In this 4-class course, master teacher and Jungian Analyst James Hollis offers a grounded and psychologically precise approach to “shadow work.” The term is widely used today, yet often stripped of its depth. Here, you return to its source in Carl Jung, who introduced the shadow as a central aspect of the psyche.
The shadow includes everything in us that has never been conscious. It can be disowned in order to adapt, belong, or succeed. These hidden aspects do not disappear. They continue to shape our lives through reactions, relationships, symptoms, and recurring patterns. Hollis draws on decades of clinical experience to show how the shadow operates in real life, and how it can be approached with clarity and responsibility.
Across four sessions, you will learn how the shadow is formed, how it appears in relationships through projection, and how it expresses itself through dreams, emotional patterns, and life difficulties. Rather than offering techniques to “fix” yourself, this course invites a more honest encounter with your inner and outer life.
This is a path of individuation, the conscious realization of your own being. As you begin to recognize and take responsibility for your shadow, you reduce inner conflict and open the possibility for a more authentic and grounded way of living.
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Learn about transformative psychological growth, regardless of whether you are new to or experienced with Carl Jung’s approach to psychology, and theories related to the Shadow Self.
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Find grounded and practical tools to work more consciously with your own Shadow aspects.
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Explore the various layers and aspects of the Shadow within yourself, in groups and other individuals (whether in our private or our public lives).
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Understand a Jungian approach to the Shadow and Shadow work from a therapist's perspective.
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Better understand how the Shadow partly functions outside of our awareness, and how it can be destructive; but also constructive and healing.
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Gain practical perspectives and tools to work with your own Shadow aspects.
Class 1: The Formation of the ShadowIn this opening class, Hollis explores how the shadow is formed through early adaptation. As you learn to function within family and culture, you develop a persona that allows you to belong and succeed. At the same time, parts of your psyche are excluded because they do not fit that image. Hollis shows that the shadow is not a mistake, but a natural consequence of these early choices. What has been pushed aside remains active in the background, influencing your life in ways you may not yet see.
Class 2: The Shadow in Relationships
This class brings the shadow into the most immediate and emotionally charged arena of life: relationships. Hollis explores how we project disowned parts of ourselves onto others, shaping attraction, irritation, admiration, and conflict. What feels so powerful in another person often reflects something within ourselves that has not yet been acknowledged. You begin to recognize that relational patterns are not random, but meaningful expressions of the unconscious seeking to be seen.
Class 3: Symptoms, Dreams, and Recurring Patterns
In this class, Hollis focuses on how the shadow expresses itself when it is not consciously engaged. The psyche communicates through symptoms such as anxiety or depression, through dreams, and through repeating life patterns. Rather than viewing these as problems to eliminate, Hollis reframes them as messages. You begin to understand that what returns again and again is asking for attention, and that these patterns carry meaning when approached psychologically.
Class 4: Responsibility and Integration
In the final class, the focus shifts to what is required once the shadow is recognized. Hollis emphasizes psychological responsibility and the need for moral courage. It is easier to see the shadow in others than to take ownership of it within ourselves. Integration does not mean becoming perfect, but becoming more conscious of the forces that move through you. This class invites a more mature relationship to your inner life, where awareness replaces projection and responsibility replaces blame.
