Psychology Club

Introducing the Psychology Club:
A New Member Benefit of the C.G. Jung Society of Sarasota

Curiosity, Conversation, Community

The C.G. Jung Society of Sarasota is delighted to announce a new free member benefit: The Psychology Club, a monthly 90-minute online gathering hosted by Dr. Annemarie Connor, dedicated to exploring the ideas, history, and continuing relevance of Jungian psychology. This group is open to members only.

Inspired by the historic Psychology Club Zürich (Psychologischer Club Zürich), founded by Carl Gustav Jung and his circle in 1916, our Sarasota Psychology Club will provide a welcoming space for discussion, learning, and reflection. Whether you are new to Jung’s work or a longtime student of analytical psychology, this gathering offers an opportunity to engage with ideas that continue to illuminate the human experience more than a century after their inception.

Why a Psychology Club?

When Jung and his colleagues founded the Psychology Club in Zurich, they envisioned something more than a lecture series or study group. Following Jung’s break with Freud, the Club became a place where emerging ideas in analytical psychology could be explored through dialogue among analysts, students, scholars, and interested laypersons. Jung believed that the solitary work of inner development needed to be balanced by meaningful conversation and community. According to the Club’s own history, it was intended as a place where “the inner, and often lonely, work on the soul could find a balance in exchanges with others.” [psychologyclub.ch]

That vision remains remarkably relevant today.

In a culture characterized by distraction and speed, the Psychology Club offers a place to slow down, think deeply, and explore questions of meaning, symbolism, dreams, creativity, relationships, spirituality, and psychological growth.

A Rich History

The original Psychology Club Zürich was founded in 1916 by Emma Jung, Carl Gustav Jung, Edith and Harold McCormick Rockefeller, and other members of the early Jungian circle.

From the beginning, the Club played a crucial role in the development of analytical psychology. Many of Jung’s ideas were first presented and discussed within its walls before appearing in print. The Club became a unique forum where psychologists, artists, theologians, physicians, and seekers could gather to explore the psyche from multiple perspectives.

The Club can be visited today at  Gemeindestrasse 27 in the Hottingen district of Zurich, a neo-Gothic villa that remains an important center for Jungian studies.

The Human Story Behind the Club

One of the most fascinating aspects of the early Club is the constellation of personalities who participated in its life.

Among them was Emma Jung, Carl Jung’s wife, analyst, and distinguished scholar in her own right. Emma served as the Club’s first president and became a significant contributor to the development of Jungian psychology and enriched our understanding of the animus as the contrasexual aspect of the feminine psyche.

Another central figure was Toni Wolff, Jung’s close collaborator and longtime companion. Toni became president of the Club in 1928 and served until 1945. Jung later acknowledged that she played a profound role in the development of analytical psychology and in the life of the Club itself. Toni helped shape early Jungian thinking and contributed significantly to understanding feminine psychology and group dynamics.

The Psychology Club became a living laboratory where these relationships, ideas, and tensions were not merely theoretical but part of the evolving human drama surrounding the birth of analytical psychology. Emma Jung, Toni Wolff, Marie-Louise von Franz, C.A. Meier, and many others helped create a vibrant intellectual and psychological community whose influence continues worldwide.

Our First Meeting :
August 27th, 6:30pm-8pm Eastern on Zoom

The inaugural Sarasota Psychology Club gathering will introduce participants to the fascinating story of the original Zurich Club.

Topics will include:

• Why Jung believed a psychology club was necessary
• The founding of the Club in 1916
• The role of Emma Jung as the Club’s first president
• Toni Wolff’s enduring influence on the Club and Jungian psychology
• Famous meetings, discussions, and personalities associated with the Club
• The historic clubhouse in Hottingen, Zurich
• How the Club helped shape the development of analytical psychology

We will also explore photographs of the Club, its beautiful clubhouse, and some of the individuals who helped create one of the most influential psychological communities of the twentieth century.

Looking Ahead

Future Psychology Club meetings will explore a wide range of Jungian themes of the members’ choosing. Broadly, some possible topics include:

• Dreams and dream interpretation
• Archetypes and mythology
• The Shadow
• Individuation
• Synchronicity
• Alchemy and transformation
• Active imagination
• Fairy tales and symbolism
• Jung and spirituality

Each session will combine brief presentations with discussion, creating an atmosphere that honors the spirit of the original Zurich Club: thoughtful inquiry, shared learning, and genuine psychological exploration.

Join the Conversation

The Psychology Club is offered free as a benefit of membership in the CG Jung Society of Sarasota.

Whether you come with years of Jungian study or simple curiosity about the mysteries of the psyche, you are warmly invited to participate. Together we will continue a tradition that began in Zurich more than a century ago!