The Animus Process: A 6-month Course in Stages, Shadow, and Clinical Integration
Session 2: The Animus and Relationship Patterns
November 2, 2025
11:00am PST - 1:00pm PST
Every woman carries a hidden masculine within her psyche.
Ignore him, and he’ll run your relationships from the shadows.
Recognize him, and he’ll become your greatest ally.
by Lyna Tevenaz Jones, M.A., ACMHC
The Animus: the inner masculine that every woman carries within her
“The animus is the deposit, as it were, of all woman’s ancestral experiences of man – and not only that, he is also a creative and procreative being, not in the sense of masculine creativity, but in the sense that he brings forth something we might call … the spermatic word.”
[- C. G. Jung, “Anima and Animus,” CW 7, par. 336.]
The Animus is a central concept in Jungian psychology.
It is not an external man, nor a simple memory of the father or past partners—but an internal, autonomous, and evolving figure, representing the masculine polarity of the female psyche.
Just as men carry within themselves an image of the Feminine (the Anima), women are inhabited, often unknowingly, by an inner masculine presence: the Animus. The aim of individuation is to constellate and integrate both aspects.
Module 2: The Animus and Relationship Patterns
Online
For our second workshop, we will explore the intriguing aspects of the relational animus.
Together, we will examine how the Animus archetype manifests in our relationships with partners, colleagues, superiors, and even spiritual mentors. We will see how it can attract us, sometimes even trap us, but above all, how it can guide us towards our own inner authority.
We will take a close look at those recurring relational patterns that can hold us back: attraction to unavailable partners, the search for a savior, dependence on a brilliant intellectual, or submission to a domineering authority figure. Each participant will have the opportunity to increase their awareness of their own relational patterns, recognize recurring themes, and begin to understand what their psyche is trying to communicate through these patterns.
We will also explore the basic steps and stages of withdrawing a projection.
Why work with the Animus?
Because not doing so means the animus remaining trapped in your unconscious - it rules your life from the inside out, inserting itself into relationships, work, and hinders individuation.
Working with the Animus means:
Regaining your psychic authority
Breaking out of the cycle of romantic projections
Accessing structured and aligned creativity
Reconnecting with your discernment, your inner compass
Transcending paternal wounds without denying them
What to expect…
Theoretical Foundations
My approach to working with the Animus is both clinical and symbolic.
What you will learn:
Recognize how the Animus archetype manifests in your relationships with partners, mentors, or leaders.
Identify your recurring relationship patterns (e.g., emotionally unavailable partners, rescuers, tyrants, idealized figures).
Understand the psychological function of these recurring patterns from the perspective of analytical psychology.
Discover the first steps to release your projections and retrieve inner freedom.
Recognize, understand, and transform your relational patterns
We all carry within us an inner masculine archetype—the Animus—which subtly influences our romantic, family, and professional relationships.
Often, this energy manifests as projections: we attribute to a partner, mentor, or authority figure a strength that, in reality, already exists within us.
This workshop invites you to explore how the Animus colors your relational choices and fuels sometimes repetitive dynamics: attraction to unavailable men, fascination with authority figures, or patterns of dependence and power struggles.
When the unconscious mind influences our relationships
We have all experienced those moments when a meeting seems "electrifying," when we feel seized by an irresistible force: romantic passion, admiration for a mentor, fascination with an authority figure.
Often, the intensity we feel is not proportional to the reality of the person we are with. This is a sign of a projection of the Animus: the inner masculine archetype that operates within our psyche and projects desired (or undesired) traits onto the other, inviting us to recognize those traits and develop them for ourselves.
This workshop offers you the opportunity to explore in depth how the Animus influences your relationships, particularly your romantic choices and your professional dynamics. You will learn to see your recurring patterns more clearly, in order to transform your relationships and open a path towards greater inner freedom.
We will also explore the most common relationship patterns:
Repeated attraction to unavailable or married men.
Relationships with authoritative, critical, or dominant figures.
A desire for a mentor or a "savior."
Fascination with a charismatic figure (teacher, spiritual guide, writer, boss).
Intense passions that enrich inner life but leave an emptiness in external relationships.
Art: Paul Klee
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When projected, the Animus can trap us in illusions, dependencies, and suffering. But when it is recognized and integrated, it becomes an inner guide: a source of wisdom, discernment, creative power, and authentic expression. It is both the challenge and the key: that which binds us and that which sets us free.
Integrating the Animus
Integrating the Animus isn't just about "accepting your inner masculine" or "balancing your energies."
It's a slow, demanding, and deeply transformative process that also involves confronting the Animus as it is—not as you want it to be.
One of the most powerful steps in integrating the Animus is the withdrawal of projections: the very quality idealized in a man—or forcefully rejected—points to a part of self still in exile.
The Animus becomes conscious when we act out the qualities it carries.
About me
Lyna Tevenaz Jones is a psychodynamic and Jungian-informed therapist specializing in depth work with adults and adolescents. In my clinical work, integrate attachment theory, internal family systems, archetypal psychology, and affective neuroscience. My thesis research explored how symbolic imagery and active imagination can restore connection to the Self in the healing of childhood trauma and attachment wounds.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
Be able to more precisely identify how the Animus manifests in their relationships and in what ways it is projected (idealization, criticism, unavailability, fascination, etc.). They will be able to recognize their recurring relational patterns and understand their psychological function in light of analytical psychology.
