Text: Pages 142 and 144

Jung believed that the wounded healer archetype was activated in the transference and countertransference relationship. The wounded healer archetype linked the analyst and client to the mythology of the Asklepion myth which provided a key connection to the ancient powers of healing. From a Jungian perspective, in their daily work, physicians and psychologists lived the Asklepion myth.

The wounded healer symbol describes the connection between of wound of the healer and the sickness of the client. In Jungian analysis, the analyst comprehends the admonition, physician heal thyself. This activates the client understanding, client heal thyself. The inner client of the analyst and the inner physician of the client can now do their analytic work. Unlike in psychoanalysis, the wound of the analyst was crucial for the success of Jungian treatment.