Listening in Reverie: Ellen Emmet

In this conversation, Ellen Emmet reflects on her path into Jungian analysis and how the teachings of Carl Jung continue to shape her inner life, clinical work, and spiritual inquiry. Together, we explore what it means to hold depth psychology and nondual realization in the same field—without collapsing one into the other. The dialogue moves through questions of decolonizing therapy, the subtle dynamics of spiritual bypass, and the kind of deep listening required when working with the unconscious—both personal and collective. Ellen speaks to the body as a threshold into the psyche’s wilderness, and to the necessity of staying in relationship with what is unresolved, uncomfortable, and unfinished. Threaded throughout is a concern for the wider world: how collective trauma, ancestral memory, and the current socio-political moment ask to be included in spiritual and therapeutic work—not bypassed. This is a conversation about remembrance, embodiment, and the slow work of integration in times of upheaval. Ellen offers meetings and retreats through The Awakening Body, an experiential exploration rooted in nondual inquiry, Authentic Movement, and direct listening to lived experience. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice and facilitates Authentic Movement groups. EllenEmmet.com Topics 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 01:05 Reflecting on Past Conversations 01:41 Journey into Jungian Analysis 02:50 Exploring Carl Jung's Theories 05:31 The Process of Individuation 13:17 Decolonizing Therapy 16:40 Spiritual Bypassing and Social Issues 20:48 Facing the Darkness: Confronting Fear and Avoidance 22:17 The Deadly Silence: Censorship in Spiritual Spaces 23:19 Heartbreak as a Spiritual Connection 26:09 The Power of Collective Healing 28:03 Listening with Reverence and Reverie 36:09 The Wildness of the Body: Embracing Natural Movement 39:39 Concluding Thoughts and Future Connections Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member