Training - GCI

Engaging Jung’s Types for the Development of Unique Personality.

Gifts Compass offers training and online instruments grounded in C. G. Jung’s original 8 psychological types. Our aim is to remain true to Jung’s original model and its inseparable relationship to depth psychology.

The “individuation” of unique personality is the aim and purpose of our work.

C. G. Jung's home and office in Küsnacht

Carl Jung's home and office

We don’t put people in “personality” categories.

Each individual profile is unique. Each profile identifies distinctive pathways to greater personal growth and development. One becomes aware of undervalued aspects of personality that can enhance the journey to wholeness

What Jungian Analysts Are Saying

“Gifts Compass provides a highly developed and theoretically well-founded tool that allows for an understanding of typology which is far more accurate than other typology models. The Gifts Compass Inventory is comprehensively based on Jung’s writings and follows his psychological understanding of inner and outer characteristics, which implies a necessary understanding of often contradictory preferences. Especially the link to Jung’s theories of the individuation process provides a dynamic model which is highly useful when considering developmental processes.”

Misser Berg

Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Denmark. President of the International Association for Analytical Psychology. Director of Training at the C.G. Jung Institute, Copenhagen; Denmark

“Gifts Compass has the outstanding merit of staying close to Jung’s original intention of linking psychological type theory to the individuation process. It is a brilliant contribution to the field of typological theory and practice. Of all the attempts to apply psychological type theory to models of counseling and coaching, this is by far the best.”

Murray Stein

Ph.D., Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Switzerland/U.S. Former President of the International Association of Analytical Psychology; former President of the International School of Analytical Psychology. Author of Jung’s Map of the Soul and many others.

The Training

Training sessions are delivered online, enabling a broad international constituency. The faculty includes an international group of Jungian analysts and experts in Jung’s psychological types. The sessions are centered in dialogue, so your participation will be an essential element of the training.

We now offer the GCI Training in two parts:

Part I
Life Atlas Consultant Training

This training covers the practical applications of Jung’s type model for counseling, coaching, human resource management, and organizational development. It will enable you to work with clients at our companion Life Atlas site.

Lectures are provided online in advance of the sessions. Three two-hour sessions are practicums where we consider the profiles of people in the group. It is in the practicums that people get an experiential feel for type dynamics. We watch five films to illustrate type dynamics and the “hero’s journey” of what Jung called, “individuation”—the unification of unique personality.

Part II
GCI Advisor Training

This second training builds on the Life Atlas Consultant Training (a prerequisite) to address the type dynamics of ego/shadow oppositions that engender individuation. The focus is on the fuller development of the uniquely individual person. The GCI Advisor Training is intended for psychologists working in depth with their clients. The advisor receives a thirty-page in-depth report; the client receives a twelve-page report.

Part II is structured much like Part I, with online lectures and five films. The practicums are case studies offered by Jungian analysts.

Endorsements from Others

FAQs

How will I benefit from this training?

The training will help you more fully understand your clients and more effectively relate to their perspectives. You will gain greater access to Jung’s “indispensable” compass for many practical applications as well as for navigating your clients’ pathways to personal growth.

What is the difference between the GCI and other assessment tools derived from Jung’s work?

The Gifts Compass Inventory (GCI) depicts nuanced dispositions for each of Jung’s original 8 psychological types. They are depicted as a “compass,” a term that Jung used for the type structure. We stay very close to Jung’s original work, thus individuation of unique personality is central to our work.

The popular 16 personality type model attempts to depict combinations of the two most preferred types, and fits the results into sixteen predetermined personality categories. We display diverse combinations of all 8 types.

How is the training different from others?

The online training probes Jung’s original model of 8 psychological types intensively. Our focus is on “reading the melody” of all eight types as they assemble for collaborations or oppositions in the dynamic development of unique personality.

We review several important observations in Jung’s model, among them.

A one-sided typological disposition is not healthy and indicates a primitive lack of development that potentially breeds neurosis.
The tension and integration of opposites, so central to Jung’s depth psychology, is also the central theme of Jung’s type model.
Key unconscious elements of Jung’s architecture of the psyche have typological orientations.
Understanding the terms attitude and orientation is essential for understanding Jung’s types.
The four functions, even when opposite, are rendered highly compatible when merged with a common directional attitude (introversion or extraversion).

The training is delivered online by members of an international faculty of Jungian analysts and experts in Jung’s original type model. Participants listen to recorded lectures, complete reading assignments, and watch a film as a case study, all in advance of the sessions. The sessions are centered in dialogue as an optimal mode of learning.

Jung’s Indispensable Compass

Both training programs include readings from C. G. Jung’s original Psychological Types and James Johnston’s book, Jung’s Indispensable Compass–Navigating the Dynamics of Psychological Types.

As a Jungian trained coach it is a pleasure to work with James Johnston’s interpretation of the psychological types. The book does not provide a roadmap for a better adaptation to life, but it shows those brave enough, a hero’s quest for bringing out their true selves and leading an authentic life. Sandra Benschop, Personal and Executive Coach, The Netherlands.

The book is subtitled “Navigating the Dynamics of Psychological Types.” I would be happy to provide it with yet another subtitle: “The Introduction to Analytical Psychology for Ordinary People.” James has an extraordinary talent for clarifying and translating the language and manner of Jung’s discourse in his Collected Works into the language of the modern person. It is a superb read. Małgorzata Nader, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Poland.

