Ep 62: Navigating the Puer - The Eternal Boy Archetype with Gabe Gould

In today's episode I chat with one of my classmates from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Gabe Gould

"In Jungian psychology, the term ‘puer’ is used to describe an adult man whose emotional life has remained at an adolescent level, usually coupled with too great a dependence on the mother.

The typical puer shirks responsibility for his actions, and understandably so, since what he does is not within his conscious control. He is at the mercy of his unconscious, and is especially vulnerable to his instinctive drives. He is prone to do what ‘feels right.’ However, he is so alienated from his true feelings that what feels right one minute often feels wrong the next.

The individuating puer—one coming to grips with his attitudes and behaviour patterns—knows that undifferentiated feelings are highly suspect, especially when they arise in conjunction with the use of alcohol or other drugs. Instead of identifying with his feelings, he tries to keep some distance from them, which means objectifying what he is experiencing.

He questions himself:

Is this what I really feel?

Is this what I want?

What are the consequences?

Can I live with them?

Can I live with myself?

How does what I do affect others?"

Gabe Gould is a Jungian psychologist in training, author, and leader of Chicago's suburban farming movement.

His research explores the intersections between Kabbalah and Jungian psychology, as well as rites of passage and comparative male development.

He is a counselor for men struggling with relationship and intimacy, commitment, addiction, and too much (or too little) anger.  Gabe is the owner of Soil and Soul Therapeutic Farm in Long Grove, IL, the Chicago suburbs' premier retreat for wellness and permaculture workshops.

Additionally, Soil and Soul is a grass-roots, underground educational institute addressing the core issues at the root of modern consciousness through group classes and one-on-one counseling.

To contact Gabe, please visit his website:

www.organic-therapy.com or www.soilandsoulfarm.org.