Manca Švara

Jungian analytical psychotherapist (IAAP, SZAP), MA in Arts (UL)

I am a Jungian analytical psychotherapist. I practice Jungian psychotherapy, which is a type of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I also incorporate elements of transpersonal psychotherapy and art therapy into my practice.

I completed my studies in Jungian analysis/psychotherapy in September 2024 at the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) and am awaiting the title of Jungian analyst, which will be awarded at the IAAP Congress in Zurich in September 2025. My studies were supported by the Slovenian Association for Analytical Psychology (SZAP), based in Ljubljana. In 2022, I completed a diploma in counseling/coaching using the IPAL method (which combines knowledge of analytical psychology, psychological astrology, and alchemy) at the IPAL Institute in Ljubljana, focusing on intergenerational trauma. I also completed a program in psychotherapeutic propaedeutics at the Sigmund Freud University in Ljubljana in 2019. By primary education, I hold a Master of Arts degree, which I completed at the University of Ljubljana in 2012. I also completed the first year of training in psychedelic psychotherapy at the Rabbit Hole Institute in 2022, as I am very interested in how Jungian psychotherapy can offer support for transpersonal, spiritual, and unconscious experiences.

I have completed a multi-year educational process of Jungian psychoanalytic individual therapy (300+ hours) and over 150 hours of group and individual supervision. I regularly enhance my knowledge through trainings at professional seminars and conferences in Slovenia and abroad. I undergo supervision as needed with various accredited Jungian analysts and continuously educate myself in transpersonal psychotherapy and various therapeutic approaches related to art (clay work in therapy, work with projection OH cards, sandplay therapy, the use of metaphors in psychotherapy, mindfulness, and creativity).

I believe in the healing power of the unconscious, symbols, and each individual's psyche, which is activated if we stay long enough in a relationship with the therapist and with the images and opposites that emerge in his unconscious. During my studies, I paid a lot of attention to early relational trauma and the concept of complex trauma (C-PTSD Judith Herman) and its consequences. I explored how early relational trauma manifests in individuals and in psychotherapy and how it impacts mental health. Often, healing the "mother wound" (Webster) represents long and deep self-work that requires dedication to exploring the causes of one's symptoms. In this process, we often encounter concepts such as high sensitivity, various addictions, depression, existential anxiety, inferiority complexes, and low self-esteem. Based on numerous studies (Besser Van Der Kolk), the healing of complex trauma is a true "epidemic of today's society." The mother wound is often an intergenerational phenomenon, which is why I am very interested in raising awareness in both Slovenia and the broader border region where I live and work. For this purpose, I founded the Epiona Institute in 2022, a center for lifelong learning through symbols and art.

In 2023, the Epiona Institute launched an interdisciplinary project titled "My Story from Silence" (www.mojazgodbaiztisine.si), in partnership with the University of Primorska, the Faculty of Humanities (Department of Anthropology), and CPPK. The project focuses on exploring intergenerational narratives of the border region through artistic expression, psychoanalysis, and anthropology. The project was presented at the “Analysis and Activism” conference in Ljubljana in September 2023, and based on the presentation, an article titled "My Silent Story: Conflicted Memories, Silences, and Intergenerational Traumas" was published in the Journal of Analytical Psychology in April 2024. The project continues with new international partners and EU funding under the title 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗩 𝗥𝗘 𝟰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 from 2025 to 2027.

Since March 2024, I have been a member of the Executive Board of the Slovenian Association for Analytical Psychology (SZAP), where together with my colleagues, we promote the ideas of Carl Gustav Jung in Slovenia and beyond. The association also facilitates the study of Jungian analysis in Slovenia (IAAP route program). I am also a member of the movements Analysis and Activism and Jungianeum. I have been a member of the CPPK (Center for Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Support Koper) for several years. In October 2024, I became a teaching analyst among Jungian analysts at the Sigmund Freud University in Ljubljana.