archetypes

Archetypes are universal patterns or image‑models in the psyche that shape feelings, behavior, and identity. In therapy and emotional healing, they describe recurring inner roles and motifs emerging from the subconscious that organize personal stories and reactions.

Rooted in Carl Jung’s model of the collective unconscious, common examples include the Child, Caregiver, Hero, Shadow, Persona, and Trickster. This lens offers a shared language for noticing core themes, relationship patterns, projections, and trauma narratives, helping practitioners understand how identity forms and how conflicts repeat across life contexts.