsored by Clover Educational Consulting Group. The program, when attended in its entirety, offers APA 6 CEs for Psychologists.  

Depression Course Description

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The core approach of this series is to imagine depression not as a disorder but as a valuable state of the soul. Depression can be both productive and unproductive. It can serve as a muse, guiding us through our depths, rather than merely an illness to be feared.

Throughout the course, we will delve into the spiritual dimensions of melancholy. We will explore the ancient concept of accidie and the idea of the dark night of the soul. Corbett will also contrast grief with depression to better understand these intertwined experiences.

Jungian Analyst and MD Lionel Corbett has been teaching for decades at Pacifica Graduate Institute. In his deep and thought provoking way he will explore the different faces in which depression may present. We will explore current theories about its origins, considering both psychological and biological perspectives. Our aim is to broaden our understanding of depression and move beyond a purely pathological view.

Corbett will discuss depression in some famous people such as Martin Luther, Winston Churchill, and Franz Kafka. We will explore how their struggles with depression were part of their tremendous creative expression. He will also consider some self-help approaches to depression, and ways to help others.

Corbett also offers a unique view of Narcissism in the Jung Platform course Narcissism: A Depth Perspective. If you are interested in Corbett’s take on personality disorders, explore the course A Depth Perspective on Personality Disorders. 

This program is ideal if you want to be able to

  • Explore depression as a valuable state of the soul.
  • Recognize different types of depression.
  • Learn strategies to engage with depression.
  • Appreciate the differences between productive and unproductive depression.

Class Descriptions

Class 1: Understanding Depression: More Than Just Sadness

In this class, Lionel Corbett will help us distinguish depression from ordinary sadness. We will explore how depression manifests in childhood, adolescence and old age. We will look at the difference between depression due to a harsh internal critic and depression due to painful internal emptiness. Corbett will critique purely biological explanations and the current DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) definition. Additionally, we will explore psychological theories about the origins of depression and consider that it may be an essential aspect of human nature. We will reflect on melancholy as a muse and uncover the spiritual dimensions of our depressions.

Class 2: Grief and Chronic Sorrow

In this session, we will delve into the profound experience of grief and chronic sorrow. We will explore the essential differences between grief and depression, clarifying how each affects our emotional landscape. We will also examine the psychotherapeutic approaches to grief, exploring strategies for navigating this complex journey. By understanding the nuances of grief, we can learn to honor our losses and embrace the healing process.

Class 3: Supporting Others and Self-Help Strategies

In this session, we will explore effective ways to help others facing depression and discuss valuable self-help strategies. We will examine historical perspectives on depression, including Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy and the 18th and 19th-century efforts to humanize its treatment. Additionally, we will explore the contributions of Emile Kraepelin and William James and how their insights can help us on our dark journey. Lionel Corbett will differentiate between productive and unproductive depression, helping us understand how to navigate these experiences for ourselves and others.

Class 4: Depression in Notable Figures and Religious Melancholy

In this session, we will explore the lives of famous individuals, including Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, and Franz Kafka, and how they experienced depression. By examining their struggles, we can gain insight into the complex relationship between creativity and depression. We will also discuss the concept of religious melancholy, exploring how spiritual beliefs intersect with experiences of depression. This session aims to illuminate the various dimensions of depression and inspire a deeper understanding of its impact on both personal and creative journeys.
APA-approved CE sponsor

Earn 6.0 CE Credits

 This program is co-sponsored by Clover Educational Consulting Group. 
Clover Educational Consulting Group is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Clover Educational Consulting Group maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate ordinary sadness, grief, complicated grief, chronic sorrow, loneliness, and depressive syndromes as presented in the program.
  • Describe developmental, psychological, biological, relational, and depth-psychological perspectives on depression.
  • Explain how depressive experience may function as an alarm or communication signal without minimizing clinically significant impairment or risk.
  • Identify ways spiritual and existential themes may inform clinical reflection on depression while remaining within professional scope.
  • Analyze the relationship among depression, creativity, envy, and the selected historical examples discussed in the course.
  • Critique limitations of relying solely on descriptive diagnostic frameworks while retaining the need for evidence-based assessment, risk evaluation, and treatment planning.
This four-class on-demand program examines depression through contemporary psychological, depth-psychological, existential, developmental, and cultural perspectives. Participants differentiate depressive syndromes from ordinary sadness, grief, complicated grief, chronic sorrow, loneliness, and other painful human experiences that may overlap with depression but require distinct formulation.

The course considers the limits of symptom-only description, the distinction between the mechanisms through which depression is expressed and the personal meanings or circumstances associated with its development, childhood pathways involving internalized criticism and emotional neglect, grief and chronic
sorrow, and relational factors such as envy, loneliness, hatred, and self-hatred. Historical and creative figures are used as illustrative material, with explicit recognition that retrospective interpretation cannot establish diagnosis or causation. The course is educational and conceptual. It does not replace evidence-based assessment, diagnosis, suicide-risk evaluation, crisis intervention, medical evaluation, referral, or treatment planning for depressive disorders.

Psychologists and other mental health professionals may use the program to broaden differential conceptualization of low mood, grief, chronic sorrow, depressive syndromes, existential suffering, and meaning-making. It supports reflective case formulation by placing depth-oriented perspectives alongside contemporary diagnostic and clinical responsibilities. The program also asks clinicians to distinguish symbolic or existential reflection from claims of treatment efficacy and to retain appropriate assessment, risk-management, referral, and evidence-based treatment responsibilities.

What you will receive

4 videos & 4 audio recordings.
Accurate Subtitles
6 APA CE Certificate
(upon successful completion)
Available in English

ABout the teacher

Lionel Corbett

Dr. Lionel Corbett trained in medicine and psychiatry in England and as a Jungian Analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Dr. Corbett is a professor of depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where he teaches depth psychology.

Scholarships

We here at Jung Platform want to make these programs available to anyone. If you would love to participate yet can’t pay for the full course, then please send us an email at scholarships@jungplatform.com and describe why you feel you qualify for a scholarship, how much you can pay, and what you will do to help the Jung Platform promote this and other programs.

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