This is a “must have” book for anyone interested in personality/psychological types . . . It is a highly engaging, informative book which accurately interprets Jung’s highly influential body of work, Psychological Types, in an easy to understand way so you don’t have to be a psychological expert. It is a great compliment to the GCI training. Nicholas Toku, UK/Switzerland. Training Candidate at ISAPZurich.

Training Endorsements

Gifts Compass has the outstanding merit of staying close to Jung’s original intention of linking psychological type theory to the individuation process. It is a brilliant contribution to the field of typological theory and practice. Of all the attempts to apply psychological type theory to models of counseling and coaching, this is by far the best. Murray Stein, Ph.D., Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Switzerland/U.S. Author of Jung’s Map of the Soul, former President of the International Association of Analytical Psychology, former President of the International School of Analytical Psychology.

Gifts Compass provides a highly developed and theoretically well-founded tool that allows for an understanding of typology which is far more accurate than other typology models. The Gifts Compass Inventory is comprehensively based on Jung’s writings and follows his psychological understanding of inner and outer characteristics, which implies a necessary understanding of often contradictory preferences. Especially the link to Jung’s theories of the individuation process provides a dynamic model which is highly useful when considering developmental processes. Misser Berg, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Denmark. Vice-President of the International Association for Analytical Psychology. Director of Training at the C.G. Jung Institute, Copenhagen.

Having both helped to edit Jung’s Indispensable Compass and used the Gifts Compass Inventory in my analytical practice, I fully appreciate the sincerity and rigor with which James Johnston has stayed as true as possible to Jung’s intentions and the help this offers my analysands in deepening their understanding of the individuation process. Andrew Fellows, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Switzerland, UK. Curriculum Director at ISAPZurich. Author of GAIA, Psyche and Deep Ecology: Navigating Climate Change in the Anthropocene.

I have worked with CEOs and other organizational leaders for over 40 years and used a variety of assessments to help them along their developmental journey. Nothing compares to the Gifts Compass Inventory (GCI) for revealing the underlying patterns for both strengths and shadow. The GCI offers insights into how to help them develop and mature as persons and leaders in ways no other instruments have. Norman Wolfe, U.S. Organizational Development Consultant, Author of The Living Organization

The Gifts Compass Training helped me to deepen all my previous knowledge about the psychological types and individuation and relate it to my personal life, relationships and professional interactions as a coach. It allowed me to go further in my ability to help my clients deepen their human development. I confidently recommend this course to people and professionals who want to learn more about themselves and those with whom they interact. Joana Areias, Portugal. Life Coach.

The reading and lectures have helped me appreciate how clearly Jung wrote about the unfolding, individuating personality at the centre of his psychic model, and that the psychological types and functions are key to its exploration. . . As someone who does not enjoy the purely conceptual, watching film and discussing it with a group, has enlivened the training and made it so much more fun for me than pure guided reading. Joanna Murphy, MD, UK. Student , C. G. Jung Institute, Zurich

The Gifts Compass training has provided a well-grounded understanding of Jung’s type model, and illustrated how understanding the types is profoundly important for personal growth and transformation. I have used the DiSC Personal Profile with my coaching clients for years but the Gifts Compass adds a whole new dimension. I recommend this training to anyone who wants to go deeper. Barb Mauntler, U.S. Executive Coach, Organizational Development Consultant, USA

The elaboration of typology resolves a lot of the problems my colleagues and I had in trying to apply it. I loved sessions 5 and 6, as well as the Reading the Melody practicums. They’re great! This is the first time that I feel I understand Jung’s model. Mira Khazzam, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Canada. International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP)

. . . describes the essence of each of the eight types, clarifies some misconceptions of most post Jungian interpretations, and contributes with new insights for a better comprehension and application of typology . . . . The training revolutionized the way I work with typology and its importance on my research and practice. Pedro Mendes, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Portugal/Switzerland. International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP)

The GCI is a powerful instrument both in assessment and treatment. It is a dynamic tool and one can take the GCI along the analytical journey to see changes within the psyche and also in relationships in the outer world. Gunilla Midbøe, Diplomate Jungian Analyst, Sweden. International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP)

What People Are Saying:

This is a "must have" book for anyone interested in personality/psychological types . . . It is a highly engaging, informative book which accurately interprets Jung's highly influential body of work, Psychological Types, in an easy to understand way so you don't have to be a psychological expert. It is a great compliment to the GCI training.

Jung’s Indispensable Compass is not only a dynamic and well written introduction to Jung’s theory of types, it is also an in- depth exploration in Jung’s theory of the development of the personality. I highly recommend this book.

If you are interested in learning more about Jung's psychological types, understanding your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your psychological disposition, and plan a developmental path for yourself, then this is the best book you can find. The book is very well written and a wide variety of examples and easy to follow diagrams make reading it a pleasure.

J. G. Johnston has rendered Jung's model of psychological types in a very clear and comprehensive way, without losing any of the subtleties of Jung’s thinking. I highly recommend this book.

James Johnston's writing on Jung's typology is the best I've encountered. As a psychologist, I've found Johnston's in-depth descriptions and analysis of the types to be very helpful in my clinical practice, for myself and clients alike. As a student learning depth psychology, this text is as indispensable as the compass itself.