They will have experimented with practical tools—a projection journal, relational mapping, and active imagination—which will help them begin to withdraw their projections and reintegrate the qualities they attributed to the other person.
Clinically, this means: better differentiation between the self and the projection, a decrease in emotional and intellectual dependencies, and an increased ability to invest their psychic energy in creativity, independent thinking, and more conscious and balanced relationships.
Next Live Workshop on 11/2/2025
11:00am PST - 1:00pm PST
Join the live lecture + receive the recording + PDF presentation + Inner Work journaling pages
Price: $55
Early registration gives you access to the full live session, the replay, and a downloadable PDF with prompts and guidance to deepen your personal practice.
Pay-in-4 options are available at checkout
Next Live Workshop on 11/2: The Animus in Relationshi[s
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Session 1 Recording: Mapping the Animus
Recording of session 1 + pdf presentation + workbook
$55
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6-month Animus course
The Animus Process: A 6-month Course in Stages, Shadow, and Clinical Integration
$200 (instead of $330 for 6 individual sessions)
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Session 2: The Animus in Relationship
Single registration for session 2 live
$55
The Animus Journey
The Animus Journey
A 6-months journey with the Animus
A six-webinar journey to understand, connect with, and integrate the Animus - the inner force that structures thought, draws the gifts from the unconscious into consciousness, and shapes our relationships.
Through approaches based on Analytical Psychology, Psychoanalysis, neurobiogy and myths, you will learn to transform your critical inner voice into a guide and ally.
You can either purchase each session separately or register for the series, which is more economical if you plan on attending all webinars.
Every session will come in its own package, which will include:
Live lecture + recording +PDF guide + Inner Work journaling pages + separate 30mn Q & A
$200 for the full 6-workshop series (regular price $330).
September 21 , 2025
Module 1 – Mapping the Animus
Explore your earliest influences (father, male figures, transgenerational legacies). Discover the four stages of Animus development according to Emma Jung and create an initial map of your inner Animus. See details above.
Learning objectives examples:
Understand the concept of Animus in Jungian psychology.
Trace the 4 stages of Animus development (Emma Jung).
Recognize how father complex, cultural patterns, and transgenerational inheritance shape one’s Animus.
Begin mapping personal Animus lineage.
November 2, 2025
November 30, 2025
Module 2 – The Animus and Relational Projections
Learn to recognize how the Animus influences your romantic and professional relationships. Identify projection dynamics and unconscious repetitions, and discover how to begin removing your projections to gain inner freedom.
Learning objectives examples:
Recognize how the Animus is projected onto partners, mentors, or leaders.
Identify recurring relational patterns (e.g., attraction to unavailable men, rescuers, or tyrants).
Learn the first steps of withdrawing projections.
Module 3 – The Animus in Myths and Tales
Dive into the wisdom of universal tales: Bluebeard, Psyche and Eros, The Girl Without Hands… These stories reveal the many faces of the Animus. You will discover your own Animus myth and how it plays out in your life.
Learning objectives examples:
See how the Animus appears in myths, legends, and fairy tales.
Learn symbolic literacy: predator, guide, knight, prophet.
Discover one’s own “personal myth” of Animus.
January 4, 2026
Module 4 – The Shadow of the Animus
Discover the negative aspects of the Animus: the tyrant, the critic, the saboteur, and others. Understand their cultural and psychological roots, and learn how to set boundaries in the face of these inner voices that prevent you from moving forward.
Learning objectives examples:
Recognize negative Animus forms (tyrant, critic, saboteur).
Understand how cultural inheritance amplifies the Shadow Animus.
Learn boundary-setting practices with destructive inner voices.
February 1, 2026
March 1, 2026
Module 5 – The Animus: Guide and Inspirer
When differentiated, the Animus becomes a mediator, an inner prophet who paves the way for confidence, creativity, and inspired thinking. This module helps you recognize and communicate with this positive Animus.
Learning objectives examples:
Recognize the positive functions of the Animus.
Differentiate true Animus inspiration from possession.
Learn practices to constellate guiding Animus for creativity and confidence.
Module 6 – Integrating the Animus
Integrating the Animus isn't about identifying with it, but rather living with it as an inner partner. This final module offers concrete integration practices and helps you build your personal plan to continue this journey after the course.
Learning objectives examples:
Understand the difference between integration and identification.
Recognize signs of Animus integration (confidence, creative voice, boundaries).
Create a personalized plan for ongoing Animus work.
Taking good care of your psyche and your body.
This lecture is intended for educational and self-reflective purposes only and is not a substitute for individual therapy or professional mental health treatment.
By participating, you acknowledge that any emotional material that may arise is your responsibility to process, and it is strongly recommended that you engage in ongoing personal therapy for deeper integration. While care has been taken to create a safe and thoughtful experience, I am not liable for any psychological discomfort or triggering that may occur. Please honor your own boundaries and seek support from a licensed therapist if needed.
The unconscious is not neutral; it carries both light and shadow, and engaging with it requires reverence, humility, and a grounded internal container. For this reason, we will not be practicing active imagination together live.