Live CE Webinar Open for Registration

Course Description

This seminar offers an exploration of the “four quadrants” of personality organization as articulated in Matthew Bennett’s recent book, Towards an Integrated Analytical Psychology. This seminar presents an advanced theoretical integration of archetypal personality structures and developmental psychodynamics within the framework of Integrated Analytical Psychology. Focusing on the four quadrant model—Sensitive (schizoid), Imperial (narcissistic), Radiant (histrionic), and Penitent (depressive)—this course introduces a spiral model of psychological development in which individuals move through successive phases of identification, defense, transformation, and integration. Participants will examine how the quadrants function both as relatively stable personality configurations and as dynamic phases within a larger arc of psychological maturation. Drawing on perspectives from depth psychology, object relations theory, and complexity science, the course introduces a non-linear developmental model that emphasizes recursive movement across typological positions, thematic and defensive inflection points, and the transformational function of suffering. Special attention will be given to the phasic transitions between quadrants, including the clinical and symbolic factors that mediate such transitions and the implications for long-term psychotherapeutic work.

Curricular Notes

AION 101 establishes the philosophical soil from which psychodynamic theory grows. Rather than treating psychotherapy as a technical discipline detached from its intellectual roots, this course makes explicit the metaphysical, ethical, and cultural assumptions embedded in all clinical work. By surveying traditions ranging from Greek philosophy and empiricism to phenomenology, critical theory, and Zen Buddhism, the course destabilizes premature theoretical certainty and cultivates reflective awareness of worldview. Developmentally, this course moves participants from unexamined clinical inheritance to self-aware theoretical orientation. It prepares clinicians to recognize that every intervention implies a philosophy of mind, suffering, and change.

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CE Value

This event spans 3 clock hours and awards 3 hours of Continuing Education.

Fees

$180 for CE credit
$160 for non CE / auditing
$120 for pre-licensed students

course status

This course is a live webinar. It is not connected with Aion Institute's Certificate Programs.

faculty

Dr. Matthew Bennett

Discord Link

Discord Link

If you’re curious about this course, or enrolled in it, please join our Discord Channel dedicated to it.

Event
details

  1. Describe major philosophical and cultural traditions—including ancient spiritual systems, classical Greek philosophy, empiricism, phenomenology, critical theory, and Zen—and explain how these traditions shaped foundational assumptions about mind, self, suffering, and change within psychodynamic psychology.
  2. Differentiate contrasting philosophical orientations to human experience (e.g., rationalist, phenomenological, spiritual, and critical perspectives) and identify how these differences implicitly inform clinical stance, therapeutic authority, and models of psychological change.
  3. Apply philosophical reflection to clinical practice by articulating a more coherent and self-aware theoretical orientation, supporting greater intentionality, flexibility, and ethical clarity in psychodynamic work with diverse patients.

Aion Institute courses are open to all licensed mental health professionals, residents, interns, and graduate students in training, as well as members of the lay public who have an interest in psychodynamic psychology. Please use the following descriptions of our instructional level to gauge your own comfort level with the content.

Introductory Level
For those beginning the path or seeking reorientation.
Courses at this level provide foundational knowledge in psychodynamic and integrative frameworks. No prior specialization is required—only a readiness to engage with depth-oriented psychological thought. These classes introduce core concepts, language, and philosophical underpinnings essential to the Aion curriculum.

✅ Intermediate Level
For those building structure upon the foundation.
Intermediate courses deepen theoretical understanding and clinical application. Participants are expected to have prior exposure to psychoanalytic or Jungian concepts. These courses explore the evolution of major schools of thought, integrative approaches, and the emergence of relational and neurobiological paradigms, inviting greater complexity and case-based reflection.

Advanced Level
For those prepared to engage with nuance, synthesis, and transformation.
Advanced courses assume substantial familiarity with depth psychological theory and practice. Here, we move toward integrative models, complex case formulation, and contemporary theoretical frontiers. The focus is on synthesis, symbolic analysis, and the practitioner’s evolving stance as both healer and theoretician.

Hard Mode
For those willing to be changed.
Hard Mode courses are not merely advanced—they are initiatory. Designed for highly motivated participants, these offerings require deep reading, active participation, and a willingness to engage psychologically, imaginatively, and ethically. They are immersive, demanding, and transformational. These courses may involve longer sessions, seminar-style discussion, original writing or creative response, and the expectation that participants contribute to a shared field of inquiry. They are suited for those who seek to embody the work, not merely study it.

The Aion Institute reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any event, for which registrants will receive a full refund or credit. Refunds for payment processed online via electronic means will be refunded back to the credit card within 2 weeks after the cancellation.

Participants who wish to cancel their registration and paid registration fees online may be eligible for refund.

Participants may cancel their registration through the self-serve page accessed via the link included in the confirmation email sent after registration.

Please keep in mind that canceling a registration on the self-serve page does not automatically process a refund. Aion will refund cancellations made at least 24 hours prior to the start of this event.

The Aion Institute is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all participants.

This event is conducted online using a virtual meeting platform (Zoom). We encourage all attendees to ensure that their technological setup—audio, video, internet connection, and device settings—meets their individual accessibility needs prior to the event.

If you require any additional support, accommodations, or accessibility considerations in order to participate fully, please don’t hesitate to contact us through one of the contact forms on this website. We will make every reasonable effort to ensure your learning experience is welcoming, respectful, and attuned to your needs.

There is no commercial support for this Aion Institute program, nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.

Continuing Education (CE) Provider Approvals

The Aion Institute is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The Aion Institute (AIO279) maintains responsibility for this program and its content.