What is Jungian Therapy?
Widespread in Europe, Jungian psychotherapy appeals to those searching for deeper purpose and commitment in their lives. Traditional sources of insight, such as conventional societal values and organized religions, may not resonate with the evolving perspectives of modern individuals. Contemporary notions of happiness and success, heavily focused on professional achievement and consumerism, often leave people yearning for more personally meaningful experiences. Against this backdrop, Jungian psychology offers a secular, practical approach to discovering personal meaning that is rooted in an individual's unique identities and values.
In the tradition established by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, this therapeutic method gives weight to nighttime dreams, recurring thoughts, and unexpected or unsettling emotional reactions. These elements are viewed as data that need to be understood and integrated to help people form a comprehensive and realistic picture of themselves, encompassing motivations, blind spots, and deep psychological needs.
During therapy, upbringings and past experiences are also explored to understand how they might have unduly influenced the development of the personality through experiences of shame, pressures to conform, and feelings of alienation. The goal is to modify any resulting coping strategies and worldviews that have become inflexible, defensive, or otherwise limiting.
Through this comprehensive exploration of self, people often gain a rich understanding of themselves and their current life situations. Being at peace with, or at least less entangled in their past, people can confidently face future adventures and challenges. This deeper awareness and vitality can lead to new life paths, enhanced ways of relating to others, and a closer alignment with personal values—something Jung referred to as a broader "spiritual" perspective, infusing people with a sense that their life and choices matter.
Jungian Psychologist in Chicago
Francesco Belviso
PhD, PsyD • Licensed Clinical Psychologist
I am a licensed clinical psychologist and Jungian therapist. I offer a warm, engaged, and thoughtful space where people can work with emotional distress and life transitions while also exploring the deeper inner patterns that shape their relationships, choices, and sense of meaning. My work is grounded in a relational, Jungian lens, with attention to dreams, symbols, unconscious dynamics, and the ways anxiety, depression, grief, conflict, and identity transitions can be expressions of an inner call toward growth.
I was born in Italy and came to the United States in my twenties, initially to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics at Princeton University, collaborating with scholars at the University of Chicago and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Later, volunteering in a hospital with terminally ill patients profoundly reshaped my understanding of human connection and purpose. Those encounters led me to reevaluate my values and pursue psychology.
Today, I work with individuals and couples—many in academia, as well as professionals, new parents, and people navigating midlife and later-life transitions. I am faculty for public programs at The C. G. Jung Center of Evanston, and I completed my clinical training (doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship) at Northwestern University Counseling and Psychological Services. I also provide consultation and supervision from a relational Jungian perspective, supporting early-career therapists in developing an authentic clinical voice.
"I have frequently seen people become neurotic when they content themselves with inadequate or wrong answers to the questions of life. They seek position, marriage, reputation, outward success or money, and remain unhappy and neurotic even when they have attained what they were seeking. Such people are usually confined within too narrow a spiritual horizon. Their life has not sufficient content, sufficient meaning. If they are enabled to develop into more spacious personalities, the neurosis generally disappears."
Published Work
Jungian Reflections on Grandiosity: From Destructive Fantasies to Passions and Purpose
Dr. Belviso's book, published by Routledge, presents a dual view of grandiosity as a destructive obsession that, when approached with curiosity and awareness, has the potential of fueling our lives with a sense of purpose, while being a positive force in the world.
Where We Meet
Contact Dr. Belviso
Contact me and I'll reach out within a few days to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to assess your needs and start exploring the possibility of working together. You can also select "Not sure yet" if you'd like help finding the right fit within our practice. If we're not the right fit, we'll help you connect with other resources.