Individuation for Adult Replacement Children (ARC)
The meaning of the geometrical term ‘Arc’ refers to the part of a circle required to complete the circle.
For an Adult Replacement Child, getting from A) to B) entails going back to its origins and finding a way to discover its own life force, unencumbered by the projected image of a disappeared other person, and reconnecting with its own center – the Self, its inalienable original life force.
Speaker: Kristina Schellinski M.A.
At the XXIII International Congress of Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Jungian psychoanalyst Kristina Schellinski addresses how central concepts of Analytical Psychology can offer hope in dark times. Drawing on Jung’s own dialogue with his soul during periods of upheaval, she explores the paradoxical relationship between chaos and the Self — where chaos both triggers and is embraced by the Self, and where the Self, in turn, becomes a source of hope and renewal.
Schellinski integrates philosophical insights from Gabriel Marcel with Jung’s understanding of the unconscious, emphasising that hope is not tied to a specific outcome, but to a willingness to explore the unknown. She discusses how reconnecting with the deeper Self and recognising enantiodromia as an intrinsic dynamic can foster renewal even in the face of destruction, loss, and death.
Through clinical case material, dream imagery, and symbolic encounters, she illustrates how the archetypal Self can manifest unexpectedly, guiding transformation on both individual and collective levels. Schellinski invites us to consider how, in times of crisis, we might help new creation emerge from darkness — a process that calls on the soul to courageously face what is, and to open to what can be.
Speakers: Ard Nieuwenbroek (NL) and Kristina Schellinski M.A. (CH)
In this online supervision seminar for psychotherapists and psychoanalysts, Ard Nieuwenbroek and Kristina Schellinski explore the resilience of individuals born as replacement children — those whose lives began in the shadow of loss. The seminar examines therapeutic approaches and clinical insights into what has helped these individuals survive, heal, and grow.
Drawing on their combined expertise, Nieuwenbroek and Schellinski address the complex interplay of grief, identity formation, survivor’s guilt, and existential loneliness. They highlight the role of psychoanalytic understanding in fostering self-discovery, emotional integration, and the reclamation of a unique sense of self.
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss cases, share experiences, and explore ways to support replacement children in their journey toward a fuller and more authentic life.
Registration: k.schellinski@replacement-child-professionals.com
Speakers: Kristina Schellinski M.A.
Jungian psychoanalyst Kristina Schellinski discusses the concept of replacement child syndrome, wherein individuals are born as substitutes or replacements in the wake of a family member’s death. She emphasizes the lifelong impact of this condition, including protracted grief, survivor’s guilt, and a sense of existential loneliness. The syndrome affects the bonding process, identity formation, and relationships with oneself and others. Despite the existence of this phenomenon since the early 1960s, life-saving treatment options have only recently been explored. Schellinski incorporates Carl Gustav Jung’s experience as a potential replacement child and explores his concept of individuation as a path to psychological rebirth and spiritual connection. She explores how Jungian analysis can support adult replacement children on their journey toward rediscovering life and their unique souls.
Speakers: Kristina Schellinski M.A. & Dr. Zack Eleftheriadou
Families face intense psychic pain when a child has deceased or goes missing. For complex reasons, the effects of loss and trauma can remain unresolved and unconscious across one or more generations. The impact can be especially powerful for the child born after the loss, but also affect surviving siblings of children born years later.
During this evening seminar, we will discuss how ‘the replacement child’ dynamics create a fragmented identity, relational difficulties and a sense of existential insecurity. Through clinical material, our speakers will discuss how these unconscious themes can be sensitively considered within the therapeutic relationship and how we can accompany replacement children to find their true self.
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion throughout the evening.
Speakers: Kristina Schellinski M.A., Dr. Bram Bakker & drs. Ard Nieuwenbroek
The OrthoHulp Afternoon Symposium proved to be a great success. Distinguished speakers, Kristina Schellinski M.A., Dr. Bram Bakker, and drs. Ard Nieuwenbroek, shared their expertise on the topic, providing valuable perspectives and practical insights. Their presentations delved into the psychological aspects of coping with loss, offering guidance on how to navigate the complexities of grief, particularly in the context of sibling relationships.
Seminar-Leader: Kristina Schellinski M.A.
Mit Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern die aufgrund einer frühen Verlusterfahrung mit existentiellen Fragen ringen, umkreisen wir den Effekt der archetypischen Kräfte von Tod und Leben, von Liebe und Tod. Wir blicken auf Erfahrungen des Destruktiven, die uns zum Kreativen in unserem Leben führen können. Wir teilen unsere Geschichte und unsere Ressourcen in einem geschützten Raum und gehen miteinander auf Entdeckungsreise um Halt in unserer Seele zu finden. Mit Beispielen aus Kunst, Literatur und klinischer Praxis wird in die Thematik eingeführt. Das Seminar bietet Gelegenheit für Austausch und Selbsterfahrung mit Fokus auf Selbstfindung. Zum Abschluss geben wir dem Kreativen Raum, um das was wir in der Gruppe und seitens der inneren Stimme in uns, in Stille, erlebt haben, zu Papier zu bringen…
Speaker: Kristina Schellinski, M.A., Teaching Analyst and Supervisor
The task of individuation does not only encompass our becoming conscious of our personal issues, but, in many cases, also invites us to become conscious of complexes and traumata that affected our parents or grandparents. When we have dreams that seem to come from far away or to have nothing to do with us, when we notice repetitions and patterns across generations, then we are called upon by psyche to recognize and understand what happened to our ancestors. We do this to heal them, to heal us, and to help lighten the load that would otherwise be passed on to our children and grandchildren…
Speakers: Kristina Schellinski, M.A., Teaching Analyst and Supervisor, C.G. Jung Institute, Zürich, Dr. Zack Eleftheriadou BPS/HPCP Chartered Counselling Psychologist
Children and adults can suffer from being born into a family that experienced the loss of a child or other dear member of the family. The attachment is disrupted at the core level when the child is born in the shadow of the loss. Therefore, attachment becomes a structural element to consider in replacement children, in the early years and later in adult life…
Speaker: Kristina Schellinski M.A.
“The self effectively compensates chaotic conditions no matter by what name it is known.” Carl Jung (CW 11, para 444). Whether we are in the midst of a personal upheaval or facing times of crisis collectively, this citation by Carl Gustav Jung offers us help and comfort and a depth-psychological…