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Current times increasingly require us to be able to understand, to adequately acknowledge, and to interrelate with the psychology and mental states of individuals and communities from all over the word. Compared with previous times, two global movements drive this change: worldwide migration and global tourism. There is therefore a pressing need for psychology, relevant theorizing, and psychological treatment to respond to these new cultural-clinical developments.
Our research and treatment group at the University of Zurich - also referred to as the Zurich Trauma Group, with its particular focus on trauma psychology and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research - aims to contribute to an advanced cultural clinical psychology by responding to these new developments. Although we do adhere not only to Jungian Psychology, our research group investigates whether the central theories and original assumptions proposed by Carl Gustav Jung can contribute to this advanced cultural clinical psychology. In the 2016 article in International Psychology Bulletin we reflected on how symbolic representation and communication is important in clinical practice and psychotherapy, particularly in regard to the terminology of culture-specific mental health concepts (Maercker & Heim 2016). In seeking to open up abroader discussion on the topic, we organized an expert meeting in May 2017, with the aim of highlighting innovative solutions in the increasingly global approaches to trauma and the views of Jungian psychology. With these fundamental considerations we endeavour to contribute to the nexus of psychology with pressing public affairs, which are outlined in two recent books on Jungian psychology (see Carta, Adorisio & Mercurio 2017; Kiehl, Saban & Samuels, 2016).
A broad range of recent research has shown that responses to stressful life events around the world go beyond the understanding of the ‘Global North’ (formerly called ‘Western’ c