Kathleen Kirgin - From Colonization to Peace: Transforming Ireland's Cultural Complexes”.

ABSTRACT
Since England’s colonization of Ireland in the 16th century, Ireland has faced cycles of oppression, famine, inequality, division, and conflict. Following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the 30-year conflict in the north known as The Troubles, Ireland has experienced lasting peace. This shift transformed the historically hostil Anglo-Irish relationship into one of peacebuilding, shared values, and a vision of a unified future. Through Thomas Singer and Samuel Kimble’s cultural complex theory and Jung’s concept of the shadow, Kathleen Kirgin examines this cultural transformation to understand how healing has unfolded in the enduring conflict between these nations. Drawing from her time in Northern Ireland from the late 1980s through the 1990s, where her father had a home, Kirgin's research investigates Ireland's evolving cultural complexes and the Irish journey of healing from historical trauma. Her analysis offers valuable insight into the ongoing collective recovery from Ireland’s past and suggests a potential model for other cultures seeking resolution in long standing cross-cultural conflicts.
BIO
Dr. Kathleen Kirgin is a depth psychologist and leadership consultant with global experience in personal development and conscious leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University and a master’s and doctorate in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where her research explores collective trauma, transgenerational wounds in Irish culture, and pathways for healing. In addition to her private practice, she collaborates with the SI-Institute, an executive coaching firm based in Seoul, and is an active member of the Jungianeum team and the Steering Committee for Analysis and Activism.
ABOUT PSYCHOSOCIAL WEDNESDAYS
Every Wednesday evening, Sigmund Freud convened with colleagues in the waiting room of
his Viennese practice at Berggasse 19, uncovering and debating profound ideas within the
realm of psychoanalysis. C.G. Jung extended this idea by establishing a Psychological Club in
Zurich, a clubhouse that became a similar setting to share ideas and offer a space where the
inner, often isolating work of the soul could find harmony through exchange with others.
Since 2020, Psychosocial Wednesdays, a digital salon, has integrated the concepts developed
by these pioneers by offering a global platform for colleagues from diverse psychological
disciplines to share their ideas and creative works.
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(interview series on doppiozero.it)