Coincidence, happenstance, serendipity, fate, or the hand of god: Case studies in synchronicity - Article

Synchronicity as a Phenomenon in Counseling

Synchronicity has appeared in the psychotherapeutic literature beginning with Jung's presentation of his ideas in the 1930s. Jungian thought has generated its own subdiscipline within psychoanalysis. The analysis of synchronistic events is an integral part of Jungian analysis (Brenneis & Boersma, 1993; Hopcke, 1988; Kelly, 1993) and uses such techniques as meditation, guided imagery, active imagination, and dream analysis. Examples of synchronistic applications have also appeared across the disciplines of counseling and psychotherapy (Hanson & Klimo, 1998; Haule, 2000; Marlo & Kline, 1998; Roehlke, 1988; Satori, 1997). However, the phenomenon is underrepresented in the career literature, although synchronistic events seem to be factors in career opportunities and decisions and can manifest during the career counseling process. The closely related phenomena of happenstance (Miller, 1983; Mitchell, Levin, & Krumboltz, 1999), serendipity (Betsworth & Hansen, 1996; Krumboltz, 1998; Watts, 1996; Williams et al., 1 998), and chance events (Bandura, 1982; Cabral & Salomone, 1990; Scott & Hatalla, 1990) in career patterns have been well documented and discussed. We contend that these may well be manifestations of synchronicity. Each of the following case studies can be attributed to any of these phenomena, yet each closely meets the descriptions of synchronistic forms described by Jung.

Case Studies in Synchronicity

Form 1: Dan's Case

Dan, a 42-year-old White man, came to a major university career center in a medium-sized town in the Southeast the week he resigned his position as the managing editor of the town's newspaper. After having held the job for 3 years, he believed he could no longer uphold the political positions demanded by the owner. Because the salary from his wife's job as a nurse practitioner, along with their savings, was sufficient to cover their needs for several months, he was determined to find work that fit his interests and lifestyle. Dan and his wife had been married for 14 years and were the parents of one child, a 9-year-old daughter who was severely mentally disabled. Dan had taken the job as managing editor and had moved his family from Chicago so that their child could attend a university-run residential school specializing in children with their daughter's disorder. Their time away from their jobs was exclusively devoted to supporting the school. Their only social life centered on school activities, and they we re especially friendly with an attorney and his wife who also had a child in the school.

Dan had attended a state university in the Northeast and was considered intelligent but had had a lackluster academic career. Nevertheless, he did well in English and journalism and became editor of the school newspaper. He stated that he knew from that point on he wanted a career in journalism. Upon graduation, he took his first job as a reporter and embarked on a traditional career trajectory. Over the years, he held jobs at several newspapers in various cities, working his way up until he became a senior editor of a major newspaper in Chicago, a position he held for 6 years. He reported being satisfied with and energized by his work.