Shadows & Self: Working with Fear, Mystery, and the Unconscious

Shadows & Self: Working with Fear, Mystery, and the Unconscious in Clinical Work

3 contact hours are available to NYS LCATs, LMHCs, LMSWs/LCSWs, LMFT

Thank you to our partner Family Service Society, Inc. who shares in our mission to create a network of mental health professionals sharing valued expertise across disciplines.

Fear, shadows, and mystery live within every client story. Rather than avoiding these darker themes, clinicians can learn to harness them as pathways to healing, resilience, and self-discovery. This experiential CEU workshop invites mental health professionals to explore archetypes of the shadow, metaphorical monsters, and the symbolism of the unknown. Participants will practice creative interventions—narrative, somatic, and reflective—that help clients face their fears safely and with meaning. Step into the shadows and discover how spooky themes can illuminate the therapeutic process.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how fear, uncertainty, and “shadow material” manifest in clients’ mental health concerns.
• Apply at least three clinical interventions that explore fear and mystery as pathways to resilience and self-understanding. (Jungian Shadow Self/Archetypes, narrative therapy/storytelling, etc).
• Integrate metaphor and symbolic imagery (e.g., shadows, labyrinths, monsters) into therapeutic practice.
• Reflect on their own relationship with fear, the unknown, and unconscious material, and how this informs clinical presence.

Facilitator Bio –Facilitator Bio:
Shannon Halligan, L-CAT, is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and founder of Halligan Creative Arts Therapy. With over 20 years of experience, she helps individuals navigate grief, loss, trauma, and life transitions through creative expression and compassionate reflection. Learn more about Shannon by visiting https://www.halliganarts.com/meet-shannon.