Growing Up Jung: Coming of Age as the Son of Two Shrinks

Wild personal history meets irreverent survey of Jungian psychology in this memoir about growing up as the son of two shrinks.

As the son of two Jungian therapists, the young Micah Toub got a double dose of insight, ranging from the flaky to the profound. Dreamwork, archetypes, conflict resolution, the mind-body connection―Toub’s childhood was a virtual laboratory of psychology.

A mysterious growth on his father’s nose embodied the conflict that would lead to his parents’ divorce. Family meetings involved dream analysis and intense emotional unburdening. As a young adult, Micah chased his “anima” in the form of a fickle poetess who eventually broke his heart, but then a series of coincidences later identified as “synchronicity” led him to his fiancée.

Enriched with excerpts from Carl Jung’s own memoir, and informed by readings and conversations with Jungian gurus and unbelievers alike, Growing Up Jung intelligently examines the pros and cons of Jungian philosophy as we witness Toub embrace his “shadow” and meditate with his “ally” in that elusive quest for “individuation.” While tackling themes like the anima, the Oedipus complex, and transference, it addresses the question: is it possible for the spawn of two shrinks to reach adulthood mentally unscathed?

Micah Toub grew up in Denver, Colorado, and now resides in Toronto, Canada, where he writes a biweekly column on relationships from a male point of view for The Globe & Mail and blogs for Psychology Today.