Time and Timing in Therapy

This is an excerpt from one of the presentations featured in the Pari Center’s event Psyche and Time, in Pari from June 14 to 20, 2022.

with Deborah Egger

Timing matters in therapy; it matters a lot and on many different levels. Whether it is the kronos timing of appointments beginning and ending ‘on time’ (or not) or the kairos timing of interventions, interpretations, actions and reactions, dreams, intuitions working (or not)….timing is important in the therapeutic process.

In addition to the differences in kronos and kairos aspects of time, we also must take heed that Psyche’s time is often not the same as Ego’s time and this can be a problem, a challenge or even a complete obstacle in therapy unless we look carefully and with curiosity into the relationship between the two.

Psychologically speaking, events of the ‘past’ can be fully alive in us in the ‘present’ and even seemingly determinate of our ‘future’. We can believe wounds and painful experiences are ‘behind us’ and yet be completely caught by surprise when they rise up and disturb our ability to be related in our daily life. Letting ‘bygones be bygones’ is not a simple endeavor, emotionally. We will

  • Look at the relationship between kronos and kairos as one of our main entry points to delve into the world of transferential relationships and their potential for transformation.
  • Explore the expected developmental ‘crises’ we have all lived through, leaving us imprinted by implicit memory and imbued with explicit memory, considering the mystery of our existence in time and time in our existence
  • Consider the ‘fullness of time’ as a needed, spiritual component of our individuation journey

Deborah Egger-Biniores, MSW, is training and supervising analyst at the International School for Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland. She was AGAP President from 2001–2010, served on the IAAP Executive Committee during 2001–2007 and was a founding member of ISAPZURICH. She earned her diploma in Analytical Psychology at the CG Jung Institute, Küsnacht and her academic education previously was in the fields of religion, psychology, music and social work. Her writing interest currently focuses on the cyclical process of development over the course of a lifetime and on adult intimate relationships particularly with relation to the human soul and its intention. She teaches regularly on the topics of transference, developmental psychology, neurosis, psychopathology and the role of relationships in individuation. The mother of two grown children, she maintains a private analytic practice in Stäfa, Switzerland, and is currently serving as President of ISAPZURICH.