Please note this course is a bi-weekly program that meets on Mondays.  

Dates are September 22nd, October 6th and 20th, and November 3rd and 17th, 2025.

This program WILL NOT BE recorded.

Intimacy -- the feeling of closeness and connection that we all crave -- is essential in intimate relationships, as well as in relationships with friends, family members, and acquaintances. While intimacy is crucial to healthy relationships, it is easily undermined by our fears and other negative feelings.

The word “intimacy,” derived from the Latin word intimus or “inner,” refers to a person's innermost qualities. Intimacy enables us to bond with each other on many levels. To cultivate intimacy, we must be willing to share our innermost selves, to trust ourselves and the other, to be vulnerable. None of this, of course, is easy. We are all capable of shutting down to protect ourselves from hurt, real or imagined.

In this course, we will read four novels that delve into the complexities of intimacy:

• Middlemarch by George Eliot (We will discuss this book in two sessions because it is very long and involves two important relationships.)
• Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I’m looking forward to seeing you. 

Julie Bondanza, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and a diplomate Jungian analyst who trained at the C.G. Jung Institute of New York, where she was Director of Training, a job she also held with the Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts. She has taught extensively in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, as well as for various Jung societies across the country. Presently she serves the board of the C.G. Jung Foundation of New York and continues to serve as its program chair, a post she has held for many years. Dr. Bondanza practices in Takoma Park and lives in Washington, D.C.

PRICES

Non-Member Price:  $150.00

Individual Member (Below 65):  $125.00

Senior 65+ Members/Student Members:  $105.00

DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM

ZOOM LINKS: Zoom links can be found in your registration confirmation email. They will also be shared about 24 hours before the program start time. Registration closes before Zoom links are shared. If you do not receive your link 24 hours in advance, please reach out asap directly to support@jung.org

CANCELLATION: You may cancel your registration up to 1 week prior to the program.

By agreeing to enroll in an online program offered by the Jung Society of Washington, you are also agreeing to comply with our terms. This means that you cannot record (through internal or external devices) the audio, visuals (photos), or  any videos of the program. The intellectual property belongs to the presenter, and we ask you not to violate this policy. Also, we highly value the anonymity of the content of the program, of the presenters, and of individuals present in the program, and hope that everyone can contribute to a respectful and trust-building online environment. Thank you!